Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 03-30-2004, 12:19 AM

The LA Times Magazine ran an article on the Voice of the Martyrs, a Christian group that thrives on persecuted Christians. The article makes them out to be a bit, well, bizarre. They do not try to rescue Christians who are being tortured or killed, they revel in the persecution. Persecution means to them that someone is doing something right. (Their website is www.persecution.com )

Quote:

It's probably not coincidence that extreme sports caught fire during the same decade as extreme devotion became popular. Both trends, says William Martin, a Rice University sociologist who specializes in religion, likely stemmed from the same cause: relative absence of danger in daily life in 1990s America. Helping activists aid the Christian underground offered many Christians a longed-for spiritual intensity. "It may have its secular counterparts, but it's doubly meaningful and blessed because you're doing it because of your faith," Martin says. "It's not a fake."

Rejecting the hardball fundraising of TV evangelists, the Voice of the Martyrs lets its magazine speak for it. Riffling through the pages can be shocking. A typical image, from June 2003: a Chinese woman grimacing in pain as a uniformed man grinds an electric prod into her cheek. "The Chinese Peoples' police are 'executing the law,' torturing Sister Aizhen Miao, a house-church believer," the caption reads. "The names of the policemen and the Christians have been independently verified."

It's a bloody iconography, one not often associated with modern Protestant culture. But the images—of bludgeonings, contorted faces, military boots pinioning shoulders—are integral to the persecuted church movement's worldview. Oklahoma Wesleyan University now offers a four-year undergraduate degree in Christian persecution studies. Among teenagers, a book called "Extreme Devotion," written by VOM and featuring a historic description for each day of the year of a Christian being killed, tortured or otherwise persecuted, has sold 73,000 copies.

The Evil One · 03-30-2004, 12:21 AM

In typical Christian doublethink, being rejected and despised makes them right, in much the same way that being the most widely followed religion on the planet makes them right.

Demigawd · 03-30-2004, 12:36 AM

Christian with a persecution complex: Everybody doesn't accept my world-view (ie. the little voice in my head that tells me I am right); therefore, I'm persecuted just like the Bible said I would be. Bow before my superior theology.

Toto · 03-30-2004, 12:49 AM

The Third World Christians described in that article really are being persecuted. The problem is that the American Christians are not trying to do anything about the persecution - they want it to continue.

Rhea · 03-30-2004, 05:49 AM

Isn't that very similar to Mother Theresa's ministry?

She LOVED pain and suffering. Thought it was "beautiful" because it "showed the face of Jesus".

That was why she did not believe in pain relief or paliative care. Only praying over the suffering to BASK in their pain. Because it was godly and glorious and "beautiful"

psychotic, if you ask me. But very very biblical.

GodelEscherBob · 03-30-2004, 06:28 AM

All the same, whatever their ideological motives, it's good that somebody's documenting this stuff, at the very least to raise awareness. Maybe this group isn't reacting to X-tian persecution the way we would consider the "right" way, but someone else who hears about it might.

Hazel-rah · 03-30-2004, 06:45 AM

The worst thing is that, as much Christians wail and gnash their teeth over what is admittedly quite valid persecution worldwide, they miss the point that the greater crime is persecution--of any kind, including what could be called "mere discrimination"--on any religious grounds whatsoever. Once Human A believes Human B is wrong for not following Human A's religious beliefs, every action they take against Human B for that disbelief is a crime, be the victims Christian, Muslim, atheist, etc.

So they bemoan the crime on one hand, and cheerfully commit it on the other.

ccolinh · 03-30-2004, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Evil One

In typical Christian doublethink, being rejected and despised makes them right, in much the same way that being the most widely followed religion on the planet makes them right.

More than being right - it makes the bible more prophetic - "ah see, god IS real cuz the bible SAYS we will be persecuted..."

Crowley · 03-30-2004, 07:43 AM

I bet their attitude towards this persecution would be different if it were happening in the good Ole U.S. of A. It's one thing to point to a stranger in another country and say, "See, Christians the world over are tortured for their beliefs" and quite another to say, "Yeah, they nearly beat poor Betty Jones to death just because she was a Christian." Just one more example of hypocrisy in my book.

:boohoo:

Of course, Christian in America believe that just because some people don't want to say "under God" (an added line) in the Pledge of Allegiance and reject required prayer in schools that Christians are being persecuted. Go figure.

Crowley

Dark Jedi · 03-30-2004, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhea

Isn't that very similar to Mother Theresa's ministry?

She LOVED pain and suffering. Thought it was "beautiful" because it "showed the face of Jesus".

That was why she did not believe in pain relief or paliative care. Only praying over the suffering to BASK in their pain. Because it was godly and glorious and "beautiful"

psychotic, if you ask me. But very very biblical.

Why did this give me the mental image of Mother Teresa in her nun's habit hood and a leather cat suit, holding a whip and a cross? <shudder>

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03-30-2004, 12:21 AM	#2
The Evil One Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: England Posts: 2,561	In typical Christian doublethink, being rejected and despised makes them right, in much the same way that being the most widely followed religion on the planet makes them right.

03-30-2004, 12:36 AM	#3
Demigawd Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place Posts: 2,254	Christian with a persecution complex: Everybody doesn't accept my world-view (ie. the little voice in my head that tells me I am right); therefore, I'm persecuted just like the Bible said I would be. Bow before my superior theology.

03-30-2004, 12:49 AM	#4
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	The Third World Christians described in that article really are being persecuted. The problem is that the American Christians are not trying to do anything about the persecution - they want it to continue.

03-30-2004, 05:49 AM	#5
Rhea Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Recluse Posts: 9,040	Isn't that very similar to Mother Theresa's ministry? She LOVED pain and suffering. Thought it was "beautiful" because it "showed the face of Jesus". That was why she did not believe in pain relief or paliative care. Only praying over the suffering to BASK in their pain. Because it was godly and glorious and "beautiful" psychotic, if you ask me. But very very biblical.

03-30-2004, 06:28 AM	#6
GodelEscherBob New Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: IL Posts: 2	All the same, whatever their ideological motives, it's good that somebody's documenting this stuff, at the very least to raise awareness. Maybe this group isn't reacting to X-tian persecution the way we would consider the "right" way, but someone else who hears about it might.

03-30-2004, 06:45 AM	#7
Hazel-rah Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 1,628	The worst thing is that, as much Christians wail and gnash their teeth over what is admittedly quite valid persecution worldwide, they miss the point that the greater crime is persecution--of any kind, including what could be called "mere discrimination"--on any religious grounds whatsoever. Once Human A believes Human B is wrong for not following Human A's religious beliefs, every action they take against Human B for that disbelief is a crime, be the victims Christian, Muslim, atheist, etc. So they bemoan the crime on one hand, and cheerfully commit it on the other.

03-30-2004, 07:43 AM	#9
Crowley Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: GA Posts: 114	I bet their attitude towards this persecution would be different if it were happening in the good Ole U.S. of A. It's one thing to point to a stranger in another country and say, "See, Christians the world over are tortured for their beliefs" and quite another to say, "Yeah, they nearly beat poor Betty Jones to death just because she was a Christian." Just one more example of hypocrisy in my book. :boohoo: Of course, Christian in America believe that just because some people don't want to say "under God" (an added line) in the Pledge of Allegiance and reject required prayer in schools that Christians are being persecuted. Go figure. Crowley

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