Interrogating the Church, 06 – Persecution:

There is an iconic scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which a character yells out, “Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I’m being repressed!” His claim is spurious, as what has happened is that King Arthur has asked him and then ordered him to be quiet as he rants on about his political views against most any kind of governance and executive power. The problem is not that his views have no merit or any value. The problem is that he is so intent on expressing his views that he leaves no room for any kind of dialogue.

This is what comes to mind when I hear Christians in the United States talking about being persecuted. That is not reality. The reality is that people are disagreeing with them and not allowing them to force their views, values, and preferences upon everyone else. Persecution is not that people disagree with us. Persecution is when we are not allowed to live our lives according to our values, interests, and identity. Persecution is when others attempt to force us into the mold they have created.

Persecution is a systematic mistreatment of persons. It includes things like harassment, hostility, ill-treatment, or persistent annoyance. It is generally directed against someone on the basis of their identity or affiliation with a particular group. It is virtually impossible for persecution to exist against a person or group in a position of power. It is rather a power structure that persecutes those it perceives as threatening their power, position, or prestige.

The early church was persecuted at times by people who considered them a threat. They were at times persecuted by some in the Jewish community and at other times by various elements of the Roman Empire. Those were generally short-lived and localized persecutions. Often as not, they were based more on misunderstandings and miscommunications than on any actual attempt to stamp out the church because of its beliefs and practices.

In the context of the United States, we are more apt to see people who claim Christianity attempting to silence contrary voices, even resorting to intimidation and violence to force compliance with their particular views on a number of issues. This is what we saw in previous generations regarding slavery. Good, upstanding leaders of their religious circles wielded position, influence, and government resources to enforce the submission, not only of blacks, but also of women, immigrants, and native peoples. Often as not, Jews were included among those we oppressed and persecuted. In more recent decades, our attention has often shifted toward the persecution of Latino, immigrant, Muslim, and queer communities.

Voices complaining about the persecution of Christians in the United States are actually responding to a perceived loss of privilege. They are conflicted over losing a sense of majority status. They are responding to a general decline in church attendance across denominational lines. None of this is persecution. Claims of persecution are about rallying and riling up a mass of people in an effort for certain leaders to gain, regain, or hang onto power.

Jesus did not come seeking power. Paul tells us that he gave up power to become human, being born as a servant. A servant does not persecute. A servant has no platform from which to do so. On the other hand, if we acted more like Jesus, we might find a lot more goodwill directed our way. To follow Jesus, we need to be like Jesus, and that means letting go of whatever power we have attempted to wield.

— ©Copyright 2023, Christopher B. Harbin 

http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/

My latest books  can be found here on Amazon