It seemed the entire civilized world breathed a collective sigh of relief recently when Meriam Ibrahim was finally permitted to leave Sudan. She had been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging for allegedly converting to Islam from Christianity, despite her claim that she was raised by a Christian mother and therefore never renounced Islam. While we thank God for Miriam’s freedom, we grieve for the millions more still facing oppression for their faith.
Who are the most persecuted people in the
world? Christians. In our own nation, it seems that every
viewpoint is valued and protected except that of followers of Christ. Worldwide, the situation is worse.
According to the International Society for Human
Rights, a secular organization with members in 38 nations, Christians are the
target of 80 per cent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world
today. The Centre for the Study of
Global Christianity states that, throughout the world, 100,000 Christians are
executed every year – because they are followers of Christ. The Pew Research Center has determined that
Christians face some level of discrimination in 139 of the world’s 195
countries (stats cited from the Belfast Telegraph).
But the nature of persecution in much of the world
dwarfs what we in the West have to face.
We may be harassed for wearing religious jewelry in the work place or
praying publicly in Jesus’ name or expressing our faith on a dorm bulletin
board. All the while believers elsewhere
are languishing in jail, having church buildings destroyed, being hacked to
death by machete-wielding radicals, or being forced to endure tortures and
forced labor.
Such a reality comes as no surprise to Christians
who take Jesus’ words seriously. He
promised that if the world hated and persecuted Him, it would do likewise to
His followers (John 15:18-20). We who know
Christ must never forget the spiritual war that is raging and determine to
remain firmly established upon a biblical foundation, come what may. And let us rejoice that, in the end, truth
and righteousness will triumph.
