HuffPost: The Most Persecuted Religion in the World

[Zguy28]

Huffington Post: The Most Persecuted Religion in the World

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-james-clark/christianity-most-persecuted-religion_b_2402644.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Over the past year, I have written of the intolerance that Christians have shown to Muslims in the U.S. From Missouri to Murphreesboro, Christians have demonstrated both a lack of charity and a denial of the right to religious liberty by setting fire to old mosques and opposing new ones. But Christians in the U.S. are rank amateurs compared to the Muslim persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

In early November, German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world." Although met with predictable criticism, Rupert Short's recent research report for Civitas UK confirms Merkel's claim -- we may not want to hear it, but Christianity is in peril, like no other religion. While this is a contest no one wants to win, Short shows that "Christians are targeted more than any other body of believers." Short is the author of the recently published Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack. He is concerned that "200 million Christians (10 percent of the global total) are socially disadvantaged, harassed or actively oppressed for their beliefs."

Rest of the article at link.

[Riggo-toni]

Only because all the Sephardim have already been thrown out of Muslim countries following the advent of Zionism. In the pan-Arabist phase of post-colonialism the distinction between Christian and Muslim was largely ignored - a fact evidenced by the emergence of people like Michel Aflaq and George Habash.

The dismal economic failures and military impotence of regimes built on the Nasserite model left many Arab Muslims to seek out an alternative, which tragically ended up being the horrific cross pollination of Egyptian salafism being taught in Wahhabist Saudi Arabia. Irony of ironies - the countries where at least certain Christians sects were given a degree of privilege and protected status...Al Assad's Syria (where many Christians still support the regime, if only out of fear of being slaughtered as allies of the Alawites), and Saddam's Iraq (ie Tariq Aziz).

[Jumbo]

If we could convince the conservatives to just open the southern border, the influx of Christians (Catholics technically still are Christians, right? :pfft:) from that region alone would allow so many more to enter the nation where the reality is more the total opposite of "persecution" for people of that faith.

Even the leader of all the people in this nation (some who actually aren't Christians but are still technically "real Americans") even swore on a Bible in renewing his presidency and declared fealty to the Christian God of his belief (I don't believe he's a secret Muslim).

But this really is a serious matter---Christians are persecuted in much of world. It is every bit as much a travesty as similar persecution of any people based on so many things--race, religion, other belief, sex, nationality, etc.

It's hard for me to believe (but it probably shouldn't be) that most people wouldn't be aware of the violence directed at Christians, among all the other demographics we hear about, in many places around the globe.

A poster made, and repeated, a comment in the gun thread about how some crime stats were lower lately in part to our "evolving." Even if he just meant this society, I hope he's right.

---------- Post added January-21st-2013 at 09:40 AM ----------

Only because all the Sephardim have already been thrown out of Muslim countries following the advent of Zionism. In the pan-Arabist phase of post-colonialism the distinction between Christian and Muslim was largely ignored - a fact evidenced by the emergence of people like Michel Aflaq and George Habash.

The dismal economic failures and military impotence of regimes built on the Nasserite model left many Arab Muslims to seek out an alternative, which tragically ended up being the horrific cross pollination of Egyptian salafism being taught in Wahhabist Saudi Arabia. Irony of ironies - the countries where at least certain Christians sects were given a degree of privilege and protected status...Al Assad's Syria (where many Christians still support the regime, if only out of fear of being slaughtered as allies of the Alawites), and Saddam's Iraq (ie Tariq Aziz).

Good reflection on contributing historical dynamics---I should refresh my awareness level in some of those specific areas. Europe is also full of it's share of hate towards Muslims in some areas, Christians in others, and just as divisive in matters of homosexuality and other social areas. Same in Asia and Africa. It's pretty much global, as in fundamental human behaviors wherever you find humans.. Some places, while far from perfect, really do have it better than others (logically enough), and this is one of them.