The Negative Effects Of Christian Persecution

In the United States, where freedom of religion is a guaranteed right, most people are of the Christian faith; however, in foreign lands where there is no freedom of religion, Christians are persecuted and tortured for their beliefs. There are countless examples of Christian persecution throughout history, from the Bible to the lives of Saints to modern day Christians. People are beaten, tortured, forced to change religions, and even killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are you when others … persecute you … because of me … for your reward [will be] great in heaven” (Mat 5: 11-12 ESV). What Jesus said can be applied especially to now, as great multitudes of Christians are carrying their crosses

Surprisingly, there are both positive and negative effects of persecution, however mostly negative. Many who were close to the victim have their moments of grief, but many say that their faith in Christ was strengthened through this traumatic event. The martyrs replicated Christ’s actions and will receive the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the extent that the positive effects reach, though, as the negative effects of persecution and oppression are much, much worse. Starting with the victim, they may be tortured, forced to convert religions, forced to abandon religion altogether, thrown in jail, or put to death. They may try to run away from the persecution, but usually that entails leaving their families behind with a high risk of getting caught and being put to death. The families of the persecuted are affected because they may need to endure the loss of a loved one by death, jail, or abandonment. Some families, such as ones in North Korea, cannot practice their faith at home, in fear that their children will expose their faith at school. Some children in North Korea do not learn that their family is Christian until their mid-late 20’s. Persecution affects the communities as well, as many Christian communities congregate in their local churches, many of which are being burned down by ISIS and Boko Haram. If these groups are not burning down churches, then the churches are being shut down because they have gone bankrupt. They are going bankrupt because the governments impose many taxes and fees just because it is a Christian church. The effects of persecution extend far beyond the communities Christians live in, to the entire Church. With the loss of each of their brothers and sisters in Christ, the Church endures suffering and grief, but also a sense of hope and joy, that the person has moved on from this