Christian Indifference to Christian Suffering

Frontpagemag ^ | April 12, 2013 | Michael Finch

[Enza Ferreri]

Christians are being persecuted all over the world.  Churches are being burned and destroyed, girls are being raped and ancient Christian communities reaching back 2,000 years are being obliterated.  And the world yawns.  Most shockingly, many Christians in the West, worse than yawning, look away and in some cases embrace the perpetrators and blame our allies.

This begs the obvious question:  Why do so many Christians in America and Europe seem to not care about what is happening around the world to their fellow disciples of Jesus?  Why are we looking the other way while the brutal murder, persecution, rape and ethnic and religious cleansing is happening right before our eyes?

The answers are complicated and unfortunately, don’t offer much hope for the future.  First some history:

The fact is, Christians have never been united.  Even before 1054 and the Great Schism between Rome and Constantinople, Christians were at odds with each other.  The Schism just made it official.  The Protestant Reformation of the early 16^th century further divided “Christendom” into a multitude of fractures, ending any hope of a united Christian Church.

While the Eastern Roman Empire was, for centuries, holding off the oncoming Turkish Muslim hordes, the Western Church did worse than yawn; in 1204 they irrevocably weakened the Byzantine Empire when they sacked Constantinople on their way to the Holy Land.  Much of the beauty of Venice was the booty stolen from their fellow Christians of the East.  When Constantinople finally fell in 1453, aid did not come from Christian Europe in spite of frantic pleas for assistance.

There have been great moments in the history of the West, when Christians fought together against a common foe.  Most notably when the Pole Jan Sobieski lead a heroic charge of Catholics and Protestants at Vienna in 1683 and likely saved Europe from being overrun by the Turks and becoming Muslim.  But most of the history of the West has seen Christians at each other’s throats, one long trail of bloody wars after another with World War I being perhaps the last light in the Christian West going out.  Perhaps Sobieski only bought us a few hundred years before the Muslim onslaught.

But if history is against us, so are those divisions within Christianity.  Unfortunately, for most Christians, a Christian is not a Christian.  To get an American Roman Catholic to worry about an Assyrian Iraqi Christian or to get a Presbyterian to concern themselves with a Melkite Catholic in Syria is a near impossible task.  You will have better luck raising their awareness of Buddhist monks in Tibet.  When you walk in a Baptist Church and find tracts that call Rome and the Catholic Church the “whore of Babylon” and the Pope the “anti-Christ” is it really surprising that they have such little concern for the raping of Coptic Christians in Egypt?  There is a now infamous photo of an Egyptian Copt with his hand on a blood-stained painting of Jesus on the walls of a destroyed church in Alexandria.  A comment made to me about the image from a fundamentalist Protestant was “Images of Jesus are a false idol and therefore heresy.”  And we wonder why no one cares?

And finally, the scourge of political correctness and the influence the Left has had on our culture is perhaps the greatest reason why we lack the will to fight.  Or even to care.  We see it in Hollywood, the media, in our politics and, of course, in our churches.

Even I, as a non-Catholic, yearn for some kind of leadership from the Vatican.  Pope John Paul will live forever in the hearts of those who love freedom for his courageous stance against Communism.  There was hope for Pope Benedict early on, but those hopes were quickly squashed.  When the Pope would make a statement about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, he would invariably mention, the “occupation,” “two state solution” or some other canard to blame Israel for what the Muslims are doing to Christians.  To do so is disgusting and shameful and a further blight on the Church.  May this new Pope find the courage that so many others have lacked.

When we look to other Christian churches, the news only gets worse.  American and European main-stream protestant churches are pathetic examples of a post-Christian world.  We see a full embracing of the Palestinian cause and an apology to their terror.  They have so fallen into the leftist mantra that they can’t see the evil before their eyes.  I liken it to western feminists saying nothing about the plight of women under Islam; the genital mutilations, beatings, rapes and honor killings.  They don’t care about women; their cause has nothing to do with “women’s rights.”  They are pushing a political agenda.  It goes the same with much of the Western Christian churches.  We can raise all the awareness that we want, but they just don’t care.

There is some hope, though it is fleeting.  Among the evangelicals, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and scattered other remnants, there are those that still do care.  And they must be awakened to move against this great evil and injustice to their fellow followers of Christ.  In addition, we must reach out to our allies outside of Christianity.  Jews, Hindus, Buddhist and so many others are very much victims today of Islamic terror and persecution.  An alliance must be formed.

For Christians, any human suffering is a cry for help, whether they be Christians or otherwise.  But it is especially critical that we heed those who are being martyred for their belief in Christ.  Differences of history, doctrine, ethnicity and nation must be set aside.  We, in the West, are in the greatest position to help, in whatever ways that may be determined.  And before we look the other way, we need to think about when the persecution comes home, and that time will arrive if we are to do nothing now.  Who will be left to save us?

[daniel1212]

I agree the term “Christian” is very loosely applied, and we are not to bless preachers of a false gospel, and charity is to first begin with the household of faith, yet i would basically want to show some mercy to anyone suffering unjusty simply because of what they believe (unless they themselves mean to do harm), which is a form of evangelism toward them, and support freedom of speech in this realm for all.

[daniel1212]

No, the MSM is interested in looking for Christian militants, not persecuted Christians, but i do think most believers are rather insensitive to the degree of suffering of our brethren, esp. N. Korea. Maybe if we went without food for a couple weeks it would help.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Thank you for posting this article. Wake the Evangelicals and tell them to put that bigotry in their sub-basement where it belongs. Orthodox and Catholic Christians were here long before Evangelicals were even thought of. And at least in the Muslim world it is they who are enduring the brunt of the suffering. Yes, Evangelicals are suffering in other places (Nigeria— both Catholic & Protestant—Indonesia—same China-all underground churches as opposed to state approved official churches—Iran mostly evangelicals because native denominations do not look to convert Muslims) but they refuse to see what is happening to Christian communities other than their own in the Middle East.

I don't suppose you've ever considered the theoretical possibility that bigotry isn't limited to Evangelicals but that Catholics and Orthodox have also historically had this problem?

[Zionist Conspirator]

quote “When you walk in a Baptist Church and find tracts that call Rome and the Catholic Church the “whore of Babylon” and the Pope the “anti-Christ” is it really surprising that they have such little concern for the raping of Coptic Christians in Egypt? “

I doubt very sincerely that any Baptist church in this day and age is going to have any tracts denouncing the Pope as the "anti-Christ." However, Baptists do believe differently from Catholics. I take it it is now "politically incorrect" to pretend otherwise? Are simple explications of Baptist belief now "bigotry?"

I can state out of personal experience that many Catholic churches have tracts and pamphlets attacking "fundamentalism" and the very idea of Biblical inerrancy. Why doesn't that count as "bigotry"--because Catholics are historically an urban immigrant minority group?

I mentioned that Christians in Lebanon were being firebombed by Israel and my Baptist “friend” informed me they were “nominal Christians”. Since they were being bombed by “god’s people”, that is didn’t seem to matter. Over 1 million Christians were displaced in the Iraq war . Fact is that American and Israel foreign policy always seems hazardous to the health of all Christians.

By "all chrstians" I assume you are excluding Baptists or any other "fundamentalist" Protestant. How charmingly "tolerant" of you.

Also in America, there is never any concern for white people in general, at home or overseas. That is the way America has been brainwashed since the 1950’s.

And now you turn right around after condemning Baptists (who are often unfairly labeled "white racists") and engage in the exact same rhetoric that Baptists are allegedly guilty of. I thought you were accusing Baptists of bigotry. And then you turn right around and commit it? You're a very confused person, aren't you? And btw, how are Semitic chrstians any more "white" than Jews?

Today is the day Delaware will vote for homosexual “marriage”.

What has this got to do with race? Aren't there an awful lot of white homosexuals?

Another indicator of who rules the culture.

And just who "rules the culture?" Why don't you tell us?

Back in 1775 you had to be a Christian to hold office in Delaware. IF this bill passes, I assume that you will have to repudiate publicly any allegiance to Jesus Christ in order to hold a state job.

Also back in 1775 you had to be a Protestant, and back in those days Protestants did think the Pope was the antichrist.

You've just condemned Fundamentalist Protestants and turned around and wished we were living in the days when the people you condemn wouldn't have allowed someone like you to hold political office.

You really are confused, aren't you?

[Zionist Conspirator]

Oh come now. You’re acting as if what one believed were still important. [/sarcasm] Apparently Catholics and Orthodox don’t think belief is a big deal . . . though if the shoe were on the other foot I don’t know how “ecumenical” they would be.

[Salvation]

Not for Catholics. We are tuned into this.

Where is God At Times Like These? A meditation in the wake of a violent atrocity [Prayer Ping]

Catholics, Get Ready to Suffer
Mood changes as pope, young people reflect on suffering in Way of CrossM
Following The Truth: Appreciating The Gift Of Suffering (Catholic or Open)
Cardinal Burke: suffering does not rid life of purpose
In historic TV Q&A, Pope Benedict speaks about suffering, comatose persons, persecution (Catholic)
Pope Addresses Suffering in Historic Television Appearance
(Why Am I Catholic?) For Peace While Suffering (A Few Words for Wednesday)
Praying in Sickness and Old Age
The Church as a Hospital
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] The Apostolate of Suffering Redux

Redemptive Suffering
Through church, Jesus ministers to all who are sick in the world
'Amazing Grace for Those Who Suffer'
Pope Benedict asks sick to offer up suffering for priests (Catholic Caucus)
Why Must I Suffer?
On the Advantages of Tribulations by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
Why Be Catholic? 3: Suffering [Ecumenical]
"Love Really Can Make Suffering Bearable": Woman with Spina Bifida
Experts at Euthanasia Symposium Stress Unity, Strategy, and the Triumph of Love over Suffering
Holy Father prays for peace and unity, encourages the suffering to trust in God

Joy-Filled Suffering, Laetare Sunday
Children 'Suffering >From Lack Of Two-Parent Family', Study Finds
Pope Says Euthanasia 'False Solution' to Suffering, Alludes to Comatose Woman's Fate
Excerpts from THE FRUITS OF HIS LOVE - The Value Of Suffering - Mother M. Angelica
Why Not You? (on suffering)
Vicar takes down crucifixion sculpture 'because it's a scary depiction of suffering'
The Value of Suffering in the Life of Christian Perfection
IN BRUSH WITH DEATH, PRIEST SHOWN HELL, PURGATORY, DEGREES OF SUFFERING
Prayers to Saint Agatha [For Those Suffering from Breast Cancer]
REDEMPTIVE SUFFERING(Catholic Caucus or by Invitation Only)

[Elsie]

It’s hard to get funding for a Crusade these days.

[Elsie]

Wake the Evangelicals and tell them to put that bigotry in their sub-basement where it belongs.

That seems a bit, shall we say, narrow minded.

[Elsie]

“When you walk in a Baptist Church and find tracts that call Rome and the Catholic Church the “whore of Babylon” and the Pope the “anti-Christ” is it really surprising that they have such little concern for the raping of Coptic Christians in Egypt? “

Yup; Christians of ALL stripes are PERSECUTED by another 'religion' in this country and overseas as well...

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Questions put to Joseph Smith: "'Do you believe the Bible?' [Smith:]'If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do'. When asked 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons'? [Smith replied] 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119).

Joseph Smith: "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (from Pearl of Great Price 1:12). "What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270).

 

 

 

Brigham Young stated this repeatedly: "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness" (Journal of Discourses 5:73); "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Journal of Discourses 8:171); "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Journal of Discourses 8:199); "And who is there that acknowledges [God's] hand? ...You may wander east, west, north, and south, and you cannot find it in any church or government on the earth, except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.24); "Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

 

 

 

Orson Pratt proclaimed: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

 

 

 

Orson Pratt also said: "This great apostasy commenced about the close of the first century of the Christian era, and it has been waxing worse and worse from then until now" (Journal of Discourses

, vol.18, p.44) and: "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of people Christian Churches, because they profess to be ...But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" (Journal of Discourses , 18:172).

 

 

President John Taylor stated: "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.167); "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." (Journal of Discourses , 10:127).

 

 

 

James Talmage said: "A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of the Articles of Faith, p.182).

 

 

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (Doctrines of Salvation, p.266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282).

 

 

 

More recent statements by apostle Bruce McConkie are also very clear: "Apostasy was universal...And this darkness still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol 3, p.265); "Thus the signs of the times include the prevailing apostate darkness in the sects of Christendom and in the religious world in general" (The Millennial Messiah, p.403); "a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom" (Mormon Doctrine, p.132); "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, p.269); "Gnosticism is one of the great pagan philosophies which antedated Christ and the Christian Era and which was later commingled with pure Christianity to form the apostate religion that has prevailed in the world since the early days of that era." (Mormon Doctrine, p.316).

 

 

 

President George Q. Cannon said: "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, p.324).

 

 

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 2, p.196).

[Elsie]

Shhhh...

You were not supposed to notice that.

[Elsie]

If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Sure our gospel is different; for it is RESTORED!!

WE are going overseas and gaining a LOT more members there than in this country; where we are scorned, mocked and ridiculed.

--MormonDudeS(When would be a good time...)

[Lera]

Thank you for posting this article. Wake the Evangelicals and tell them to put that bigotry in their sub-basement where it belongs. Orthodox and Catholic Christians were here long before Evangelicals were even thought of. And at least in the Muslim world it is they who are enduring the brunt of the suffering. Yes, Evangelicals are suffering in other places (Nigeria— both Catholic & Protestpant—Indonesia—same China-all underground churches as opposed to state approved official churches—Iran mostly evangelicals because native denominations do not look to convert Muslims) but they refuse to see what is happening to Christian communities other than their own in the Middle East.

You are kidding right ? Evangelicals are not the ones that are supporting the islamics that are murdering and persecuting both Jews and Christians . In fact many many Evangelicals (myself included ) provide financial support to ministries like Voice of the Martyrs who do everything they can to help persecuted believers . No really I do hope your kidding when it isn't our churches who are siding and pushing handing more land and more power to islamic terrorist calling themselves palestinians who have done nothing but chase non muslims out of the area .

[Lera]

is still a command for us. They burden my heart though i do not do enough praying for them. Support Voice of the Martyrs and like ministries.

VoM is doing a lot right now in Egypt . I got a nice letter from them last week . I don't have it in front of me to type a word for word but one of the guys was with one of their preachers and led 20 muslims to the Lord while he was there . Said something about some of the muslims are beginning to realize that since the islamics have taken over that something is very very wrong with what they were raised to believe ... anyway letter was very encouraging for the Gospel beginning to spread in Egypt

[Lera]

I mentioned that Christians in Lebanon were being firebombed by Israel and my Baptist “friend” informed me they were “nominal Christians”. Since they were being bombed by “god’s people”, that is didn’t seem to matter. Over 1 million Christians were displaced in the Iraq war . Fact is that American and Israel foreign policy always seems hazardous to the health of all Christians.

Israel is not firebombing Christians . The islamics in Lebanon are the ones that hide behind Christians and launch rockets into Israel . It's the islamics that kidnap and murder them and rape their women .

It was Jews during the last war that saved many Lebanese Christians from being murdered by the Islamics . They took food over the border to them , medical help , arms to protect themselves etc .

Israel is not the enemy . Israel is the only place in the middle east where Christians can live in safety . Israel is not going anywhere and if you read your Bible you would know that . God said he would bring them back into their land in unbelief and he did and he also said that no one was going to uproot them again and no one is going to . Hey you can choose to be on whatever side you want to be on but if you stand against Israel you are on the opposite side of the will of God himself .

[Iscool]

I mentioned that Christians in Lebanon were being firebombed by Israel and my Baptist “friend” informed me they were “nominal Christians”

Really??? Let me ask a question...When the 'Christians' in Gaza throw rocks at or are involved in firing rockets at Israel, whose side do you take???

[Elsie]

When the 'Christians' in Gaza throw rocks at or are involved in firing rockets at Israel, whose side do you take???

They DO this?

I never knew!!

Got a story or two to link to?

[daniel1212]

Thank God for them. And the founder's true story, "Tortured for Christ " (watch ) should read by every true Christian.

[daniel1212]

I know not of any, but it is likely many Arab Christians side with the PLA. This story (http://rt.com/news/muslims-christians-tahrir-gaza/) is about Copts and Muslims in union in Egypt after the overthrow of Mubarak, but i think the anti-Israel writer is reading too much into a complex situation, and which has not turned out well for the Copts.

[Iscool]

Got a story or two to link to?

While Palestinian Christians are Christians, they have grown up with the Palestinian identity...While most probably refrain from violence, many support the anililation of Israel...And as most of these 'Christians' are mostly Orthodox and then Catholic, they do not believe Israel has any biblical claim to Palestine...

While there are not many/any real headlines depicting Palestinian Christians attacking Israel, the stories are contained within other articles...

Here's a mention of rock throwing Christians in one article

Here

And here's an interesting part of a book(?) on the youth Palestinian identity and an interesting take from a Palestinian rock throwing Christian...You will have to read a little or scroll down...

Here

There's plenty of info out there...

[Zionist Conspirator]

Excellent information, Iscool. Most Americans think that all "chrstians" believe just as does Hal Lindsay. American Biblicist chrstianity is different. It is the exception. And Arab and Middle East chrstians are the absolute worst.

How many American chrstians are aware that Israeli chrstians traditionally support and vote for the Israeli Communist Party???