Posted on 12/04/2016 7:53:32 PM PST by ReformationFan
Old poster showing a man behind bars:
“If you were arrested for being a Christian,
“Would there be enough evidence to convict you?
We had an uneasy friendship until he became offended because I didn't cross my theological t's and dot my theological i's as he did, so he declared me a heretic. Although I was not a member of his church, the elders of his very conservative Presbyterian denomination ordered him to apologize to me and my family for statements that he (and elders) knew were false. He left the denomination rather than apologize and ultimately left the community. The amount of damage that person did in the local Christian community (particularly, the reformed segment) was huge.
That phrase can be used as a shield for inappropriate behavior by the self-righteous among the Christians.
I agree but Jesus DID say, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." (Matt. 5:11).
I agree with that. There are several other verses that say the same thing. However, like so much in the Christian life, some balance seems to be called for. The example I cited was an extreme case but I've seen subtler cases where the "persecution" was not really about the person's faith but behavior.
If I'm being persecuted because of my faith, that is, ironically, a blessing. If I'm being persecuted because I'm being obnoxious, then I'm being rightfully cursed.
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