Questions tagged [persecution]
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What are some countries where you can be imprisoned for reading or owning a Bible?
Growing up Christian, I would always hear of far away countries where people would be imprisoned for reading the Bible. Today I wondered about that. Are there really any countries that imprison people ...
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Why did Christianity survive at all? [closed]
I was reading about ... hold on, what was I reading about? Nevermind, I was URL surfing. Jumping around from one link to another I somehow got to this -
He [Nero] was known for having captured ...
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Is a claim of 50,000,000 Baptist martyrs accurate?
In the book The Trail of Blood by James M Carroll, the author makes the claim that 50,000,000 early Baptists were martyred under persecution by the Catholic Church. The author makes the claim ...
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What is an overview of how Christian commentators have explained rulers to be a terror to bad conduct?
Paul writes in Romans 13:
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. (Romans 13:3a ESV)
If we interpret it as referring to all rulers at all times this statement does not seem to ...
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Is the Russian Orthodox Church pressing the government of Russia to ban Jehovah's Witnesses?
As early as today (April 7 2017) the Supreme Court of Russia may ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.
This would make it a criminal offense for Jehovah's Witnesses even to meet together to pray.
...
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What is an overview of early church opposition to authorities?
What is an overview of early church father expressions of opposition against authorities? I'm looking for things like:
Protests against state-/government-sponsored injustice
Arguments against the ...
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Has the Roman Catholic Church ever officially condemned the Croatian Ustashi?
I understand the Ustashi (or Ustaše) to have been a fascist organization that dominated Croatia during World War II. This Wikipedia article reputes that Ustashi persecution of non-Croatians was so ...
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Which 20th-century Orthodox Christians said that the crusades were more oppressive than the Marxist anti-religious campaigns?
Everett Ferguson, in Church History, I, 23.I.D, discusses the brutality of the crusades in the early 13th century, when Constantinople was sacked. One point I found particularly interesting was a ...
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Christian founding of American colonies
Were most of the initial founders of the North American colonies really dissident Christians fleeing religious persecution in Europe? I've heard it said a number of times, but I wondered if it is ...
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How is the new anti-conversion law going to affect Christians in India?
There is news that Modi government likely to bring bill to prevent religious conversion in next Parliament session
There is currently this plea from persecution relief and a petition to be signed
How ...
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How many people were killed by Protestant Inquisition-style tribunals? [closed]
It is relatively easy to find estimates for the number of people killed during the Catholic Inquisition; one just needs to check the Wikipedia page, to see several estimates of the number of people ...
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Is there any extra-biblical evidence that shows the apostles were martyred?
Church tradition tells us that most of the 12 apostles were martyred, with the apostle John being the only one considered to die an old death.
Is there any extra-biblical evidence that shows the ...
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Are Christians still persecuted in Afghanistan?
In the past there have been reports that Christians are persecuted in Afghanistan.
Is this still true?
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Persecution of Jewish people by Christians in Middle Ages?
I want to apologize ahead if my questions sound disrespectful to anybody. This isn't my intent. I grew up in East Asia which has very few Christians, but I have been very interested in the history of ...
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What's the first recorded case of the Church's persecuting heretics?
What's the first recorded case of the Church's persecuting heretics?
By persecution I mean not only the act of stopping fellowship with a heretic, but also something more than that - things like, for ...
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What is so appealing about Christianity? [closed]
Early Christianity soon after Jesus’ death, in spite of the whole powerful world being against the first believers, kept spreading rapidly in that region. More so because up to the point of Jesus' ...
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Is the King James Bible banned in China?
I understand there are state-sanctioned churches in China, but that implies that Bibles in China are edited by the CCP.
Would an Anglican Bible be legal, or at least easy, to bring into China?
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Protestants, why do some Christians suffer so much more than others?
Yes, we all have our own trials, but there are a few Christians who, very obviously, suffer so much more and much more often too (I am not talking about "bad choices" either, so please do ...
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Do any Christian traditions permit suicide to avoid being dishonored (raped)?
Do any Christian traditions allow suicide for women at the point of being dishonored (raped) by rampaging armies or thugs during war or persecutions against Christians? This tough subject includes ...
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Persecution in Christianity
I had a strange exchange with a user on this forum. They took a view I doubt Thomas Aquinas would have agreed with. They felt that anything that interfered with saying the Mass was persecution.
Let ...
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To what extent did the Chinese government force Catholic priests to marry?
In his book The Souls of China, Ian Johnson writes about a type of religious persecution that was inflicted on some groups in China during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76):
Across the country, ...
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Was Jesus actively persecuted at any other points during his Ministry and/or adult life?
It's commonly agreed upon that the Ministry of Jesus lasted at least 3 years. However, the plot to arrest Jesus begins only a few days before his crucifixion according to Matthew 26:1-5. Do we know if ...
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According to Catholicism must we all suffer in life?
In the Catholic Church there is a certain mystic aspect regarding to the suffering of Jesus Christ in which often faithful who go trough sufferings, especially for the faith, see their suffering as ...
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What countries today have severe restrictions against Christianity as state policy?
What countries today have severe restrictions against Christianity as state policy?
Is it possible to give a short overview with description of those policies?
This source is quite good, however, ...
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Is it ever revealed that Paul released those that he imprisoned?
So Paul (previously Saul) became a believer and an effective advocate for Christ, but only after he had imprisoned several believers.
Acts 8:3 ESV But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering ...
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What's the difference between the Apostle's claims and the claims of others who started religious movements?
So I recently watched a documentary about a new age movement and felt a bit rattled by what I perceived to be some examples of peoples behaving in a way that undermines the common arguments for ...
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Giving solace and comfort to our oppressed brothers and sisters [closed]
This post may be considered as a follow-up for a previous post of mine, which unfortunately was closed because it was deemed to lack "details or clarity". Let me try to rephrase my question....
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Do we know how many bishops attending the Council of Nicaea were victims of the Roman perscutions?
Do we know how many bishops attending the Council of Nicaea were actual victims of the Roman perscutions?
The Council of Nicaea opened on May 20, 325 AD.
The First Council of Nicaea, the first ...
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Was it possible for Catholics to express their faith openly in England during the time of persecution?
Was it possible for Catholics to express their faith openly (if at all) in Britain during the time of the of English persecutions (April 29, 1559)-(April 13, 1829)?
On 29 April 1559, the English ...
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A question about practising Christianity against authority [duplicate]
Romans 13:1-2 (RSV)
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore he who ...
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What was meant by the charge: "the upsetting of the lamp"?
In Justin Martyr's First Apology Chapter 26, we read:
And whether they perpetrate those fabulous and shameful deeds — the upsetting of the lamp, and promiscuous intercourse, and eating human flesh — ...
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According to pre-tribulation pre-millenialists, when would and will Christians be persecuted for their faith as a sign to the world?
In Matthew 10:16-25 BSB, it says
"16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men; for they will hand you ...
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What is christian suffering like in a 1st world country [closed]
In 1 Peter 1:6-7 he talks about suffering being necessary in a Christian's life which at the time, I believe, was prison or death and in the time of Nero suffering for being a Christian was a very ...
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Who was the first person on record who was killed by a Christian or group of Christians for religious disagreements?
I am trying to learn when did things start to go wrong in Christianity and when did it start to change from a peaceful, loving religious group into a movement that engaged in war and physical ...
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Are we blessed when people hurt us? [closed]
Matthew 5:11 says,
Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: (Douay-Rheims)
From the sound of it, this verse has ...
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Do Christians Believe Persecution is a Part of Their Identity? [closed]
Matthew 5:11-12 states that persecution is an expectation of those who follow Christ.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you ...