Christianity And Power: The Role Of Persecution In Western Culture

Christianity and Power
Many Christians around the world today are being persecuted for their faith. According to Zane Pratt, for Christians in Islamic, Hindu, and Communist parts of the world, losing your job or being rejected by your family would be good outcomes after proclaiming your faith (par. 10). These Christians suffer each day for being followers of Jesus, some are even killed for it. In the western culture today, persecution in this form is not seen. If someone claims to be a Christian, some people may not approve of it, but that person will rarely ever hear a word of grief for making the decision to be a Christian. Even though this may seem like a blessing, God has not intended western culture to be this way. Nowhere in the bible does God

The bible does not say those who follow Jesus might be persecuted for their faith, it says they will. Because Christians in the west do not currently face persecution, it is hard for them to identify with this verse. The challenge to this group of people is not violent persecution, but rather the lack of it. In many situations, a person's faith grows, and is strengthened, in times of suffering. In the western culture, the people are not likely to have persecution help them grow in their faith because there is so little persecution. One consequence of this lack of persecution can be a diluted faith. If one is not constantly suffering for following Jesus, they may lose sight of how great God is. If a Christian's life is going perfectly, they could start thinking that they can do things on their own, and they may lose sight of how much they need a savior. On the other hand, persecuted Christians see the need for Jesus daily to keep them safe. These believers also have to be strong in their faith because it is the cause of their suffering. Western believers sometimes have to dig deeper to find the need for a savior in their day to day life, and if that need is not found, that Christian's faith will