We are approaching 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was adopted by America’s Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It is a good reminder for those who are privileged to live in a country with so many freedoms. Many do not live in such a place.
America’s freedoms did not come without a price. It is estimated that over 25,000 of the military (about 1% of the population) died as a result of the Revolutionary War. American casualties in the Civil War were estimated at 620,000. United States casualties in World Wars I and II were 116,000 and 418,000 respectively.
Benjamin Franklin had a prophetic statement following the Constitutional Convention (1787) on the fragility of maintaining America’s freedoms. Upon being asked by a resident: “Well, Doctor, what have we got - a Republic or a Monarchy?” he replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” The Civil War itself demonstrated how fragile the Republic can be.
The United States is not alone in having issued a Declaration of Independence. Based on a quick search, some 80 countries of the 195 nations worldwide had a form of Declaration of Independence from another country. Almost half came out of European colonization, similar to the American experience (16 for independence from Spain, 11 from Great Britain, 5 from France, 2 from Portugal). Fifteen grew out of the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Despite this worldwide quest for freedom, religious oppression and persecution remain in many parts of the world, and it comes in many forms. A list of ways that Christians have been persecuted is available from Mission Eurasia and is summarized as:
Physical and Violent Persecution
· Lethal attacks: Murder, executions, and raids targeting religious gatherings
· Torture and imprisonment: Detaining or abusing believers for their faith
· Displacement: Forcing religious minorities to flee their homes
· Destruction of property: Vandalizing or tearing down houses of worship
Legal and Institutional Discrimination
· Blasphemy and apostasy laws: Criminalizing conversion from a state religion
· Discriminatory laws: Barring specific religious groups from public office, entering certain professions, or receiving fair trials.
· Restriction of assembly: Outlawing private house churches, restricting public worship, or closely monitoring religious institutions.
· Censorship: Banning sacred texts or limiting religious broadcasting
Social and Cultural Persecution
· Employment and housing bias: Denying jobs, promotions, or housing leases due to religious affiliation.
· Forced assimilation: Compelling individuals to abandon their faith, engage in forced conversions, or adopt state ideologies.
· Social coercion: Pressuring individuals to convert
· Marginalization: Gradual social exclusion or limiting legal rights regarding public prayer and expression.
Source: https://missioneurasia.org/faith-under-fire-understanding-and-responding-to-religious-persecution/
Jesus did not hide the fact from His followers that persecution would occur. Not only did He endure His own suffering, but He made a specific point of preparing the disciples and others for the very persecution that would come. In fact, the last three verses of “the Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:10-12) are all about the blessings of being “persecuted for the sake of righteousness,” and preparing for times when “people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” Then Jesus concludes with a statement about the spiritual significance of persecution, reminding those who are persecuted to “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great ….”
Jesus emphasized this even more with the disciples at the last supper: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:18). But at the same time, He reminded them of the hope: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27).
The Apostles seemed to have gotten the message because we see in Acts 5:41 that after being imprisoned and candidates for execution, but then released, “… they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Much of Peter’s first letter to the brethren in the provinces (Pontus, Galatia, etc.) was to encourage them in the trials they were facing with the following points (1 Peter 1:7):
· Trials were a way to demonstrate their faith
· The proof of their faith is more precious than gold
· They can look beyond the trial to see that they will be rewarded with praise and glory
These are biblical principles for how we are to consider trials when we are going through them. However, it does not mean that countries and people shouldn’t seek greater freedoms to worship, express their faith, and have fair treatment in everyday society. Paul, in his first letter to Timothy, urged prayers “… be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2). In other words, there is some hope and expectation that believers can worship in peace and serve in everyday life without threats.
Other countries and their leadership would do well to copy the First Amendment of America’s Constitution, the first part of which states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … .“ Sadly, we don’t expect authoritarian governments to move in this direction anytime soon. The leadership in many countries would not subscribe to either 1 Timothy 2:2 or to the First Amendment, and Christians can experience unspeakable persecution of the forms listed earlier.
So how can we help? What can we do?
· Pray for the governments of these countries to treat Christians with respect and protection. This is a big request, and we might be tempted to be skeptical as we pray, but pray we should. Even in America, some would prefer to take away some of their treasured and hard-fought freedoms treasure. Open Doors publishes the World Watch List of the top 50 countries known for persecuting Christians, available on the Web at: https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/
· Regardless of the country we live in, we should be subject to the governing authorities. Leaders of some countries may even be threatened by Christianity, which is a bit odd, given what the Scriptures instruct Christians to do. They should all read Romans 13:1-7 to see what we as Christians are called to do: pray for our leaders, pay our taxes, work hard, and be model subjects, with the exception of not following the state-established religion or obeying commands contrary to God’s Word.
· Donate to ministries supporting the persecuted church, organizations that provide disaster relief to international Christian ministries, or those providing solid Scriptural teaching and discipleship. There are a number of faithful ministries to worldwide. Take a short term mission trip or volunteer to help with a ministry providing relief. Demonstrating the love of Christ in this way can open the eyes of those in need of help, even if the government is not generally friendly to Christians.
· Do not take our own freedoms for granted and be on the lookout to protect them through the political process.
In the meantime, Happy Birthday America!
The United States may be young by global standards, and may not factor into Bible prophecy, but the Lord has allowed America to maintain the freedoms to assemble, to worship, to participate in everyday life, and to help spread some of its freedoms to other parts of the world.
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Steve Smith