We hear every
week of Christians killed in Muslim majority countries. Often the police in these countries will
stand by as Christians are dragged out of their houses, churches are burned and
property destroyed. According to Open
Doors, a worldwide ministry that serves the persecuted church, each month more
than 300 Christians are killed because of their faith and over 200 churches are
destroyed. While there have been times
when persecution has strengthened the church, persecution has also at times
completely wiped out Christianity in large areas and left completely absent any
witness for Jesus Christ.
We should be
concerned because these are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are reminded that the human rights to life
and liberty are inalienable and need to be safeguarded regardless of the
political divide. We also care about
persecution because we are told that we are one body. In 1 Corinthians 12:26, the Apostle Paul
said, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored,
every part rejoices with it.”
For the first
five centuries, Christianity flourished in the Middle East. Modern day Iraq,
Iran, Syria, Egypt and Turkey were known as the cradle of Christianity. Three of the five Patriarchs (ruling Bishops)
were those Bishops of Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch which were major
centers and Christian philosophy and teaching.
However, by 641, followers of Muhammad conquered much of Egypt and
destroyed the Library of Alexandria dating back to Alexander the Great. Syria had fallen to the same Muslim armies a
few years before and all the Middle East and North Africa were controlled by
Muslim armies within 60 years.
Most non-Muslims
don’t understand that Islam is not a religion, but as Dr. Peter Hammond, author
of “Slavery, Terrorism and Islam,” noted in his book, “Islam has religious,
legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious
component is a beard for all of the other components.”
While
Christianity has always and will always face persecution, the threat to
Christianity and much of Western Civilization from Islamic religious, political
and cultural demands is by far the greatest evil we have ever faced. It is likely the Islam is the ultimate and
final evil that will be brought to a conclusion by nothing less than the return
of the King of Kings.
