I was raised in a rather strict Catholic family and educated by the nuns. I know from Christian martyrs! We heard many tales of Christians killed by the lions during the Roman Empire, Joan of Arc burned at the stake, men and women who were beheaded, stabbed with swords, dragged by wild bulls, stoned to death, and thrown into burning ovens because they would not renounce their faith.
Christian martyrs are treated almost like fairy tales today in the US, vivid stories from long ago. For reasons that I do not fathom, the Catholic Church in the U.S. says almost nothing about the Christian martyrs of today. Christians are being discriminated against, harrassed and murdered today in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt (formerly the cradle of Christianity, home of the Church's earliest saints and theologians), China, North Korea, Iraq, and Sri Lanka. These martyrs too are burned, beheaded and stabbed. Why does the Church apparently do so little to protect its own?
Poland, on the other hand, recently introduced a "Martyrs of Our Time" campaign, which placed posters of murdered Christians on the sides of buses in several Polish cities. Read about the campaign here and here. Thank you, Poland, for being the conscience of the West.
The Barnabas Fund, based in England, works to help persecuted Christian minorities in other parts of the world with prayer and financial support. A wonderful organzation to send some money to!
Personally, I am not Catholic, I am Baptist. However, I do agree on a few accounts. It *is* true that several Christians are being killed all over the world. As a matter of fact, I remember a year or two ago when a group of Christian Missionarys were slain in Iraq. By the way, I found the "Christian martyrs are treated almost like fairy tales today in the US" quote interesting. I agree that the U.S. has become numb to Martyrs for Christ, but does anyone remember Cassie Bernall? She was the young woman shot for stating her faith in Christ during the Columbine High School Massacre. One final note: The Catholic church does not follow God's word. They have adapted it and twisted it in several different ways. There is no pergatory, and you do not have to go to a priest to confess your sin. (Just to name a few) In fact, the early Catholic church used that for blackmail against people so that they would not denounce Catholicism for *true* Christian religions.
Posted by: Nightowljrm | September 11, 2007 at 09:14 PM
Thanks for your comment, Night Owl. I did not know about Cassie Bernall, I'll have to look into her.
Regarding which is the "true" religion, I live my life trying to follow Jesus Christ. It's up to God if I'm saved or not. God will sort it out. There is much beauty and natural truth in Catholicism.
Posted by: miss kelly | September 11, 2007 at 10:35 PM
its time all christians what ever denomination stood up for what we believe and not live in fear if we confess Him before men He will confess us before the father. we are not called to be denominationally correct we are commanded to love one another. i am a salvation army soldier
Posted by: jayne | February 07, 2008 at 03:26 PM
Well stated, Jayne, thank you for that and for your work with the Salvation Army.
Posted by: miss kelly | February 08, 2008 at 12:17 PM
This seems to be the problem:WE ALL seem to be too wrapped up in all of our "religous" faults to see the truth. I can't remember exactly, but there is supposedly close to 90 % (or more) people in the U.S. who are Christians. Where are they? When will people remember that this country and it's freedoms were founded on Christianity? When will they stand up for the ones who are being killed in His name? Seems to me that they like the title (Christian), but forget what the job entails. I'm still praying. I hope many others are also.
Posted by: Mandy | August 24, 2009 at 10:35 PM