Persecution of Christians
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Persecution of Christians can be traced historically based on the biblical account of Jesus from the first century of the Christian era to the present day. Early Christians were persecuted for their faith at the hands of both Jews from whose religion Christianity arose and the Romans who controlled many of the land across which early Christianity was distributed. Early in the fourth century, the religion was legalized by the Edict of Milan, and it eventually became the State church of the Roman Empire.
Christian missionaries as well as converts to Christianity have been the targets of persecution ever since the emergence of Christianity, sometimes to the point of being martyred for their faith.
Schisms of the Middle Ages and especially the Protestant Reformation, sometimes provoked severe conflicts between Christian denominations to the point of persecuting each other.
In the 20th century, Christians have been persecuted by various groups, including the Islamic Ottoman Empire in the form of the Armenian Genocide, the Assyrian Genocide and the Greek Genocide, as well as atheistic states such as the Soviet Union and North Korea. During World War II members of some Christian churches were persecuted in Nazi Germany for resisting Nazi ideology.
In more recent times the persecution of Christians has increased in India according to International Christian Concern. The Christian missionary organization Open Doors (UK) estimates 100 million Christians face persecution, particularly in Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
See also
- History of Christian thought on persecution and tolerance
- Anti-Christian sentiment
- Christian Solidarity Worldwide
- Christian martyrs
- International Christian Concern, a Christian human rights NGO whose mission is to help persecuted Christians
- Religious pluralism
- Voice of the Martyrs
- Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 3035
