Christians On Trial For Their Faith

W

Wallet

https://thefederalist.com/2021/11/2...and-puts-christians-on-trial-for-their-faith/

In Case With Global Implications, Finland Puts Christians On Trial For Their Faith
Meet the man who appears to be the first in the post-Soviet Union West to be brought up on criminal charges for publishing long-held Christian beliefs.
By Joy Pullmann

from the article,

This is the man who appears to be the first in the post-Soviet Union West to be brought up on criminal charges for preaching the Christian message as it has been established for thousands of years. Also charged in the case that goes to trial on January 24 is Pohjola’s fellow Lutheran and a Finnish member of Parliament, Paivi Rasanen.

Rasanen’s alleged crimes in a country that claims to guarantee freedom of speech and religion include tweeting a picture of a Bible verse. Potential penalties if they are convicted include fines and up to two years in prison.

Rasanen and Pohjola are being charged with “hate speech” for respectively writing and publishing a 24-page 2004 booklet that explains basic Christian theology about sex and marriage, which reserves sex exclusively for within marriage, which can only consist of one man and one woman, for life. The Finnish prosecutor claims centuries-old Christian teachings about sex “incite hatred” and violate legal preferences for government-privileged identity groups.

Read more at the above link.
 
This says it as it should be said, no fluff about it:

https://www.imb.org/2017/03/28/suffering-persecution-prepare/

The Bible regards suffering as normal. Part of this suffering comes from the fact that we live in a fallen world, and this kind of suffering falls on Christians and non-Christians alike.
​
And:

For followers of Jesus, however, the picture is even more sobering. The Bible actually promises us persecution and suffering for our faith. The world is in rebellion against God. It hates God, and when he came as a man in the person of Jesus Christ, the world responded by murdering him. Jesus promised us that the world would treat us the way it treated him(John 15:20, ESV).

The first followers of Jesus consistently experienced suffering for the sake of Jesus, in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), Galatia (Gal. 3:4), Philippi (Phil. 1:29), Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:14), and Asia Minor (1 Peter 4:12), along with the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews (Heb. 10:32). Paul went through horrible suffering (2 Cor. 11:23–29), as did the other apostles (Acts 5–8). Paul was quite explicit in saying this was to be expected by everyone who follows Jesus (2 Tim. 3:12, ESV). In the Bible, suffering and opposition are a normal part of the normal Christian life.

The comfortable experience of Christians in the West has actually been an anomaly in this regard. Because of the Christian heritage of Western civilization, combined with democratic freedoms and historic rule of law, Western Christians have largely been left alone for their faith. Even today, as Western nations become increasingly post-Christian (and even anti-Christian), the opposition experienced by most Christians goes little beyond mockery. However, there are signs that this protected status may be changing. If it continues to do so, it will simply put Western Christians in the same boat as their brothers and sisters all over the world.

Today, in Islamic, Hindu, and Communist parts of the world, being a follower of Jesus means, at best, losing your job and being rejected by your family. At worst, it can mean imprisonment, beating, and even death. These things are being experienced all over the world right now by our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
​
If you give this some thought, it kind of proves Christianity to be true. If Christianity were invented by Jesus' disciples, why would they design such a belief system? I think God has many times chosen to work in methods completely contrary to what humans would have chosen had humans invented the Bible.

For example, if humans had invented the Bible, then why such an emphasis on personal sin and morality as offending God? The Bible is uncomfortable to read because it deals with the sins we all know we are guilty of and people don't like being accountable to God for their actions. If the Bible were of human origin, why wasn't it designed to teach people to do better for the sake of other humans? And why wasn't it teaching, as ALL other religions teach, that striving to do better is all that is needed.

The Bible teaches the opposite. It says we can't do anything about our lack of morality, so God was willing to come to help us and credit our debt of sin with His own righteousness. It also makes the way to receiving God's righteousness to be completely free from being based on anything we can do to earn it. It comes by simply following the steps to be restored to God, just as we would if we desired to be restored to someone we have seriously offended: an acknowledgement of how we have wronged the person and restoration according to that person's terms. For example, if I stole a friend's jacket, then restoration would require acknowledging to the friend the awfulness of that crime, and replacing the jacket, and then working on building trust again in the relationship. With God however, the offense our sin has brought is that of offending a holy, infinite God. It's not possible for a human to restore what we have taken. So God takes the punishment for our crimes in His own body, on the cross. He earnestly desires that all would turn to Him to be reconciled. The terms are to receive His free pardon, but we must acknowledge our grievances towards Him, wanting Him to become our God and our Savior. It's not by promising to live a better life....we can't on our own. It's simply turning the eyes of our heart to what He did for us on the cross and the resurrection. The resurrection gives witness that God's wrath was fully satisfied in Jesus so that just as Jesus was resurrected, God will resurrect believers too.

So, anyone want to sign up for more problems, facing the hideousness of your sins before a holy God, and receiving His pardon through Jesus? It does come with the promise of eternal life living in restoration with God.
 
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studentofthemarkets said:
This says it as it should be said, no fluff about it:

https://www.imb.org/2017/03/28/suffering-persecution-prepare/

The Bible regards suffering as normal. Part of this suffering comes from the fact that we live in a fallen world, and this kind of suffering falls on Christians and non-Christians alike.
​
And:

For followers of Jesus, however, the picture is even more sobering. The Bible actually promises us persecution and suffering for our faith. The world is in rebellion against God. It hates God, and when he came as a man in the person of Jesus Christ, the world responded by murdering him. Jesus promised us that the world would treat us the way it treated him(John 15:20, ESV).

The first followers of Jesus consistently experienced suffering for the sake of Jesus, in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), Galatia (Gal. 3:4), Philippi (Phil. 1:29), Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:14), and Asia Minor (1 Peter 4:12), along with the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews (Heb. 10:32). Paul went through horrible suffering (2 Cor. 11:23–29), as did the other apostles (Acts 5–8). Paul was quite explicit in saying this was to be expected by everyone who follows Jesus (2 Tim. 3:12, ESV). In the Bible, suffering and opposition are a normal part of the normal Christian life.

The comfortable experience of Christians in the West has actually been an anomaly in this regard. Because of the Christian heritage of Western civilization, combined with democratic freedoms and historic rule of law, Western Christians have largely been left alone for their faith. Even today, as Western nations become increasingly post-Christian (and even anti-Christian), the opposition experienced by most Christians goes little beyond mockery. However, there are signs that this protected status may be changing. If it continues to do so, it will simply put Western Christians in the same boat as their brothers and sisters all over the world.

Today, in Islamic, Hindu, and Communist parts of the world, being a follower of Jesus means, at best, losing your job and being rejected by your family. At worst, it can mean imprisonment, beating, and even death. These things are being experienced all over the world right now by our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
​
If you give this some thought, it kind of proves Christianity to be true. If Christianity were invented by Jesus' disciples, why would they design such a belief system? I think God has many times chosen to work in methods completely contrary to what humans would have chosen had humans invented the Bible.

For example, if humans had invented the Bible, then why such an emphasis on personal sin and morality as offending God? The Bible is uncomfortable to read because it deals with the sins we all know we are guilty of and people don't like being accountable to God for their actions. If the Bible were of human origin, why wasn't it designed to teach people to do better for the sake of other humans? And why wasn't it teaching, as ALL other religions teach, that striving to do better is all that is needed.

The Bible teaches the opposite. It says we can't do anything about our lack of morality, so God was willing to come to help us and credit our debt of sin with His own righteousness. It also makes the way to receiving God's righteousness to be completely free from being based on anything we can do to earn it. It comes by simply following the steps to be restored to God, just as we would if we desired to be restored to someone we have seriously offended: an acknowledgement of how we have wronged the person and restoration according to that person's terms. For example, if I stole a friend's jacket, then restoration would require acknowledging to the friend the awfulness of that crime, and replacing the jacket, and then working on building trust again in the relationship. With God however, the offense our sin has brought is that of offending a holy, infinite God. It's not possible for a human to restore what we have taken. So God takes the punishment for our crimes in His own body, on the cross. He earnestly desires that all would turn to Him to be reconciled. The terms are to receive His free pardon, but we must acknowledge our grievances towards Him, wanting Him to become our God and our Savior. It's not by promising to live a better life....we can't on our own. It's simply turning the eyes of our heart to what He did for us on the cross and the resurrection. The resurrection gives witness that God's wrath was fully satisfied in Jesus so that just as Jesus was resurrected, God will resurrect believers too.

So, anyone want to sign up for more problems, facing the hideousness of your sins before a holy God, and receiving His pardon through Jesus? It does come with the promise of eternal life living in restoration with God.
More...

I thought I could name it and claim it?
 
Persecution has only refined and strengthened the Church, throughout history the Church flourished during these times.

The last 200 years give take, the Gospel has been taken to every corner of the earth, the Church benefited and evangelized working basically unhindered partly through God’s divine protection of this country.

Sadly we as a country could not learn from history, we failed to understand the fallacy of operating under God’s protection without acknowledging the Protector.

The farther we stray from our Biblically centered roots, stripping God from our government and lives the farther and farther we fall. One only needs to watch the evening news to understand this self-evident fact.

Ironically, today we studied Ezekiel 28 in our Sunday School, God’s judgement on the prince/king of Tyre and it’s comparisons to Satan. The parallels of today’s society full of self-worship. .. well I think the late Rev. Graham said it best. If God doesn’t judge the USA, he owes an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah.

For the true Church, stay faithful during this time as fulfillment of God’s sovereign will concerning the end times plays out before our eyes.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NASB20
 
studentofthemarkets said:
For followers of Jesus, however, the picture is even more sobering. The Bible actually promises us persecution and suffering for our faith. The world is in rebellion against God.
More...
The world doesn't hate God, if they did there wouldn't be so many religions about.
What the world hates is dogma.
Christians love dogma, that's why people are sick of Christian bs.
God is not dogma, He is variety, change, beauty, love, color, exquisiteness, fun, laughter.
The Christian church is about staidness, lack of humour, repeating over and over bs out of one book they call God's word, you just need look at American evangelicals following Trump, bunch of one eyed cultists.
When people rail against Christian dogma, Christians cry out "woe is me, we're persecuted in the name of God"
There are plenty of law abiding decent non Christians in the world who are not anti God.
 
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themickey said:
The world doesn't hate God, if they did there wouldn't be so many religions about.
What the world hates is dogma.
Christians love dogma, that's why people are sick of Christian bs.
God is not dogma, He is variety, change, beauty, love, color, exquisiteness, fun, laughter.
The Christian church is about staidness, lack of humour, repeating over and over bs out of one book they call God's word, you just need look at American evangelicals following Trump, bunch of one eyed cultists.
When people rail against Christian dogma, Christians cry out "woe is me, we're persecuted in the name of God"
There are plenty of law abiding decent non Christians in the world who are not anti God.
More...
Have you thanked your god for all his variety, change, beauty, love, color, exquisiteness, fun, laughter lately?
 
Wallet said:
Have you thanked your god for all his variety, change, beauty, love, color, exquisiteness, fun, laughter lately?
More...
Christian God is an exclusive God to you cultists.
Everything that is not of Christian is the enemy and of the devil according to your folklore.
You think the gentiles are not thankful and appreciative?
You think the gentiles constantly talk mumbo jumbo prayers to a mythological God in our heads?
Your God is a jealous God, only wants you to sing to Him, a narassistic God and possesive, just like your religion.
Truly screwed up, if it were a good religion people would stream to it, but they don't, they tire of it and give up on the man made not God inspired bs. You guys think you are God inspired, lmao. Self deception.
 
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themickey said:
Christian God is an exclusive God to you cultists.
Everything that is not of Christian is the enemy and of the devil according to your folklore.
You think the gentiles are not thankful and appreciative?
You think the gentiles constantly talk mumbo jumbo prayers to a mythological God in our heads?
Your God is a jealous God, only wants you to sing to Him, a narassistic God and possesive, just like your religion.
Truly screwed up, if it were a good religion people would stream to it, but they don't, they tire of it and give up on the man made not God inspired bs. You guys think you are God inspired, lmao. Self deception.
More...
Thank you for the rant, but you didn’t answer the question and I never implied that your appreciation was or would be directed to the Great “I Am.”

I asked if you have thanked your god.
 
Wallet said:
Thank you for the rant, but you didn’t answer the question and I never implied that your appreciation was or would be directed to the Great “I Am.”

I asked if you have thanked your god.
More...
Of course!
Interesting how my God is spelt 'god' by you! :)
My God is obviously a false god because Christians have exclusive ownership.
Your god lives in the clouds above holding a judgement book in his hand where he's constantly ticking off sins, lmao. :)
Phehistoric religion from the dark ages.
 
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themickey said:
The world doesn't hate God, if they did there wouldn't be so many religions about.
More...
"Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;" Hosea 4:1

People don't like to be told, "The Lord has a controversy with you."

God is as the Bible declares Him to be. The Bible gives an accurate description of the evil in this world and the resistance people have to God's Person as One who has the right to rule over them.

People can imagine all sorts of things about who God is, but they cannot know God unless He reveals Himself. He has revealed Himself in the Bible.

 
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