Persecution of Christians worldwide is an indisputable fact. In India I saw it firsthand. In many third-world and Muslim countries it is blatant. In the so-called more developed nations it is present, but more subtle.

Jesus Christ predicted persecution of the Church. It was not merely a possibility, but a fact. Not a matter of whether, but of when. He told his disciples that when they are persecuted, they are spiritually blessed: "All men will hate you because of me". He warned them that they would be persecuted, hated and killed. He even suggested that when Christians are prosperous, in good social standing, and free from persecution, they are in danger of becoming complacent.

In 1999 an Australian missionary, Graham Staines, and his two young sons, were burned to death in Orissa, an eastern state of India. These young boys were students at the school in South India that my own children attended. Ten years later I visited a small Indian village near where this tragedy had occurred, staying in the simple home of a widow who, with her son, has started up around thirty home churches in nearby villages. It was amazing to see the fruit of their labours, and the strength of faith among those leaders they had trained and sent out into the surrounding areas. I spoke on their rooftop to around eighty people who had travelled a considerable distance to meet me. Several Hindu families asked me to pray for them. Persecution has resulted in a passion among believers to spread the good news.

Persecution is usually the result of fear, or from a perceived threat to the present status. If Christianity were just one more belief-system that did not bring challenge and change, and that did not go to the very heart of our reason for existence, it would not induce fear and anger among non-believers. If it were politically correct (which in many ways it is not) then it would be regarded merely as one of many social groups that exist for the betterment of society.

There is Hope though! Sure, there is persecution and jailing of Christians in Islamic states, but in others both Faiths can come together.

In Uganda, both Christian and Muslim clerics are united in their support of a bill making open homosexuality, or being born with mixed sex anatomy (Intersex), a capital crime.

Actually, they removed the explicit "death by hangiing" provisions because of the bad PR. The punishment is now the same as for "aggravated defilement", defined in an existing law. The punishment there is... death by hanging. So they get to have their cake and eat it too.

Failing to report known homosexuals, or the birth of an Intersex baby, is also good for 5 years jail.

In Jesus' name.

"Persecution has resulted in a passion among believers to spread the good news. "

Surely you mean "from a passion"?

Christians need to feel persecuted, even where Christianity is dominant, they feel the need to be persecuted by the secular state or by the tiny minority of atheists that don't share their views.

Persecution is their 'thing', the poor dears.

There is one civil liberty as vital as freedom of religion.

It is freedom from it.

Whilst in a more perfect world no one would be or would need to be persecuted...

"...we should spare a thought for the Christians who are suffering persecution in so many countries."

I can't stop thinking that if God can't, why should I?

Babette, given that the Christian U.S. has killed between 20-30 million people since WW2 during its current imperial thrust, it is just as well it isn't wreaking death and destruction upon those who persecute Christians as well.

We would have a blood flood of Biblical proportions!