BS: Christian Persecution

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 06:23 AM

I wonder if I should give Keith a difficult dilemma by pointing out that in Jerusalem Jewish extremists are persecuting not only other Jews but also Xtians for (for example) non-adherence to extremist Jewish dress odes for women.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 06:35 AM

There is no dilemma there Richard.
It is an example of mild persecution, which I deplore.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 07:32 AM

If you look at the Wiki page on Christian Persecution, you find 23 countries listed, but not Israel.
Also this.
"Currently (as of 2010), as estimated by the Christian missionary organisation Open Doors UK, an estimated 1 million Christians face persecution, particularly in North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia.[2] A recent study, cited by the Vatican, reported that 75 out of every 100 people killed due to religious hatred are Christian.[3"

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 08:56 AM

the Wiki page on Christian Persecution,

Ah, yess, the absolutely authoritative Blog-O-Paedia!

I wouldn't believe them without corroboration if they said the earth was round (which it ain't)

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 09:44 AM

Ah, Ian M ~~ glad you still around. How about Arsenal now, then? Two above, & 2 points clear of, Liverpool. Must be because of my Maintaining The Faith, eh?

Tee-hee.
〠〠〠〠〠〠

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 10:36 AM

""Rwanda was an inter-tribal conflict.
Vietnam, Cambodia and Afghanistan were about conflicting political ideologies, not persecuting minorities.

Any comments on my view that Christians are an exceptionally persecuted minority?""

Keep wriggling Keith.

1. Rwanda was not straightforward tribal conflict, but the persecution and annihilation of one tribe by another, much stronger and better equipped.

2. Vietnam was the persecution of one group of citizens by another, aided by outsiders.

3. Cambodia was the persecution, and extinction, of all who were considered, by a paranoid maniac leader, to be intellectuals, his definition of intellectuals being anybody who used a fountain pen.

You cannot simply decide to redefine words to support your failing arguments.

People are being persecuted all over this rotten world for their religious or political beliefs, their colour or race and their sexual orientation, and you want the world to admit that Christians are the most persecuted?

Sorry mate, but on the death toll alone that is far from the truth.

Now, can we put your ridiculous claims aside, and discuss the means by which ALL human beings (including Christians) might be protected from persecution?

That discussion might be worth the band width!! This one is NOT!!

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 11:02 AM

Don, Rwanda WAS an example of a minority being persecuted.
It was genocide.
All your other examples were wars between rival political ideologies.

If you do not think the persecution of minorities, by death, imprisonment, rape and seizure or destruction of property, worth discussing, no-one is forcing you.

Greg, I just cited Wiki for an overview.
What do you want confirmed?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 11:37 AM

""If you do not think the persecution of minorities, by death, imprisonment, rape and seizure or destruction of property, worth discussing, no-one is forcing you.""

You really are one of a kind, and in other circumstances you would amuse me.

Accuse the other party of doing what in fact you are doing yourself, but it doesn't work.

You carefully ignored the persecution of Hazara and of women in Afghanistan by the Taliban, and the persecution of Shia Muslims in Iraq.

In fact you stated (11th Dec 04.51) that the persecution in Iraq was against Christians, and ignored the inter Muslim aspect.

You are attempting to make your case by ignoring all facts that militate against you, but a few minutes of research show that many other religious, political, and gender specific groups are persecuted just as much, and in some cases more.

Your myth is BUSTED!! Christians are being persecuted, as are many others, but you refuse to notice the others because you don't regard their lives as significant.

What other reason can there be for adhering to the lie that political conflict is NOT persecution, when the Chi-Coms pour resources into a third world country to convert it to Communism?

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 12:17 PM

I ignored nothing.
Apart from Shia not being a minority in Iraq, you can not deny that Christians suffer great persecution there, and also in Afghanistan.

My case is that Christian persecution is a massive and under-reported abomination.
Yes others are persecuted, but none more than Christians.

If you say I am wrong to state that, then justify.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 02:10 PM

One I'm in favor of:
UK courts have determined that as long as they pr/teach that homosexuality is a sin, Christians are unfit to adopt, as LGBT rights trump "freedom of conscience" (quotation marks theirs). I think there is also the danger to girls of not being taught biology if it shades into contraception, another great peril to be avoided.

Chalk one up for the reasonable!

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 02:41 PM

chalk one up for less adoptive families and the infringement of freedom of belief!

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Penny S.
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 02:48 PM

I think there might be an argument that more women are persecuted, regardless of faith, than Christians. In some cases, by national or religious law, in others by the lawless, as in the Congo, and in others by partners in otherwise civilised countries, out of sight.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 03:27 PM

I regret my last post to Don.
Don, I do not mind that you disagree, but why is it always an attack on me?
You could just say, " I think you are wrong that Christians are most persecuted, and if they are it does not matter because any persecution is wrong."

Why do you need to misrepresent my contributions in old threads to make some kind of case against me personally?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 03:37 PM

Yes others are persecuted, but none more than Christians.

And you base this preposterous nonsensical statement on what factual evidence, pray?

Please elucidate, enumerate, & be specific.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 04:53 PM

I refer you to the OP, which was prompted by the survey eluded to on the Wiki page.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 05:21 PM

"OP"? You mean the "Opus Preposterous"?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 05:45 PM

No, the opening post Greg.
What is your objection please.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 05:51 PM

Well it is certain that no group celebrates and invites persecution like Christians. That is understandable considering nearly all of the early leaders are celebrated as martyrs. Keep in mind that Easter is the highest holy day.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Greg F.
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 06:37 PM

Well, Keith, From The OP - which is indeed the Opus Preposterous:

Aid to the Church in Need suggested 75% of religious persecution around the world is directed against Christians.

I'm not interestered what in Cardinal O'Brien and Aid to the Church in Need SUGGEST. Nor what they imply about Pakistan.

What can they document and prove? Please supply evidence.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 01:13 AM

Whatever you think of the Pope Greg, I do not believe he would stand up and blatantly lie on the world stage.
If he did, I believe at least one of his numerous enemies would expose him, and the published research cited.

That did not happen.
That is why I think the figures reliable.
What is your reason for dismissing them Greg?
Prejudice?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 01:54 AM

I fail to see why is is important to ascertain whether one group or another is the most persecuted. You can find evidence of just about every group being persecuted, in areas where that group is a minority.

It does seem clear that Christians are persecuted in some countries, particularly the ancient Christian churches that existed in the Middle East since before Islam came to be. Does anybody disagree with that?

A number of Palestinian Catholics have immigrated to the Sacramento area in California, and I spoke with a number of them. They told me they came to the United States because it was getting too difficult for them to live in Palestine, and they no longer felt secure there. I met a number of Palestinian Catholics in Palestine in 1999, and they seemed to be living quite well there at the time - but times have gotten tough for them lately.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 02:38 AM

I fail to see why is is important to ascertain whether one group or another is the most persecuted.

I feel the same Joe, but The Vatican put it out and I thought it worthy of discussion here.
(I reopened the thread when Canterbury came out with the same point.)

I expected some dissent and a lot of apathy.
I was not prepared for the vitriolic attacks made on me for just mentioning it.
Why did it make people, Greg, Jim, Don T, ..... so very angry with me?

Greg described the OP as an "Opus Preposterous"
Every word came from the BBC news report linked to.
What drives him?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 03:54 AM

" I do not believe he would stand up and blatantly lie on the world stage."
The whole of the Catholic heirarch has stood up and lied on the world stage on the question of how the church covered up child abuse - and continues to do so.
If any good has come from the affair it is that the Church will never again be trusted in a position of authority in Ireland again.
And then, of course, there's Pope Pius X11...
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 03:58 AM

The whole of the Catholic heirarch has stood up and lied on the world stage on the question of how the church covered up child abuse

And that lie has been exposed.
This statement has not even been challenged, except by the Mudcat Stasi.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 05:03 AM

You have just claimed that the Pope would not lie (or maybe one of your experts said it and you're just repeating it). He would, did, and continues to lie and cover up and affair that has shaken the Catholic (Christian) church to its roots - which makes your statement somewhat crass really - as you yourself have just pointed out "And that lie has been exposed.".
It is you who head the Satsi here in covering up, excusing and ignoring human rights abuses, by church and state - try and get your act together.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 05:55 AM

It is you who head the Satsi here in covering up, excusing and ignoring human rights abuses,

I have done none of those things.
Again, Jim is hate driven to attack me personally with false accusations, just for reporting this research.
It says more about you than me Jim.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 06:59 AM

Oh dear Keith - you've just made one of your superb crassisms then contradicted yourself - and have the good grace to even acknowledge or defend it, let alone admit to it - nothing new under the sun.
As for my hating you - other than your persistant displays of racism, bigotry, defence of civil and human rights abuses, war crimes, the return to racial segregation..... and all the other characteristics that go into your make-up - I don't know you enough to hate you - just to despise your sub-species.
Most religions, given the power and opportunity, persecute in the name of their particular deity - that's part of what they are. To defend one and decry the other seems to be part of what you are.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Musket
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 07:20 AM

Tap Tap Tap

Bang Bang Bang.

"How are the carpenters getting on? I need some more wood here!"

Tap Tap Tap

Bang Bang Bang

"Right! Pass me another couple of Christians!"

Sorted.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 07:41 AM

Oh dear Keith - you've just made one of your superb crassisms then contradicted yourself - and have the good grace to even acknowledge or defend it, let alone admit to it - nothing new under the sun.

I have no idea what this sentence is about or what it means.
Does anyone?
Help us out Jim.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 08:25 AM

I do understand " persistant displays of racism, bigotry, defence of civil and human rights abuses, war crimes, the return to racial segregation....."

All lies.
Just hate driven lies.
Why not just argue the issues?
Because you can't?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 08:58 AM

"Just hate driven lies."
If we didn't have your own statements as evidence of your character, I have 20-odd PMs of an increasingly disturbing obsessive and racist nature to confirm my view of you - never had my own personal stalker before!
Why not argue the issue - why bother?
You've been told often enough that you don't read what others have to say - you don't even bother denying it.
Your arguments are as illogical, unreasoning and unpleasant as are all racist's; you admit to being ignorant on the subjects you involve yourself with and, when cornered, you blame somebody else for them..
As I said, why bother?
The best bit of advice I have received recently is to leave you to your own devices and let you show yourself up for what you are - I couldn't do a better job of that in a million years.
And please stop whingeing that I hate you - nobody cares that much to hold such strong feelings for you or your 'ideas'.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 09:21 AM

More lies Jim.
My pms are as restrained and rational as my posts.
Why not post one?
The most "disturbing obsessive and racist" one you can find!
If you are not lying.

Why bother to argue the issues?
Because that is what normal people do.
All you want to do is talk about me, or rather the rabid monster you make me out to be.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 10:41 AM

"Why not post one?"
Would you like the one that claims that Muslims are culturally corrupt because they marry first cousins?
You should have copies - you post them - I have no inclination to continue arguing with a racist brick-wall
Jim Caroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 11:22 AM

This is the one that mentions cousin marriage Jim.


You have made a twat of yourself on recent threads, and so have I.
I know that you are no twat.
I read and admire the stuff you post above the line.
That is why I persevere with this.
I really am no racist, and I would love to straighten out the misunderstanding.

Why have you ignored the distinction between "believe" and "opinion" ?
The diagnosis, and the weather forecast?

I believe the universe began as an infinitely small region of space time 14.4 billion years ago.
I even teach it to my students, but it would be vastly overstating my knowledge to describe it as my opinion !
And yet, one year ago, I knew far more about the conditions of the early universe than BP culture.
I just could not have an opinion about it.

Nowhere is there a reference to the Pakistani culture being corrupt, no "All male Pakistanis being degenerate, no "cultural implants
True. And I have never claimed any of those things.

The offending was linked by the 5 to these specific aspects of the culture.
Late marriage for men.
No intimate relationships before marriage.
Unhappy arrange marriages, usually between cousins.
Remember now?
All the men are exposed to that culture are they not?
Culture influences behaviour does it not?

You say I did not establish the over-rep, but every contributor acknowledged it except you and Don.
When I achieved that I withdrew from the debate.
Remember?
That was my case. I did not care why they did it.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Musket
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 12:21 PM

Victoria and Albert were first cousins..

In fact we made a commune for married first cousins here in The UK.

I reckon we called it Norfolk.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: akenaton
Date: 13 Dec 11 - 02:05 PM

For jokes.....I prefer Jim Knowledge meself!

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: ollaimh
Date: 14 Dec 11 - 11:10 AM

well here are all the usual suspects again. where do youse guys get the time to read and write all this clap trap.

it's a same all the christians and muslums can't be put onto another world to fight ot out and leave good people alone.

all the god based religions are militartist and repressive and the sooner we get free of them the better. it's hard to imagine a non fundamentalist sustem being worse.

here in canada the local native rights people have dug up the first unmarked graves of native children on residential school property. unmarked graves that weren't supossed to exist. the schools former owner the anglican church has iswsued threats to all employees that they will be fired of tey talk about the the documants they are hiding that confirm they were aware native children were dying of malnutrition and deprival of health care,while in their care.

bishop bennett you should be ashamed.

this after the "truth and reconcilliation commission" has been supported by the child murdering churches. they want lots of reconcilliation , but not much truth.

really it's time to shut down these crazy churches that have betrayed every teaching of christ. catholic anglican and protestant. start new churches with observation of the principles in the sermon on the mount. give away the money to the poor and environmental and social justice causes, and help others.

of course muslims art just as bad but i live where christians are the murderers of children. and it's time to come clean and stop doing the devils work .christians should have a slightly higher calling.

merry christmass all

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 14 Dec 11 - 11:45 AM

And a very merry Christmas back to you.

Should we take it that you are happy for any religious group to be persecuted, because the bastards deserve it?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Dec 11 - 06:19 PM

Of course, government soldiers killing children is very much part of the Christmas story. As is having to go into exile to get away from them.

The bits that tend to get to get slightly overlooked.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 01:39 AM

It is so hard to find a nice card depicting the Slaughter Of The Innocents.
A real gap in the market.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 03:50 AM

Maybe there's some peace and goodwill to be found here - on the other hand, it might be "leftie lies".
Jim Carroll

IRISH TIMES Dec 14th
JEWISH SETTLERS ATTACK ISRAELI BASE
Clashes take place as rights groups warn on settlements
MARK WEISS in Jerusalem and MICHAEL JANSEN

AS JEWISH, settlers and right-wing activists broke into an Israeli army base in the West Bank, inter¬national human rights groups were warning that Israel had stepped up unlawful home demolitions and settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
There were calls within Israel yesterday for militant settler groups to be classified as terrorist organisations after co-ordinated incidents against soldiers and army bases on Monday night.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called the events intol¬erable and held emergency consul¬tations with defence officials.
"We must deal with these rioters with a firm hand. We will not tolerate a situation in which Israel Defence Forces officers and soldiers are attacked and dis¬tracted from protecting Israeli citizens," he said.
After rumours spread that the army was about to dismantle a number of illegal settler outposts, about 50 militant youths entered
the regional Israel Defence Forces base near the West Bank town of Qalqilya, pushing aside the two sol¬diers on guard duty. Inside the base the settlers ran amok, slashing army vehicle tires, lighting fires and damaging prop¬erty.
Elsewhere, some 300 settlers hurled stones at Palestinian vehi¬cles before targeting the jeep of a senior West Bank officer. The officer was called a Nazi and lightly wounded after being hit by a rock.
In a third incident, settlers entered a closed military zone close to the border with Jordan and took over an abandoned struc¬ture next to a Christian baptism site. This group said they were pro¬testing Jordanian efforts to pre¬vent the construction of a perma¬nent bridge for Jews and tourists to the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem's old city.
Meanwhile, 20 international human rights and aid agen¬cies warned the Middle East Quartet - comprising the US, UN, EU and Russia - that during the past year the Israeli government had stepped up unlawful home demolitions and settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, "pushing Palestinians to the brink" and "destroying prospects for a just and durable peace".
Trocaire, Amnesty International, Oxfam International, Human Rights Watch and Medico International said: "Since the beginning of the year more than
500 Palestinian homes. wells, rainwater harvesting cisterns other essential structures have been   destroyed ... displacing more than 1,000 Palestinians."
They said this was more than double the number of people dis¬placed over the same period in 2010 and the highest figure since 2005. "More than half of those displaced have been children for whom the loss of their home is par¬ticularly devastating," they added. In a statement issued ahead of a Jerusalem meeting of the quartet, the agencies said "plans for 4,000 new settler housing units have been approved for East Jerusalem over the past 12 months - the highest number since . . . 2006", while in November Israel declared it would "speed up construction of 2,000" additional units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Expansion has been accompanied by a rise in violent attacks by settlers on Palestinians of more than "50 per cent compared to 2010 and by over 160 per cent com¬pared to 2009", said the agencies, quoting UN figures. This means settler violence has risen to the level of the peak year of 2005.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 04:32 AM

You seem to have got the threads mixed up again Jim.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 04:46 AM

Nope - you asked for Christmas cheer, you got it.
Complaining about one brand of religious/racial persecution while defending another is what this argument is about as fa as I'm concerned - unless you want to make yet another takeover bid for a thread
Of course you might have complained about olliam's somewhat inarticulate racist rant - but that's rather more in line with your own views.
Read the article for a change
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 05:22 AM

you asked for Christmas cheer, you got it.
Er, no-one did Jim.

Complaining about one brand of religious/racial persecution while defending another
Er, no-one has done that either.

What is this about Jim?

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 05:33 AM

Oh dear ~~~

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush

It's in DT s.t. Mulberry Bush

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 06:51 AM

"Er, no-one has done that either."
Support for Zionist terrorism - appeal for persecuted Christians
So we don't get to discuss religious persecution other than against Christians or racial segregation in US churches - anything else we shouldn't know about?
"Here we go round the mulberry bush,"
I have always thought smugness often comes with high higher education - thanks for the confirmation.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 07:04 AM

This thread was prompted by a report that claimed Christians are the most persecuted religious group.
I do not know why that made so many Mudcatters so angry.

No-one I have seen has supported any terrorism, apart from one person who defends the Gazan rockets as self-defence.

If I come across as smug, I apologise.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 08:35 AM

"No-one I have seen has supported any terrorism, "
You have been supporting Zionist State terrorism through at least two threads - you have claimed it as acceptable "self defence", you have downgraded massacres to "failure to prevent", you have condoned the killing of "hostages (sic)" you have "just put the Israelis case" while accusing everybody else of being biased.
In the light of this, you have little chance of channeling any discussion on religious persecution just around your particular 'flavour of the month'.
You choose not to go near the suggestion that most religions would and have used persecution as a method of prozletising their cause if they find themselves in a position to do so - The British Empire was built on such persecution.
No-one has supported the Gazan rockets as being anything but "inevitable in the face of State aggression, persecution and war crimes - if you have evidence of this not being the case, please produce it, or stop repeatedly lying - you have already admitted that this is not true.
You have chosen to make this yet another branch of Muslim/racist bigotry - do not complain about this being pointed out to you.
My reference to smugness was aimed at Tinkerbell, your fairy godmother - you have nothing to be smug about.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: GUEST,keith A
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 08:55 AM

Jim, I wish you had a friend who would talk to you about all this.

Ollaimh's post. I have no time for his posts, but they do not contain racism! ("racist diatribe")
You just see it everywhere!

You have chosen to make this yet another branch of Muslim/racist bigotry
A delusion or a dream Jim.
You can certainly not justify that.

If you want to make this all about me again, do it by pm., but much better you have an actual talk with someone about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Christian Persecution
From: Musket
Date: 15 Dec 11 - 09:09 AM

I'm not sure mudcatters, in the collective sense, are angry by a report about Christians being persecuted.

I can only speak for me.

I am dubious of the claim to be "the most" as this deflects from the sad state that the old planet is constantly in where lots of people get persecuted for their faith and many more persecute others. Evem more so, I note it is only Christians who are abusing their status as politicians in order to either enforce their faith on others, (carrying on and defending Sunday opening etc) or trying to get their faith exempt from laws that promote decency and tolerance, (Equality Act, Charities Act, etc.) I also note the Church of England has officially encouraged their members to speak out and accuse everybody else of persecuting them by having equality laws. Hypocrisy is an art best best practiced when your silly pointy hat has historically given you power over others.

The article in the original post was, according to the source, approved by The Vatican. I'm glad they approved it. After all, they know a bit about persecution, and not just historically.