Persecution

Back in college I (Arthur) served on the Interfraternity Council, which was in charge of making and enforcing rules for the university fraternities.  We worked closely with the Panhellenic Council, which made and enforced the rules of the university sororities, and shortly after election, the two councils met together for some team building exercises, so about 20 people total.

One such exercise was meant to give the members an idea of the diversity that existed among us.  To do this, a statement was read and we would walk to one end of the room or the other to indicate whether we agreed or disagreed with the statement.  This started off innocuously enough with statements like “I come from a big town” or “My major is in the college of arts and science” etc.  They became progressively more personal, but nothing that would raise an eyebrow, until something to the effect of “I would feel comfortable with a member of my fraternity/sorority bringing a member of the same sex as a date to one of our social functions.”  

There was a silence in the room as the group sorted itself out and everyone on the “agree” side of the room looked silently and me, standing alone on the “disagree” side.  It was awkward.  My pledge brothers (members of the fraternity I belong to, there were two of them serving alongside me) helpfully suggested that the reading could simply mean that two people were just coming as friends, but I was resolute.  A half second longer and I might have attempted a response, but the moderator, acting as mercifully as possible, moved on to the next question.  The whole incident lasted no more than 20 seconds, and I have spoken about it to no one since.

Why bring it up now, you ask?  Well, I’ve been thinking about persecution and what it means.  Some would want to say I experienced persecution in that moment, but frankly, I disagree.  I suffered no threats of violence or forfeiture of property as a result of that moment.  Afterwards, I continued to enjoy good rapport with members of the council, I retained my ability to influence policy on the council and partook of all the benefits and responsibilities of my office.  I wonder if anyone in that room besides myself even remembers it.  

Some might not like it, but my experience was about as idyllic as possible.  As Christians, we believe our values are not likely to be shared by the majority, but that given fair standing in the marketplace of ideas we can still call out to those who have ears to hear, positively influence our culture, and advance the Kingdom.  You cannot say you love democracy or you love personal freedom while not being okay with living in a society you will sometimes disagree with.  If you are going to hold to a worldview that runs contrary to mankind's base nature and desires, as Christianity does, you are frankly going to have to be okay with being a minority voice the majority of the time.  Special deference to a particular worldview may only be earned through respect garnered by the society at large at a cultural level and not a legal one; otherwise, you have an authoritarian state. 

What I experienced was an exchange in the marketplace, imperfect as that exchange might have been.  We were asked a question I would have loved to have had 5 minutes to respond to, but was instead given only the choice of “agree” or “disagree,” the same as everyone else.  Given freedom to craft individual responses, I imagine no two people would have responded exactly the same. 

How could the exchange have transpired more fairly?  If the 19 other people felt they agreed more than they disagreed with the statement and they felt pressure not to say so, then we don’t have a fair marketplace and ideas are not freely expressed.  If they did disagree, but they only disagree because of the influence of a Christianized culture apart from a relationship with God, then they are no better off than they are now; perhaps even worse.  Nor is the church better off.  If it is merely culture influencing their view aside from the direct influence of the Holy Spirit, their thinking will likely move from a godly denouncement of all that stands in the way of their fellow man’s communion with God, to a thoroughly ungodly rejection of the people Jesus came to save. 

Events of the past year have had me thinking a lot about self-fulfilling prophecy, the idea that you make something happen by believing it will happen.  The schoolboy thinks he will fail a class no matter what he does; consequently, he doesn't apply any effort and fails, exactly like he expected.  Let us be careful lest, believing the world will treat us unfairly, we justify treating others unfairly, causing the world to push back and thus affirm our belief.

Let us also be careful that we recognize an attack on freedom of any religion is an attack on our religious freedom.  While we wring our hands when someone says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”, women wearing hijabs as an expression of their beliefs face sneers and accusations of harboring terrorists.  While we wait with bated breath to find out who a baker is or is not required to serve, second generation Americans are accused of stealing jobs from “real Americans.”  While we fret about what private Christian schools have to teach and who they have to admit in order to receive federal money, administrators at Jewish community centers wonder whether the latest bomb threat is for real.  While we fear the waning impact of our beliefs in the culture, our fellow men tarry under the threat of violence and destruction of property.  

Whatever legitimate causes for concern we in the American church face, we are nuts if we think we have it worse off than religious minorities living beside us.  In respecting the rights of others, we in turn garner their respect, ensuring our continued respect and impact.  We expect denouncements from Muslim groups for the actions of their most radical fringes; the silence in Christian media over the plight of these minority groups is deafening and heartbreaking.  

Let us love one another.  Radical love means pronouncing truth, but it also displaces fear and anger.  If our love is not changing the world, instead of blaming the world, maybe we should examine our capacity for love.  Omnai Vincit Amour.