The Semantics of Persecution

I’m going to have to go with Amanda on this.  You’re wrong.
~My darling husband.

Let me back up a little.  I recently did a book review of sorts where I told everyone to read Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand.  (You can read that post here.)  In the comments, some readers and I got onto the subject of persecution in America.  I boldly claimed that Christian Americans are not persecuted and that it’s disrespectful to say so.  I still stand by my words, but I want to make some clarifications.

Amanda disagreed with me.  She even busted out her fancy lexicon to prove me wrong.  Persecution is:

1. to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away
2. to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after
1. to press on: figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal
2. to pursue (in a hostile manner)
3. in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one
1. to persecute
2. to be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of something
4. without the idea of hostility, to run after, follow after: someone
5. metaph., to pursue
1. to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to acquire

I will completely concede that, when looking solely at the definition, she and my husband are correct.  But, I’m looking at context, too, so that makes me shy away from reaching the same conclusion.

A definition doesn’t always communicate the full weight of the word.  When hearing a story about someone being religiously persecuted, most of us probably don’t imagine a suburban housewife with a big, silver cross around her neck tearing up at a snide remark about her outdated and unscientific beliefs.  Rather, the word “persecution” carries with it a certain weightiness, seriousness, or painfulness.  There is a connotation that the word carries which should not be ignored.  Another example would be the word “bastard.”  Technically, it means one thing.  In usage, however, it carries with it a more serious meaning.

I just have a hard time saying that Americans — who have the legal right to religious freedom and who can win cases in a federal court of law to protect and defend those freedoms — are persecuted.  Especially in light of the fact that people in other parts of the world are having their flesh ripped off and their children murdered because they dared to own a few lines of Scripture, and then when they go to court, their testimony is worthless because they’re Christian.

Does that mean Christians in America don’t suffer?  Of course not.  Sometimes we get overlooked as ignorant.  Sometimes we are called judgmental.  (By the way, there’s no argument for those things being persecution if they’re true!)  There is a subtle, yet steady, climate change going on in America.  It’s no longer in fashion to go to church or to uphold traditional values, much less to actually devote oneself to Christ.  As a result, people mock what they don’t understand.  There is a growing hostility toward those who hold firm in the faith.  But our little hurt feelings over people’s opinions are petty compared to what’s going on out there.   It’s not appropriate to use the same term to describe both situations.

In America, people have the right to express displeasure or disagreement about anything.  In America, if those opinions cross the line and infringe upon the rights of another, all parties have equal say in court.  And rights are protected.  We pay a price for the freedom we all enjoy; sometimes people laugh at us.  We get offended, and then we go to church in front of God and everyone, because we can.

To me, that’s not persecution.