Christian persecution has been a norm for the religion since the days of the early church. The centerpiece of Christianity himself was persecuted by the Roman authorities and crucified shortly after. So prominent is the expectation of persecution back then such that we have verses in the bible that talk about Jesus preaching that His followers can and should expect to be persecuted in the short time before the end of that era.

As for yourselves, beware, for they will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit. Sibling will betray sibling to death and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:9-13 NRSVUE).

Of course, none of us are living in Jesus’s time anymore. Yet, 2000 years later, the narrative of Christian persecution continues to persist, and manifests itself in the sermons of pretty much every mainstream Protestant church (see here, here, here, and here). Christianity has also developed vastly over the years – right now, Christianity is the world’s largest and widespread religion today; a stark contrast to its humble roots back in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

The current reality of Christian persecution

So why do modern-day pastors and Christian authors love to bring up Christian persecution/hate so often? I suspect this is a form of costly signaling by these preachers/authors – by engaging in costly behavior (such as being a victim of hate), they seek to increase the legitimacy of the Christian faith. This, coupled with references to persecution in the bible such as in John 15, creates a narrative where the Christian faith is wrongfully targeted and hated; and this hate is a feature of the world, declared by God and foretold by Jesus.

“If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you…

…Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ (John 15:18-19; 23-25 NRSVUE)

The persecution narrative isn’t completely false. Worldwide, about 380 million Christians are estimated to face some form of persecution. While that may seem like a large number (about 1 in 7 believers worldwide), some nuance is called for here. For one, because Christianity is already the dominant religion globally (2.2 billion people), it is to be expected that the number of Christians undergoing persecution is going to be greater than other religions or groups worldwide. Secondly, a more important question to ask is whether this persecution is specifically driven because of opposition against the Christian faith (or is the persecution more widespread, towards religion in general)?

The latter question is not easy to answer. Attacks against Christianity are concentrated in many Islam-dominated countries in the Middle East, but these attacks are conducted against anyone who holds a religion or faith contrary to the state religion. Grievances against believers in places like North Korea and China are absolutely prevalent and something we need to watch out for, but there’s nothing about these activities that suggest that Christianity specifically is the problem (Muslims are targeted heavily in China as well). In most countries around the world where Christianity enjoys a majority, while there might be small pockets of hate activity conducted against Christians, by and large this phenomenon of Christianophobia is an illusion for these believers.

In other words, while Christians are being persecuted, it isn’t clear to me if Christianity is being the target of hate just as Jesus proclaimed, “you will be hated by all because of my name”. This distinction is extremely important given how often sermons preach that “Christians are hated in this world”, painting a narrative that the faith is what leads to such antagonism when in fact, it doesn’t.

Contextualizing Jesus’s teachings about persecution

What did Jesus have to say about persecution while He was alive? Alongside the expectations of persecution, He also taught a number of key themes:

• The coming of the end of the current age (“the kingdom of God is at hand”; see Mark 9:1)
• The reversal of fortunes (Luke 1:52-53; 6:20-26)
• Cosmic judgement (Matt 16:27)
• The need to provide and show compassion to the needy (Matt 25:35-46)

With these other teachings in mind, it becomes crystal clear why those who follow and preach Jesus’s teachings to the masses will experience hate. Who are the ones that will fall from grace as the Kingdom of God approaches? The rich, the powerful and the ones who have cemented their place in society through unjust means. To the powerful religious leaders of His day (the Sanhedrin) and the rulers of the Roman empire, these teachings represent a direct threat to their positions of authority and riches. No wonder they wanted Jesus and His followers gone.

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus didn’t get crucified for blasphemy, or for worshipping God. The Romans had no issue with people paying homage to multiple gods (Rome was polytheistic after all); they had issues only when Christians refused to worship the emperor and spread teachings that threatened to upheave Roman authorities – acts equivalent to treason in the early church’s days. However, that context is totally stripped away in the gospel of John – Christians are hated without cause, simply because they “do not belong to this world”.

Be hated for the right reasons

Returning to the modern age, if we truly want to live a Christ-like life, this means correctly recognizing the context behind Jesus’s expectations of persecution and standing up for what Jesus stood for back then. Throughout Scripture, followers of God are called to stand up against oppressive powers, live humbly as a testimony to others and to show compassion to the marginalized, just like how Jesus did. In modern times, doing these will bound to step on the toes of authorities and the privileged, or invite criticism from scoffers, wondering why you don’t pursue riches like the rest of the world. Those are legitimate reasons to be hated for as a Christian.

On the flipside, these callings don’t square with the support of genocide in Palestine, extravagant lives of pastors, or the ongoing culture wars against LGBTQs. Instead, all they do is to give people an excuse to hate Christianity, and rightfully so. No one likes a hypocrite enjoying privilege while flaunting a victim mentality.

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. – Mahatma Gandhi

In an increasingly polarized world, I am reminded of Gandhi’s words whenever I hear a preacher claiming persecution or hate from a position of privilege or power. Claiming to experience hate alone does not lend credence to the Christian faith – one can be hated for simply being an asshole. Instead, the only way for Christianity to win hearts in a pluralistic world is through its practitioners persistently doing life-giving works, such as providing aid and relief to those undergoing tough times and defending the weak and vulnerable.

The same was true for Christianity back then, and it will be the same now and in the future. The moment we lose such deeds and fall into a persecution complex spiral, that is when we do a disservice to the gospel and the heart of Jesus’s message – to be salt and light to those in need.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)