Why Are Christians Persecuted?

"From Chinese pastors to young Pakistani women studying to be nurses,
from Sudanese village leaders to Cambodian schoolteachers, Christian
believers are among the most industrious and dedicated citizens in the
world. Many are leaders in economic development, while still others
advance the cause of human rights and democracy in their native
countries. Why then, are 200 million Christians facing severe
persecution?

Why Are Christians Persecuted?
"From Chinese pastors to young Pakistani women studying to be nurses,
from Sudanese village leaders to Cambodian schoolteachers, Christian
believers are among the most industrious and dedicated citizens in the
world. Many are leaders in economic development, while still others
advance the cause of human rights and democracy in their native
countries. Why then, are 200 million Christians facing severe
persecution? Why are Christian women, men, and children of all ages
the targets for one of the most horrific campaigns of violence in
history?
As Paul Marshall notes in his book, Their Blood Cries Out, Perhaps
more important than what [Christians] do is who they are. By nature of
their faith, Christian believers are often positioned at odds with
dictatorial and repressive regimes. Christians claim to belong to
another Kingdom altogether, the Kingdom of God. Although this
heavenly allegiance encourages them rather than discourages them to
obey earthly authorities, few dictators will abide citizens who are
living testimonies to the presence of an authority higher than
themselves.
This is one reason why the persecution of Christian believers within a
country is often one of the earliest indicators of a regime that will
oppress its citizens and deny them even the most basic human rights.
Many Christians, Marshall concludes, are therefore persecuted simply
because they are Christians. Their usually peaceful and quiet beliefs
stand as a rebuke to those who are corrupt, to those who cannot
tolerate the presence of any view but their own, and to those who want
to make their own political regime the only focus of loyalty.
Christians are not persecuted because they are a threat or a detriment
to society, but rather because they are, as Marshall notes, silent
witnesses to the power and sovereignty of God.
We too, because of faith in Christ, are witnesses. We must not fail to
realize that these suffering believers are members with us of the
universal body of Christ. God looks beyond the miles that separate us,
and sees one glorious Church, the Bride of Christ in this world. He is
eager to see us united in faith and devotion to Him.
In spite of the suffering that they face, the persecuted church around
the world continues to grow rapidly. Believers in countries like
Vietnam, North Korea , China, Sudan, and Pakistan willingly risk their
lives daily for the sake of Christ. As we embrace our unity with them,
we can discover the source of their death-defying courage. Their
steady focus on the kingdom of Godin the midst of such extreme
suffering can inspire us to a deeper faith and a stronger commitment
to Christ."