British ethics professor and writer for the UK’s Independent, Paul Vallely says, “Most people in the West would be surprised by the answer to the question: who are the most persecuted people in the world? According to the International Society for Human Rights, a secular group with members in 38 states worldwide, 80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed at Christians” (source).

Overwhelmingly the loss of churches, homes, freedom, life, limbs, and loved ones for millions of Christians around the world is motivated by Islamic worldviews, communism, and totalitarian regimes – though militant Hinduism and Buddhism is also having an effect.

Though living with fear, suffering, and loss because of their faith is a reality for many Christians around the world, it often comes as a surprise to those living in the West where Christianity has been the predominant and shaping religion for hundreds of years.  The truth is though that we in the West in many ways live in a bubble that distorts our perceptions of the world.  For some in the West this bubble means that they are able to come up with and hold onto the terribly wrong idea that those following The Way of Jesus are the great threat to humanity and human rights.  These people feel that society needs to be protected from this perceived threat they see in Christianity and after every Islamic terror attack, fear a backlash of violence from Christians and Western society in general that never comes.*

For others though, living in the bubble created by Western civilization leads us to forget the hardships that are faced by Christians around the world.  This lack of exposure to the realities faced in other parts of the world lulls us into taking our blessing for granted and failing to pray for and support however we can those suffering in other parts of the world.

Just this past week the Open Doors organization released their Annual Report on the top fifty countries from around the world where it is the most dangerous to be a follower of Jesus along with this statement from their CEO, David Curry:

Across the world, persecution against Christians is increasing. And we’re seeing that women, especially, are doubly persecuted—for their faith and for their gender. The statistics are staggering. And while facts are important, we must remember the World Watch List is not just about numbers. The statistics represent a real life that was either taken or harmed. I encourage you to visit our website and check out the list, watch the videos and read the stories and then pray for our global family behind the numbers…

I echo Curry’s encouragement – go to the Open Doors site and others like the Persecution Project, read the report, read and watch people’s stories, pray for them, and try to find a way to help.

[Also – check out Kelly James Clark’s piece in Huffington Post called “The Most Persecuted Religion in the World”]

*Some may argue that there has been a backlash to the Islamic terrorist attacks in the West.  I think we would disagree on what would constitute a “backlash.” My definition would involve proportionality – a response greater than or equal to that of the initiating event(s).  That, thank God, we have not seen.