Was it easier

[Skrappybiskit]

Do you think it's easier to have a great faith in God while being eaten by lions or burned at the stake or disemboweled, or when surrounded by a humanistic materialistic culture that doesn't attack as much as infiltrate the church? I mean, you're not thinking about your new pool when someone's pulling out your fingernails, but the again, you're probably more prone to think why is this happening.

Thoughts?

Skrapus Majorus

[DvChWi]

Do you think it's easier to have a great faith in God while being eaten by lions or burned at the stake or disemboweled, or when surrounded by a humanistic materialistic culture that doesn't attack as much as infiltrate the church? I mean, you're not thinking about your new pool when someone's pulling out your fingernails, but the again, you're probably more prone to think why is this happening.

Thoughts?

Skrapus Majorus

I'm not sure.  Torture is really a foreign concept for us in this country, so its hard to understand how the mind reacts to it.  I would say that our world full of distractions tends to stop us from thinking about God more than being tortured would, but that being tortured would probably force you much more quickly towards one side or another.

[Vlad!]

I think there will be less people who profess to faith under persecution, but those who do will have stronger faith. Which is 'easier'? I guess it depends on how you define 'easy'.  

[Skrappybiskit]

Please do define easy. Someone.

Skraps

[Skrappybiskit]

I always think it might be easier (not in terms of ease, but more in terms of seeing things in starker contrast) to have a strong faith in Christ when you're being persecuted than otherwise.

But to stray from the topic, I think the devil has a bit more of an effective strategy going on nowadays than the slash-and-burn kill-the-Christians approach of the Roman Empire. More of a divide and conquer thing.

1) The church has mostly adopted a materialistic, self-centred point of view without even realizing it.
2) The church is fragmented, divided, and rife with heresy. Also has stopped being an effective light and salt, for the most part.
3) Outside pressure is mounting, and Christians are doing little to combat with prayer, evangelism and whatever else.

So I see the future as the church of Christ becoming so weak, that when the persecution comes, it'll be sudden and unmistakable. The plan is, I guess, to wipe the whole thing out, but of course it'll persevere, thank God. Literally.

At least that's one view of the future

Skraps

[RokrantheGreat]

I always think it might be easier (not in terms of ease, but more in terms of seeing things in starker contrast) to have a strong faith in Christ when you're being persecuted than otherwise.

 

I agree.