The Martyr Mentality of American Christianity

In a country where over 75% of the population claims Christianity, where does the American Evangelical notion of persecution stem from?  According to this thought-provoking article from Al Jazeera America, the voice of the Christian super majority in this country has adopted the stance of victimization and persecution in relation to the culture at large.  But can Christians claim to identify with the role of the martyr when the Church has for so long benefited from a position of social power within the State?  As a Christian in America, I am challenged to think what religious persecution really means within my own context.  We often find our identity through the stories we tell ourselves, and this article stands as a reminder to question those stories. We must learn to look at our position in this society with a more critical eye.

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