Persecution Quiz
Ten Questions to Challenge and Inform
Despite the wealth of information that is available, Christians who worship in freedom continue to demonstrate an amazing lack of awareness of the Persecuted Church.
Are you ready to test your knowledge of the persecution of Christians? If so, answer the following ten questions as best you can.
But be warned: some are not as straightforward as they seem.
(Editor's note: This brief exam makes some attempts at levity, but it is not meant to trivialise the severe pressures millions of Christians face daily for their faith but rather to remind Christians who live in freedom that their experience is not necessarily the norm.)
1. How many persecuted Christians
are there?
a. 10 million
b. 200 million
c. 1 billion
d. There is no Christian persecution
If you answered 'd' you are totally out of touch with reality. Subtract five points!
Most experts suggest there are about 200 million Christians worldwide who suffer persecution for their faith, with another 200 million to 400 million who face discrimination in some form simply for being a Christian.
Answer: 'b' - 200 million. Quite staggering, isn't it? Correct answer good for one point.
2. The events of 11 September 2001
have had little impact on Christian persecution.
a. True
b. False
Answer: False. Dozens of well-documented cases have been reported where attacks on Christians were made in retaliation for the bombing in Afghanistan, the action in Iraq and other 'atrocities' committed by the West.
Muslim fundamentalists often portray Christianity as a Western religion, which puts Christians in Muslim areas in danger. In addition to reported cases, there are likely many more that go unreported.
As the polarisation between Christianity and Islam increases, Christian persecution will also increase. Christians who are the most vulnerable will suffer the most.
However, military action by the West is not the only thing that incites attacks on Christians. A controversial but well-publicised statement by a Western political or religious leader can also have repercussions.
For example, Jerry Falwell, Franklin Graham and Pat Robertson have been both admired and demonised because of opinions they've expressed about Islam.
Suffering the most, however, is the Christian minority in countries where freedom of religion is limited and Islamic extremists exercise strong influence. Islamist anger is often directed at the impoverished, minority Christian community.
Score one point for 'false'.
3. The US-led action in Iraq has
caused greater difficulties for Christians living in Muslim-dominated areas.
a. True
b. False
Answer: True - good for one point. If you answered 'false,' go back and read the previous section.
War by nature brings hardship, but Christians in Muslim areas suffer even more because they are perceived as having a 'Western faith' and as sympathetic to any attack on Muslim countries by the 'Christian West'.
4. In 2002, the US State Department
designated which one of the following countries as 'a country of particular
concern' in its annual religious liberty report?
a. Colombia
b. Cuba
c. Peru
d. None of the above.
Answer: 'd' - none of the above. One point.
But there are serious problems facing Christians in these countries.
The four-decade-old civil war in Colombia pits the government's military, guerrilla groups and drug cartels against each other, and Christians are often caught in the middle. In recent months, more than 20 Christian pastors have been killed, and there are thousands of Christian refugees.
The church in Cuba continues to face severe restrictions on worship, evangelism and Bible importation.
Nevertheless, it is growing dramatically. Corruption in Peru has kept dozens of Christians falsely imprisoned on terrorism charges stemming from a crackdown a decade ago on Shining Path rebels.
Now there are reports of a resurgence of Shining Path activity that, if true, could bring increased pressure on the church.
5. Name the five countries still considered to have communist regimes in power.
Answer: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam.
While most experts agree that communism as an ideology is all but dead, the power structures in these countries have endured.
What's more, they do not tolerate the growth of any group perceived as a threat to total control.
North Korea is probably the most restricted nation in the world. Confessing to being a Christian - or even suspected of being one - will result in imprisonment or death.
Christians in Laos have been forced under extreme duress to recant their faith.
Officials in Vietnam have recently closed more than 350 churches in the Central Highlands where there has been unprecedented church growth among the country's tribal groups.
Score one point for each country you named correctly. A total of five points is possible for this question.
6. How many Christians are there
in China?
a. 10 million
b. 45 million
c. 60-80 million
d. 1.2 billion
This is a trick question, since no one knows for sure how many Christians there are in China.
What we do know is that there are many more than 10 million but less than 1.2 billion.
Most China watchers would agree that there are at least 45 million Christians but that 60-million-plus is more likely.
So if you answered 'b' give yourself half a point.
If you answered 'c' give yourself one point.
7. Is Christian persecution increasing
or decreasing in China?
a. Increasing
b. Decreasing
c. Both
d. There is no persecution in China
Answer: 'c'. This is the paradox of China. Some areas have seen severe persecution during where church leaders have been beaten, jailed and tortured, and a few have been threatened with death.
Other areas function in what most would consider complete freedom.
Generally, however, house church Christians - those who worship 'unofficially,' and the majority of which live in the more rural areas - continue to face harassment and pressure to join the official church structure.
They are also targeted by cults or attacked because the local culture is antagonistic. Sometimes the pressure is extremely harsh.
So, if you answered 'c' give yourself one point.
If you answered 'a' or 'b' give yourself half a point.
If you answered 'd' subtract a point.
8. What is the greatest threat to
the continued growth of the Chinese church?
a. Communism
b. Capitalism
c. Cults
d. Compromise
We made them all Cs to Confuse you. A number of leading house church Christians cited 'capitalism' (or materialism) as the greatest threat, followed closely by 'cults'.
The growing economic openness in China is providing more opportunity to gain wealth even among the Christian population, with the potential to undermine the spiritual vitality of the church.
Cults are also becoming more aggressive and are strategically targeting stronger house churches for infiltration.
With the dearth of well-trained Christian leaders, especially in the rural areas, the potential for error is high.
'Compromise' might better be defined as 'fear of persecution'. It remains a problem that threatens to immobilise the Chinese church.
Ironically, the least threatening is communism.
So, if you answered 'b' or 'c' give yourself a point.
If you answered 'd' give yourself half a point.
If you answered 'a' you get nothing. Just be thankful you don't have to subtract a point.
9. Christian persecution is increasing
in the country of Africa.
a. True
b. False
Answer: Africa is not a country, it's a continent. Subtract one point if you even tried to answer this question. Your concentration is obviously starting to lag.
10. How many of Nigeria's 36 states
have implemented sharia, or Islamic law?
a. 0
b. 12
c. 20
d. 36
Answer: 'b' - 12. Nigeria is Africa's most glaring example of the religious conflict between Christianity and Islam.
Christians living in the predominately Muslim north are finding their activities increasingly restricted, and clashes often turn violent.
One point if you answered 'b'.
Scoring
Maximum
Points Possible: 12
Minimum Points Possible: -7
10-12 points: You're an expert!
6-9 points: You're getting there.
2-5 points: You've got a lot of to learn.
Less than 2 points: You've been asleep for the last 20 years. Wake up!
We at Open Doors hope this reminder will bring a redoubling of effort to come to the aid of the Persecuted Church.
(Compass Direct: used with permission.)