Why Defend Persecuted Religions?

 We know we should pray for those of our spiritual siblings who suffer persecution. Even so, should we also advocate for those practitioners of false religions to be free to do so?

From the first day humans walked in the garden, the Lord has always allowed us the choice to follow him or to follow false gods. We see an example of this offer given in Joshua 24:15 (BBE) to the descendents of Israel. "And if it seems evil to you to be the servants of the Lord, make the decision this day whose servants you will be: of the gods whose servants your fathers were across the River, or of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living: but I and my house will be the servants of the Lord."

This is also the reason the Lord sent out prophets and apostles to the Jews first and then us gentiles. As Romans 10:14 and 15 (BBE) points out, "But how will they give worship to him in whom they have no faith? and how will they have faith in him of whom they have not had news? and how will they have news without a preacher? And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As it is said, How beautiful are the feet of those who give the glad news of good things."

Paul certainly made no distinction when one idolatrous prison guard wanted to kill himself on the night when all the doors were shaken open and all the chains fell off the prisoners. Acts 16:27 and 28 (BBE) tells us, "And the keeper, coming out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, took his sword and was about to put himself to death, fearing that the prisoners had got away. But Paul said in a loud voice, 'Do yourself no damage, for we are all here.'"

If Christianity were like a pagan religion, Paul and the prisoners would have ran out of the prison and let the jailer kill himself. But since we love even unbelievers, we do good to them. It might happen that they will come to faith in Christ like this man and his family did.

We also see in The Old Testament that foreigners were given fair treatment without respect to their beliefs. Exodus 22:21 (BBE) says, "Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt."

Moreover, Psalms 82:3 (KJV) puts it bluntly and without qualification. "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy."

Provided the Lord doesn't return by Saturday, I hope to publish about speaking up for righteousness.