Persecution quiz

Despite the wealth of information that is available and the blazing speed of access, 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 Christian persecution in the past year? If so, answer the following ten questions. Be warned: some are not as straightforward as they seem.

QUESTIONS

Q1. How many persecuted Christians are there?
a) 10 million. b) 200 million. c) 1 billion. d) There is no Christian persecution.

Q2. The events of September 11 2001 had little direct impact on Christian persecution in 2002.
a) True. b) False.

Q3. A military attack on Iraq would cause greater difficulties for Christians living in Muslim-dominated areas.
a) True. b) False.

Q4. 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.

Q5. Name the five countries still considered to have Communist regimes in power.

Q6. How many Christians are there in China?
a) 10 million. b) 45 million. c) 60-80 million. d) 1.2 billion.

Q7. Is Christian persecution increasing or decreasing in China?
a) Increasing. b) Decreasing. c) Both. d) There is no persecution in China.

Q8. What is the greatest threat to the continued growth of the Chinese church?
a) Communism. b) Capitalism. c) Cults. d) Compromise.

Q9. Christian persecution is increasing in the country of Africa.
a) True. b) False.

Q10. How many of Nigeria's 36 states have implemented sharia, or Islamic law?
a) 0. b) 12. c) 20. d) 36.

ANSWERS

A1. If you answered 'd' you are totally out of touch with reality. Subtract five (5) points!
Most experts suggest there are about 200 million Christians worldwide who suffer persecution for their faith, with another 200-400 million who face discrimination in some form simply for being a Christian. Correct answer: 'b' - 200 million. Quite staggering, isn't it? Correct answer good for one (1) point.

A2. The answer is - false. Dozens of well-documented cases were reported in 2001 and 2002 where attacks on Christians were made in retaliation for the bombing in Afghanistan or other 'atrocities' committed by the West. Muslim fundamentalists often portray Christianity as a Western religion, which puts Christians in Muslim areas in danger. Besides reported cases, it's likely there are 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.
Score one point (1) for 'false'.

A3. The answer is - true - good for one point (1). If you answered 'false', go back and read the previous section. War by nature brings hardship. But Christians in Muslim areas would suffer even more because they are perceived as having a 'Western faith' and by default would be linked to an attack on a Muslim country by the 'Christian West'.

A4. The answer is - 'd' - none of the above. One (1) 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.

A5. The answer is - 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 (1) for each country you named correctly. A total of five points is possible for this question.

A6. 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 (0.5). If you answered 'c' give yourself one point (1).

A7. The answer is - 'c'. This is the paradox of China. Some areas have seen severe persecution during the last year where church leaders have been beaten and jailed, 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 (1). If you answered 'a' or 'b', give yourself half a point (0.5). If you answered 'd', subtract a point.

A8. 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 (1). If you answered 'd', give yourself half a point (0.5). If you answered 'a', you get nothing. Just be thankful you don't have to subtract a point.

A9. The answer is that Africa is not a country, it's a continent. Subtract one point (-1) if you even tried to answer this question. Your concentration is obviously starting to lag.

A10. The answer is - '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 (1) 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.
Fewer than 2 points: You've been asleep for the last 20 years. Wake up!

This brief exam made some attempts at levity, but it is not meant to trivialise the severe pressures millions of Christians face daily for their faith. On the contrary, it is designed to remind Christians who live in freedom that their experience is not necessarily the norm.

Compass Direct

© Evangelicals Now - February 2003
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