Matthew Slenk

Mrs. Roskamp

LA, 8A

9 March 2017

In Eritrea, Christian persecution is at a high. Around 2,000 people are in jail because of their faith. Christians have been persecuted in the past and are still being persecuted in countries today, such as, Eritrea; however, there are things we can do to help these Christians.

In the past, many more Christians have been persecuted. One of many people that persecuted Christians in the past is Nero. Nero was the new wicked ruler of Rome. He was very spoiled and was known as one of Rome’s worst kings. A fire broke out and spread rapidly. The fire demolished much of Rome. When Nero heard people blamed him for the fire, he quickly blamed the Christians. The people believed Nero, and they were very angry at the Christians. Nero killed Christians by the hundreds. He used them for amusement. Christians got ripped to shreds by dogs, fought in stadiums, crucified, burned, used as lighting for parties, along with more horrible things. They only got persecuted for what they believed was right. Saul was another example of Christian persecution. He persecuted Christians for fun. His first persecution was Stephen. He told people it was alright to stone him. When Stephen died, Saul ordered all the Christians to be thrown out of their homes and be put in jail. Even though Saul turned his life around and become a strong Christian, this is still a huge case of christian persecution. All of these Christians were persecuted for no good reason. They suffered for what they believed in. They saw God’s great power and followed him. They died serving the Lord.

Even today, there is still a lot of persecution all around the world. You would be surprised how many people suffer for being Christians. In Eritrea, a lady named Senet was put in jail for being a Christian. She shared her jail cell with 55 other women. It was so cramped, they couldn’t lay or sit properly. They were treated like animals and had to work long hard days. It was miserable there. She received dreams from God. They encouraged her and gave her faith in Christ. She then stayed in jail for 6 years. Another example of present day persecution in Eritrea involved a pastor named Haile. Churches are being attacked and taken down. They have to do church services in secret. Haile, the pastor was caught and arrested. He has been in jail since 2004. He has been in jail for about 13 years! His wife and and three kids got a note one day in 2013 saying that they would be arrested also. They had to flee from the country and now live in a safe spot where they worship God freely. Persecution is at its high in Eritrea and is growing rapidly.

There are lots of ways people are helping these persecuted Christians. Websites like Open Doors, and Voice of the Martyrs, help Christians who are being persecuted. Giving them money is a big help. Missionaries go over to countries like Eritrea and preach to Christians and help grow their faith in God stronger. Some people listen to these stories of persecution and share the news with people to inform them about what’s happening around the world. Praying for persecuted Christians is another thing that we could easily do. God wants us to help Christians who are being persecuted and suffering for what they believe is right.

Christians have been persecuted in the past and are still being persecuted in countries today, such as, Eritrea; however, there are things we can do to help these christians. There are lots of ways we can help persecuted Christians today. No matter what your age is, you can help. One way would be giving money to organizations like Open Doors. Open Doors helps Christians in persecuting countries grow stronger in their faith and in a relationship with God. Another way would be hearing stories of persecuted Christians and telling people about them. Informing others and seeing what’s happening around the world is a good way to raise awareness about Christian persecution. We are doing this through our 8th Bible Projects. We are setting up persecution exhibits about a certain country. We teach people about persecution and inform them on how they can help make a difference. You can also write letters through Open Doors Ministry to give Christians being persecuted hope, and to help them grow stronger in their faith. Please consider helping Christians being persecuted. Keep them in your thoughts and your prayers.