When Persecution Isn't, and What To Do About It

May 16, 2013 by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

Continued from Page 2

One of the most valuable contributions of Moss' work—whether or not one agrees with her scholarship—is to demonstrate that this rhetorical strategy need not be the only option for Christians in the modern world. In fact, in light of the historical evidence, it is not a remotely justifiable position to take. But, again, even if one discounts Moss' facts as definitive, the reality that there are other options out there needs to be taken very seriously by Christians who claim to have a faith that is based on the love of their god for the world rather than on the blood of martyrs.

As Pagans who face very real prosecution and persecution, though, we cannot replicate this kind of thinking, or assume that our gods approve of us suffering on behalf of our religious commitments. Our gods love justice and devotion, but they do not relish our suffering on their behalf at the hands of ignorant and prejudiced others.

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Pagan

Queer I Stand

History

Martyrdom

Persecution

Christianity

Paganism

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About P. Sufenas Virius Lupus

P. Sufenas Virius Lupus is a metagender and a founding member of the Ekklesía Antínoou (a queer, Graeco-Roman-Egyptian syncretist reconstructionist polytheist religious group dedicated to Antinous, the deified lover of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and other related gods and divine figures). E is a contributing member of Neos Alexandria and a Celtic Reconstructionist pagan in the filidecht and gentlidecht traditions. Follow Lupus' work on the Aedicula Antinoi blog.

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