Unpleasant it may have been but “persecution”?
persecute vt 1: to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; *specif
: *to cause to suffer because of belief
2: to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (as attacks, pleas, or importunities)
: PESTER
persecution n 1: the act or practice of persecuting esp., those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
2: the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed
From Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
Yep. Sounds like it makes the grade to me.
The word “persecution” has a much broader meaning than most people realize and, contrary to popular opinion, not all persecution is bad. Bad beliefs should be persecuted so that they become less popular! For example, any belief that it’s ok to batter one’s spouse should face persistent, stiff, but moral persecution. Another bad belief that should be persecuted is the oft-stated hypocrisy that all beliefs are just personal opinions and that no one should impose their opinion on others.
The recent trouble for the Church began with a vocal minority who are promoting homosexual equality by promulgating the idea that the Church’s position on homosexuality is a bad belief. Many of these people are willing to harass (persecute) any person (or institution) that holds the belief that homosexual sex is immoral.
The assault began in part with the misappropriation of the term “homophobia”, both within and outside the medical community, to harass and silence anyone who dared to oppose the agenda of mainstreaming homosexual activity. One must remember that to be a true phobia, a fear or aversion must be both unreasonable and adversely compromise the life of the person who holds the fear or aversion. A fear of heights is normal and not a phobia, nor is a repulsion towards the looks and smell of emesis. Both of these emotions are reasonable in that they are protective and do not constitute a phobia unless they become unreasonable and start to (in some way) cripple the person who feels them. Likewise, sensing the wrongness of or being repulsed by non-reproductive (i.e., abnormal) sexual activity serves to protect society and the individual (from disease and abuse) and is not a phobia unless the person’s fear is both unreasonable and adversely compromises their life. A person who is afraid to come outdoors because “the homosexuals are going to get” him has homophobia (unless he finds himself in Lot’s position where his fear would be crippling, but is still reasonable). A person who merely makes the statement that he thinks homosexual activity is repulsive is not homophobic. That’s a healthy position if it is not taken to the extreme. True homophobia is rare. Denouncing people who oppose homosexual activity by using a false allegation in a derogatory way is persecution.
The early Christians were persecuted in Rome because many of their persecutors felt that the Christian cult was promoting atheism, cannibalism, incest, and espousing the overthrow of the government. In other words, these persecutors believed Christianity was a bad belief system. The persecution was severe.
So far, the modern persecution of the Church, because of its stand against the acceptance of homosexual behavior, has not been severe, but it is escalating. The Church’s cause has been severely compromised by the immoral lifestyles of heterosexuals (both outside and within the Christian community) who espouse non-reproductive (i.e., abnormal and immoral) sexual activity both inside and out of marriage for themselves. We must expect the cause of sexual morality to be persecuted in an immoral society.
