Christians around the world respond to persecution with largely non-violent 'survival strategies' that require a lot of 'creativity, determination and courage,' according to a new report.
The University of Notre Dame's report, In Response to Persecution, says that Christians tend to choose 'a creative pragmatism dominated by short-term efforts to provide security, build strength through social ties'.
The report states: 'Christians' responses to this persecution fall into three broad categories: first, strategies of survival, through which they aim to preserve the life and basic activities of their communities; second, strategies of association, through which they build ties with others that strengthen their resilience in the face of persecution; and third, strategies of confrontation, through which they openly challenge the persecution levied against them or live out their faith such that they accept the possibility of martyrdom as a mode of witness. These responses are not mutually exclusive.'
The 'creative strategies' include 'going underground' and 'flight' from oppressive regimes, though some Christians choose to accommodate those regimes.
Alliances with other actors include those with other Christians, non-Christian religious groups and secular figures, the report says.
'Strategies of confrontation' are the least common response. 'They serve to bear witness to the faith, expose and end injustice, mobilize others to oppose injustice, and replace it with religious freedom.'
Meanwhile, 'Christian responses to persecution are almost always nonviolent and, with very few exceptions, do not involve acts of terrorism.'
As World Watch Monitor reported earlier this month, the persecution of Christians is often 'still not taken seriously'.
Separately, the Canadian MP Candice Bergen wrote on her Facebook page: 'More Christians die and suffer for their faith than any other religious group in the world. The elite, including liberal media, not only ignore this fact but most often are the ones who treat Christians with mocking, stereotyping and disdain. It's a rare sight to ever see Hollywood portray a Christian in a positive manner, much less talk about the plight of Christians in places like the Middle East.'
