The Twentieth Century is considered by many as the bloodiest century for Christianity. The century started off with the Terrible Triangle of bloody persecutions in Mexico, Spain, and the Soviet Union and the killings then spread throughout the world with the advancements of Communism, National Socialism of various types, and eventually Islamism. In 2002 author Antonio Socci estimated that 45.5 million Christians were killed because of their faith in the Twentieth Century.
Now the representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) at a joint OSCE-EU-Catholic-Orthodox-Muslim dialogue conference has stated that 105,000 Christians die because of their faith every year. That number works out to one every five minutes. Over a hundred years this equals the deaths of 10.5 million Christians.
While these numbers are all statistics and should not be considered spot on they do paint a picture of mass murder.
On the good side, for lack of a better word, is that the killings may be slowing down. For the Twenty-First Century to match the level of killings against Christianity of the 1900s there will need to be another wave of monsters such in the order of Mao, Stalin, and Hitler.
The killings however have reached critical levels in certain locations, however. Especially in Iraq, native Christianity may not live out the next 100 years. In other places like Egypt and the Palestinian territories the long tolerated and accepted Christian minority may be greatly reduced in size the rising Islamist culture.
What's new are the killing fields. Instead of Latin America and Europe, much of the killings will be in Africa and the Indian Ocean-world described in Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power
. And instead of targeting entrenched, conservative Christianity, much of the violence will be directed against an activist, prosthelytizing, energetic Christianity which will threaten the zones of influence of Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and atheistic powers.
See also
Lent Geography: Map of Catholic Missionaries Killed in 2009
Presentation for the 2010 AAG: Geography of Religious Wars
Now the representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) at a joint OSCE-EU-Catholic-Orthodox-Muslim dialogue conference has stated that 105,000 Christians die because of their faith every year. That number works out to one every five minutes. Over a hundred years this equals the deaths of 10.5 million Christians.
While these numbers are all statistics and should not be considered spot on they do paint a picture of mass murder.
On the good side, for lack of a better word, is that the killings may be slowing down. For the Twenty-First Century to match the level of killings against Christianity of the 1900s there will need to be another wave of monsters such in the order of Mao, Stalin, and Hitler.
The killings however have reached critical levels in certain locations, however. Especially in Iraq, native Christianity may not live out the next 100 years. In other places like Egypt and the Palestinian territories the long tolerated and accepted Christian minority may be greatly reduced in size the rising Islamist culture.
What's new are the killing fields. Instead of Latin America and Europe, much of the killings will be in Africa and the Indian Ocean-world described in Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power
. And instead of targeting entrenched, conservative Christianity, much of the violence will be directed against an activist, prosthelytizing, energetic Christianity which will threaten the zones of influence of Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, and atheistic powers.See also
Lent Geography: Map of Catholic Missionaries Killed in 2009
Presentation for the 2010 AAG: Geography of Religious Wars
2 comments:
Sad.
But in your other linked post it was a "relief" to read your "Most murders of missionaries though are done by criminals who believe the missionaries have wealth worth robbing and killing for."
A very moving film that I wish everyone would see is "Des Hommes et des Dieux" (Of Gods and Men) about the French monks taken hostage by the mujahedin in Algeria in the 90s. Only the heads of the men were later found.
And just now I see at the "Art and Architecture, mainly" blog a thoughtful post about the French movie (to which I added my personal experience with viewing the movie):
http://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com/2011/06/of-gods-and-men-monks-and-islamists.html
Post a Comment