Persecution

The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word (Mark 4:16-17).

Persectution arises when one group or person is threatened by another for any reason usually because of differences. In other words just being different creates anxiety in others. Its a pack mentality. Deep inside people want to get rid of that which does not conform. This is true more or less for every group.

Persecution is not only against Christians, it is equally against any group or individual that is different which includes Jews, Homosexuals, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, the handicapped, and anybody who is wet apart from the rest. All of these have faced persecutions. The smaller a group is the more that group will probably be persecuted.

If it seems like your own group faces more it is only because your group focuses on its own persecution more, neglecting / ignoring the persecution your own group has given to others.

When a persecuted group becomes powerful enough it persecutes others. So Protestant Christians have persecuted Jews, shared in the genocide of American Indians, attacked homosexuals, Catholics, Mormons, and more. But none of these groups are without their own guilt. Christians have been persectuted and are today in many countries especially where they are fewest in number.

Persecuting those who are different is a human phenomena that crosses all race, politics or belief systems. When Jesus mentioned that his people would face persectution that would turn people away from the faith, it was persecution of being different in a world that encouraged uniformity. Christianity was a small group of Jewish believers when it first started. It therefore met persecution from larger groups of Jewish people until Christianity became the new religion of the Roman empire. Then it fell into persecution from Rome and its allies.

Once Christianity became powerful enough it became persecutor of sub Christian groups attempting to present new or different teachings, and when Christianity became a state religion it focused itself against not only new Christian offshoots, but on established religions that were not powerful enough to defend themselves...such as the Jews.

This is all in history but downplayed in Christian ranks because groups protect their own histories as much as possible. After all history says something about who we are.

Having said this, let me emphasize...this is true for every group. The general rule is this: The less powerful groups or individuals are, the more they will be persecuted. The more powerful a group is, the more chances will be that the group will shun or persecute those who are different and less powerful. It is not only Christians who suffer persecution or dish it out. It is literally everywhere.