Why So Much Violence Against Christians

Interview With Director of a Charity in the Netherlands

HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands, OCT. 6, 2005 (Zenit) - Protestants are more persecuted than Catholics, precisely because they evangelize more, says a specialist who writes on violence against Christians.

Orban de Lengyelflva, who is also the director of the Dutch branch of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, made that point in an interview with us.

We interviewed de Lengyelflva in connection with his two latest books, "Violence Against Christians: Backgrounds, Analysis and Facts" and "Violence Against Christians in the Year 2004," both published by Aid to the Church in Need.

Orban de Lengyelflva was born in 1942 in what was then Hungary's Transylvania (today Romanian territory). In 1944 he left the country and stayed in Hungary until 1956, when he moved to the Netherlands.

Q: Is violence against Christians increasing?

De Lengyelflva: Yes, violence is increasing. It has to do with developments in the world and the growth of Muslim fundamentalism.

In recent years one has witnessed more and more fundamentalist groups attacking Christians. Occasionally there is a geographical change: Some years ago, the situation of Christians in Indonesia was very bad, and Christians in Iraq lived in tranquility and peace. At present, Indonesia is somewhat quiet but there are many problems in Iraq.

We ask you, humbly, to help.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

It has to do with international relations; the relations between the U.S. and the Middle East, the position of the Palestinians, the relation between Muslims and non-Muslims. In these relations there is no place for rationalism. We in the West are trying to make a distinction between Islamism -- political Islam as a form of fundamentalism -- and Islam. Conservative Islam, on the other hand, regards the West as the devil.

In my opinion it has nothing to with a controversy between Islam and Christianity, Islam and the West. Islamists are misusing Islam for political purposes, and to grow in power. In my opinion it has to do also with an identity-crisis within Islam.

In recent years, fundamentalism has grown> in religious groups such as Hindus and Buddhists. In this case again, politics is more important than religion.

Q: Do the groups that are against Christians really distinguish between Catholics and non-Catholics, for instance?

De Lengyelflva: No, fundamentalists make no differences between Catholics and non-Catholics. They just go against Christians.

There is indeed a big difference when you look at the victims of violence. There are far more non-Catholic [Protestant] victims than Catholic victims. It has everything to do with the way Christians live their Christianity. You know, Catholics do believe, but they do not evangelize as openly as Protestant Christians. One of the consequences is that Protestant Christians are more known and more often violated.

Q: But why are Christians still persecuted today?

De Lengyelflva: That's a difficult question. There are additional possible answers. I have seen and studied many countries where Christians are persecuted, and I'm more and more convinced Jesus Christ was right when he said: They will persecute you like they persecuted me.

However, what he said after that is even more correct and important: Don't be afraid in such situations, I will be with you. I'm not a theologian but it's an interesting theological question too. Historically, there is no room for doubt; 2,000 years of Christianity has proved this!

It has to do with struggle for more power. Why did Communist regimes persecute the churches? Because they were dangerous for Communist ideas, for Communist rule over society, etc. Enemies of Christianity see Christians as an enormous bloc of more than 1 billion people.

I'm afraid it has to do with the secularization of a large part of Christianity; norms and values are changing and disappearing. A secularized [Western] world is a danger for the conservative Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu world.

Shop Timeless Catholic Gifts

In my book I wrote that around 140,000 Christians are murdered every year. Of course, there are no lists with the names. It is about statistical facts. Christians are physically punished, tortured, imprisoned, raped, etc.

Q: Why are you personally involved in this particular field?

De Lengyelflva: It is related to several things. For some years, about eight, my parents and I were persecuted because of our religion and my parents' background.

I'm a Church-historian, specialized in Church persecution in Communist countries. I was reading about the persecution of different groups in the world; I didn't read anything about Christians; I was keen to find out the position of Christians in the world.

The Catholic Church spoke only about martyrs, and not about Christians dying not out of free will, but just because they are Christians. There is a difference between martyrs and the 140,000 Christians who are dying every year.

Contact

Catholic Online
https://www.catholic.org CA, US
Catholic Online - Publisher, 661 869-1000

Email

info@yourcatholicvoice.org

Keywords

Christians, Violence, Netherlands, Lengyelflva, Church

Free Catholic PDF's - Home / Parish / School / Bulletin Inserts

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Embrace your Faith

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »