Persecution And Commitment

Persecution and Commitment A Tract Book Essay By Anthony J. Fejfar, J.D., Esq., Coif © Copyright 2007 by Anthony J. Fejfar

When we make a commitment to God we are expected to stick with it. Traditionally, those who reject God, after having accepted or believed in Him were thought to be apostates and condemned to Hell. In ordinary times when the Church is functioning the way it should, and so is society, it is typically not very difficult for most people to maintain their religious faith.

It is perhaps to the most difficult test for many during

ordinary times when a loved one dies unexpectedly. This often produces a crisis of faith because we miss the person so much. Not all times are ordinary, however. Through much of the history of the Catholic church, Catholics have been subject to persecution by those of other religious backgrounds.

In fact, it is simply the case that

Catholics are sometimes tortured in an effort to get them to give up their faith.

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For example, during the time of the Crusades, when Catholic Knights were captured by Moslems, the Knights were often tortured to force them to give up their faith and become Christian apostates.

Similarly,

during the reign of Queen Elizebeth the 1st of England, Catholic priests who were captured were typically tortured and executed, often by being hung, drawn, and quartered. The reason that many Catholics went to their deaths under torture was the official policy of the Church was that there was never an excuse for apostacy.

If you were tortured you were expected to resist until death and

become a martyr rather than to deny your faith under persecution. There is a new rule, now, however. Now, it is my position, that it is acceptable to retain an internal reservation in favor of one’s faith and to outwardly reject your faith rather than submit to extreme persecution or torture. You remain Catholic internally, and as soon as reality has normalized, then you go back to being a professed Catholic again. In the present day church God chooses survivability over martyrdom. However, it should be noted that minor name calling or other such minor forms of persecution are not sufficient for rejected one’s faith.

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