Christians persecuted! Should I be afraid?

When a proposal from Rushmoor Borough Council in Hampshire sought to criminalise Christians for evangelising their faith, many believers in the U.K began to contemplate whether this (now suspended) proposal was a direct response to the rise in Christians obeying the great commission.

The question is: Why is open air Christian preaching being resisted? and does not Article 10 of the Humans Rights Acts 1998, say that ‘everyone has the right to freedom of expression’ in the U.K? So, what is Rushmoor Council's argument?

Rushmoor Council have issued an injunction in pursuit of section 22 of the Local Government Act 1972 and sections 1 and 2 of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. They have accused Christians of being aggressive in their behaviour and inconsiderate with their use of loud amplification for preaching. They claim that the vulnerable people and local businesses in their locality are grumbling because evangelical Christians are causing their community 'alarm and distress' with their use of "homophobic and disablist comments".

But is this narrative true? Are evangelists inconsiderate to the needs of the people in their local community? and is it really necessary to seek the ban of Christians praying for others and worshipping God on our streets?

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me John 15:18-21

`1 Corinthians 1:18, tells us ‘“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” John 3:18-21, brings further light onto the matter, by revealing another truth regarding why the gospel is being resisted in our communities. Scripture tells us that it is because people love their sin and they fear that their sinful actions will be exposed.

‘Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed’

Suffering for the faith

Do you remember what Jesus said about Apostle Paul “For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16). After Jesus spoke these troubling words, we saw Paul opposed, malign, beaten, stoned and plotted against, and despite all this suffering, he still preached the gospel. Think about this for a minute. The religious and governmental authorities of the land could not silence the gospel, even though Christians in the Roman Empire were being persecuted. Fast forward to today and we can see that times have changed, but persecution still remains.

In a recent debate (April 8th 2025) about Christian persecution worldwide, Ruth Jones MP (Labour) said “Despite the very real threat of persecution, hundreds of millions of Christians—effectively entire populations—remain steadfast in their faith, at great personal cost.”. Jim Shannon MP (DUP) added to this discourse by saying that we should “recognise the significance of 2025. Let it be a jubilee year not just in name, but in action — a year in which captives and the persecuted find justice, in which those in fear find protection, and in which nations find peace through the promotion of tolerance and interfaith dialogue.”

As a Christian it is reassuring to see our government acknowledging and showing empathy towards Christians who are being persecuted worldwide because of their identification with Christ. But, what I really want to know is what is the government intending to do about this rise in Christian persecution? From the summary of the debate it appears that the U.K’s government intends to prioritising the freedom of religion or belief (FORB). They want to impose sanctions against those who abuse human rights (section 4.5) and they want to meet global standards of preventing the persecution of religious groups through Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies.

So, how should Christians respond to persecution?

The Bible provides us with clear instructions on how believers should respond when they face persecution. One of the teachings of Jesus tells us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). This may sound like an difficult instruction to obey, especially since persecution is a painfully unjust and difficult experience for the persecuted. But rest assured there is a comfort and assurance found in the promises of Jesus concerning the persecuted.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10

God has assured us of an heavenly inheritance, if we endure the persecution of our faith (1 Peter 4:12). We must remember that God is in control and therefore we must trust in the Lord during seasons of suffering. God is our constant companion (Proverb 3: 5-6, Hebrews 13: 5-6). When we trust God and respond appropriately to persecution, we will find that we will not retaliate with more hatred, but we will respond to those who persecute us with the Spirit of love and in prayer. Pray for those who deliberately afflict you and trust God always.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14 (NKJV)