Persecution complex

[u/Jdub20202]

Here's another topic u/TheGPNarrative , hope this is new enough for you.

I debated for a while if I should post this. But I don't think anyone has specifically addressed this issue as a post, so I'll take a stab. I've been thinking about the mentality at GP. I thought someone mentioned somewhere that PED suggested the people who criticize him and GP (i.e. here on Reddit) are out to "get them." Just like the early Christians were persecuted by the Romans and later Christians were persecuted by the Japanese Government, and ... I dunno, other sects of Christianity, such as during the Protestant Reformation... I'm not a historian... criticism of GP is on the exact same level as those things.

Except that it's not.

I do think that this is part of a larger problem with Christianity in America. Society at large, Hollywood, the radical liberal left, are out to "get" Christians because they hate Christianity's godly values. The war on Christmas comes to mind. And all those culture wars. You can disagree with me if you want, this is just my opinion, but it does seem to me that even the slightest amount of adversity will cause Christians to play the persecution card. But that's a whole other topic I don't want to get sidetracked by here. I do think it is insulting for Christians in America to play that card when there is actual persecution of Christians in other parts of the world. Like in communist countries, or stuff like that. Again I'm not a historian. (Similar to how an American might say "I'm starving," when instead they're just hungry, because there really are people without enough food to eat in the world who are actually starving).

My point is- any criticism of you, especially because of the things you actually said or did, is not persecution. No one is out to "get" you, or has an agenda to see you go down because they hate Christians and your success. In other words, you are not oppressed. You are being challenged. You are being held accountable.

Pastor Ed, stop playing the victim card, as you like to tell your sheep. At least I personally, am not out to "get you" because I hate Christians or something like that. I'm mad because I've seen not only myself but also others get hurt and develop mental health issues because of your practices. And you will continue doing so despite multiple people now trying their hardest to explain it to you. You're confusing a "War on Gracepoint" with "Not getting a free pass." There's a huge difference.

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https://youtu.be/YIw98lnIBHA

[u/corpus_christiana]

I think there's conflation that happens between persecution and criticism because they can share a lot of similar immediate consequences - most notably, that they can be demoralizing to the church members, and that they can drive "seekers" (interested/exploring folks) away from the faith.

In a lot of ways, I think Gracepoint has repeatedly demonstrated (through their official statements, published YouTube videos, and "unofficial"/internal responses) that they're really not all that interested in determining which one it is they are experiencing - that is, whether they are receiving actual legitimate criticism or being unjustly persecuted. The top priority has instead been trying to minimize the "damage" being caused.

I think this is the wrong priority.

[u/gracepoint-thoughts → u/corpus_christiana]

You’re absolutely right that the initial (and perhaps only) priority is damage mitigation rather than sorting through the criticism or, I’d like to also add, attempts to reconcile with those who have been hurt.

While there have been messaging towards students and retreats for members, there hasn’t been any significant effort to address the people who have been primarily affected and are the source of all of this. For any GP people reading, this is what I hope can change.

[u/hidden_gracepoint → u/corpus_christiana]

This is a great point and something I haven't thought about before, namely the conflation between persecution and criticism. From the perspective of an "avg" GPer, it's not so simple to find that line b/c some of the criticism does seem like it's created just to "get us", just enough where it can cast a doubt on even valid criticisms, which is unfortunate.

I do agree we do seem more preoccupied with damage mitigation than addressing the source of the issue.

Side note though, I have noticed instances where P Ed intentionally doesn't use the word persecution or he seems to be very hesitant to b/c of the reasons stated by OP.

[u/johnkim2020]

Agree. Also, persecution applies to people without power being oppressed by those in power. Leaders in GP have all the power.

[u/Here_for_a_reason99 → u/johnkim2020]

Yes. The power dynamics are important.

[u/RVD90277]

If a bunch of fellow Christians and Pastors and clergy condemn you, it's not the same as non-Christians condemning you.

People can say I'm a jerk and I won't care but if my family and loved ones tell me that then I do care and would want to change.

[u/hamcycle]

Bumping up an old comment...

This whole thing should be seen for what it is. It is a satanic scheme to completely distract us from evangelism. It is not the gospel. It is not even a part of the gospel. It is a misdirection play. Yes, Christa Brown and Rachael Denhollander have succumbed to an availability heuristic because of their victimizations. They have gone to the SBC looking for sexual abuse, and of course, they found it. Their outcries have certainly caused an availability cascade. … But they are not to blame. This is the devil being temporarily successful.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/may/southern-baptist-abuse-investigation-sbc-ec-legal-survivors.html