In the midst of the high-octane cultural wars of the last five years–particularly the debate over homosexual marriage–evangelical Christians have been slapped with all sorts of pejorative labels.  Words such as “bigoted,” “arrogant,” “exclusive,” “dogmatic,” and “homophobic” are just a few.

But, there are probably two labels that stand out the most.  First, Christians are regularly regarded as intolerant.  Christians are not only regarded as intolerant religiously–because they affirm the words of Jesus that “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)–but they are regarded as intolerant ethically, because they refuse to approve any and all behaviors as morally good.

Second, Christians are regularly (and ironically) regarded as haters.  Apparently, our modern world regards the act of telling someone they’re wrong as a form of hatred–it is a slight against mankind (of course, it is never explained how the charge does not apply equally in the other direction since those who make this charge are telling Christians they are wrong!; but we shall leave that issue unaddressed for the time being).

Needless to say, such a situation can be very discouraging to Christians in the modern day.  We might be tempted to despair and think that the church is entering into dark days.  But, a little historical perspective might be useful here.  Truth be told, this is not the first time Christians have received such labels.  Indeed, they were given to Christians from the very beginning.

Pliny the Younger: Christians are Intolerant

It is well known that in the Greco-Roman world there was a pantheon of gods. Every group had their own deities, and they were easily and naturally placed alongside other deities.  For the most part, no one objected to the existence of other gods.  It was a polytheistic world.

Of course, the earliest Christians were as monotheistic as their Jewish predecessors and quite unwilling to play along with the standard religious practices of Greco-Roman culture.  For Roman rulers trying to keep the peace, the Christian intolerance of other gods was a perennial frustration.

Pliny the Younger, Roman governor of Bythinia (writing c.111-113), expressed his own frustration over the fact that Christians would not “invoke the gods.”  In a letter to emperor Trajan, he lamented their “stubborness and unyielding obstinancy.” In other words, he was angry over their intolerance.

Why was Pliny so bothered by this?  Because the influence of the Christians had caused the pagan temples to be “deserted” and thus “very few purchasers could be found” for the sacrificial animals.

In other words, they were losing money.

To fix the problem, Pliny decided to force Christians to worship the pagan gods and curse Christ, and if they refused they were put to death.  He says, “As I am informed that people who are really Christians cannot possibly be made to do any of those things.”

It is interesting to note that Pliny, while torturing these Christians, acknowledges their high moral standards: “[Christians] bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so.”

Apparently, intolerance of the Roman gods is a enough of a reason to kill Christians, despite their holy lives.

Nero: Christians are Haters

In the late first-century, the Roman emperor Nero made himself famous for his persecution of Christians.   The Roman historian Tacitus tells us that under Nero,

Mockery of every sort was added to their [Christians’] death. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired.  Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, as exhibiting a show in  the circus.

So what awful crimes did Christians commit to warrant such unthinkable torture?  Tacitus acknowledges that Christians weren’t really guilty of the trumped up charges of setting fire to the city.  Instead, he admits they were killed for “hatred against mankind.”

What had Christians done to warrant the charge of “haters”?  Again, they refused to condone the pantheon of gods, and religious practices that went along with them.

In sum, the stories of Pliny and Nero are both encouraging and frightening at the same time.  They are frightening because they sound eerily similar to the kind of language and accusations being used today against Christians.  But, instead of Christians being asked to pay homage to the Roman gods to prove their acceptability, they are now being asked to pay homage to the gods of tolerance or homosexual marriage or what have you.

At the same time, these stories are encouraging.  They remind us that this sort of persecution isn’t new.  Indeed, this persecution was not the end of Christianity, but was the beginning.  In the midst of it, the church grew, and thrived, and expanded.

As Christ said, “I will build my church.  And the gates of hell shall not stand against it” (Matt 16:18).