At the Atlantic, Alan Noble looks at what he rightly terms a "damaging attitude" within evangelical Christianity, their "persecution complex." I fear, too, that many Catholics, including some of our bishops, share this persecution complex and are similarly inalert to its damaging aspects. I do quibble with one of Noble's claims. He writes:
The Christian church itself has a long history of telling stories of martyrdom and persecution. The stories of saints’ lives often center on their sufferings for Christ. For example, Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a popular and classic text recounting notable martyrdoms throughout church history. The purpose of these stories is to inspire and strengthen Christians, particularly those who will later face persecution.
Actually, Fox's Book of Martyrs had the primary purpose of making Englishness synonymous with Protestantism and whipping up anti-popery. Nonetheless, Noble's article should be widely read and pondered.
