persecution | Ain't Complicated

When Will My Throat Be Next in Its Claws?

And what will I do then? And now (to prepare)?

Hate’s strangling of
freedom of thought
continues is merciless squeeze,
gaining strength
by declaring itself to be
freedom of thought.

How long
til it seizes me
by the throat
?

Hans Schlaffer, Detained in Austria

And eventually beheaded by the state church

They despised his beliefs. They branded him a heretic. They opted for intolerance and unwillingness to co-exist. Their final solution for him was contrary to justice…and the godliness they professed to defend.

No, this didn’t happen recently. Yet Schlaffer’s testimony lives on, unsilenced by the executioner’s sword.

Hans lost his head for his faith in Jesus, but he gained an eternal reward which hasn’t faded a bit after all these years (years which I don’t suppose he has noticed). (I wonder if Ernie Miller has met him yet.) (Grammarians, am I allowed a parenthetical train like this?!)

Well, here’s an introduction to Hans Schlaffer’s story on this day 486 years ago:

The December evening was cold. As Hans Schlaffer left the Anabaptist meeting in Schwaz, he was headed up the Inn River toward his home in the mountains of Austria. There he planned to sit out the winter months until Spring, when he would renew his ministry. But the plans of this former Roman Catholic priest received a rude shock.

On this day, December 5, 1527, Hans Schlaffer was arrested by local Roman Catholic authorities. […]

When asked on what foundation the Anabaptists rested, he replied, “Our faith, actions, and baptism rest on nothing else than the commandment of Christ.”

I am fascinated by these excerpts from one of his last recorded prayers: Read it all

Tolerance to Silence

Evil peddles tolerance until it is dominant, then seeks to silence good.

Evil peddles tolerance until it is dominant,
then seeks to silence good.
–Erick Erickson

Yes, It Could Happen Here

God has so blessed America that we can happily relegate such terror to Asia and Europe and say it can’t happen here—but it could if churches content themselves with blessing bicycles, bees, and yaks instead of teaching about sin and what happens to societies that encourage it rather than restrain it. We need to learn about real ghouls.

Halloween’s real ghouls

Offered Up in Tunisia

A Christian died for his faith in Tunisia. (That’s in Africa, right?)

Was he praying as he died? If so, what would a Christian be praying as a Muslim slices off his head? Read it all

Janet Jenkins Sues Christian Aid Ministries

Last year I was dismayed and alarmed when I learned that the name Christian Aid Ministries had to be drug into the mud of this case. (See: USA vs Timothy David Miller)

Yesterday that concern was validated with news that Janet Jenkins’ civil lawsuit against Kenneth Miller was also directed against CAM (and others). Read it all

Kenneth Miller Trial: Day 4

After this paragraph, the rest of this post was written by Loyal Martin, one of the observers present at Kenneth Miller’s trial. Loyal did not write this for use here at Ain’t Complicated, but he did give me permission to republish his report here. Thank you once again, Loyal! (I made a few for-the-web changes.) Now, his report of the proceedings on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

Our whole family along with several others brothers from NY arrived at Burlington Court about 8:50 am to find a line stretching out the front door and down the sidewalk. Read it all