Top 417 Persecution Quotes & Sayings

Popularity has killed more prophets than persecution.

Preaching, power, and persecution are all apart of who we are.

To punish a man because he has committed a crime, or because he is believed, though unjustly, to have committed a crime, is not persecution. To punish a man, because we infer from the nature of some doctrine which he holds, or from the conduct of other persons who hold the same doctrines with him, that he will commit a crime, is persecution, and is, in every case, foolish and wicked.

Persecution is a very easy form of virtue.

Persecution matures young rebels.

If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution. The primitive Christians thought persecution extremely wrong in the Pagans, but practised it on one another.

Persecution for opinion is the master vice of society.

At the bottom of religious persecution is the doctrine of self-defence; that is to say, the defence of the soul. If the founder of Christianity had plainly said: 'It is not necessary to believe in order to be saved; it is only necessary to do, and he who really loves his fellow-men, who is kind, honest, just and charitable, is to be forever blest' - if he had only said that, there would probably have been but little persecution.

Opposition may become sweet to a man when he has christened it persecution.

Persecution is a tribute the great must always pay for preeminence.

Persecution is a bad and indirect way to plan religion.

Persecution has come upon us, right honorable brethren, and persecution in the severest form. Shepherds are persecuted that their flocks may be scattered. And the worst of all is that those who are being treated ill cannot accept their sufferings in proof of their testimony, nor can the people reverence the athletes as in the army of martyrs, because the name of Christians is applied to the persecutors. The one charge which is now sure to secure severe punishment is the careful keeping of the traditions of the Fathers.

Religion which requires persecution to sustain, it is of the devil's propagation.

The religious persecution of the ages has been done under what was claimed to be the command of God.

I propose that the phenomenon of love is the psychological pivot in the persecution of women.

Cubans who arrive and can prove that they are refugees who are truly fleeing political persecution will continue to qualify as refugees. The only thing that I've asked for is to do away with automatic benefits granted to someone, basically, Cubans who come from Cuba, if it cannot be verified that they are refugees fleeing political persecution, so they will be treated the same way as any other immigrant who arrives in the United States, which is that legal immigrants in the United States don't have the right to any federal benefits for five years.

The U.S. is a Government which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance.

To charge Snowden with espionage is a severe form of political persecution.

We know that Maduro's armies are riddled with persecution, torture, threats, and wrongful arrests.

The Nazis spoke of having a Jewish problem. We now speak of having a drug-abuse problem. Actually, "Jewish problem" was the name the Germans gave to their persecution of the Jews; "drug-abuse problem" is the name we give to the persecution of people who use certain drugs.

Persecution has never hurt the church ... only prosperity.

What a fine persecution—to be kept intrigued without ever quite being enlightened.

There is a fundamental similarity between the persecution of individuals who engage in consenting homosexual activity in private, or who ingest, inject, or smoke various substances that alter their feelings and thoughts - and the traditional persecution of men for their religion... What all of these persecutions have in common is that the victims are harassed by the majority not because they engage in overtly aggressive or destructive acts... but because their conduct or appearance offends a group intolerant to and threatened by human differences.

The idea that truth always triumphs over persecution is one of those pleasant falsehoods, which most experience refutes. History is teeming with instances of truth put down by persecution. If not put down forever, it may be set back for centuries.

One would think that [persecution] would be an obstacle to church growth when joining the church meant a death sentence. And yet, the age of persecution was the greatest period of church growth in history.

The whole history of Christianity proves that she has little indeed to fear from persecution as a foe, but much to fear from persecution as an ally.

Persecution readily knits friendship between its victims.

On many occasions I have been asked if I think persecution will come to the Western church. My answer might surprise you. I believe that if you find yourself enslaved inside a controlling church structure of legalism and bondage, then you are already being persecuted! So many Christians seem impossibly distracted from hearing God's voice. Instead of listening to that still, small voice that brings true peace and joy, they blindly follow the voices of mainstream religion. The worst kind of persecution for a Christian is when you are separated from the joy and presence of the Holy Spirit.

Persecution always says, 'I know the consequences of your opinion better than you know them yourselves.' But the language of toleration was always amicable, liberal, and just: it confessed its doubts, and acknowledged its ignorance ... Persecution had always reasoned from cause to effect, from opinion to action, [that such an opinion would invariably lead to but one action], which proved generally erroneous; while toleration led us invariably to form just conclusions, by judging from actions and not from opinions.

Persecution to persons in a high rank stands them in the stead of eminent virtue.

Churches thrive on martyrdom and persecution.

Persecution shows who is a hireling, and who a true pastor.

Persecution is the compliment paid by a threatened lie to a conquering truth.

Persecution was at least a sign of personal interest.

Persecution is as necessary to religion as pruning to an orchard.

... happily the Government of the United States... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.

Against the persecution of a tyrant the godly have no remedy but prayer.

I'm not a stranger to the persecution that Muslims have faced over the years.

I think if you come from a history of persecution you have to develop a sense of humour.

As a nation, we must address the persecution of all religious minorities.

Suspicion and persecution are weeds of the same dunghill, and flourish best together.

Popularity has slain more prophets of God than persecution ever did.

Kinsey would identify himself with Galileo in moments of feelings of persecution.

For centuries, our country has welcomed people fleeing religious persecution, war and humanitarian crises to create a better future for themselves and their futures. With proper safeguards in place, we should offer refuge to some migrants with legitimate fears of persecution and violence.

The argument against the persecution of opinion does not depend upon what the excuse for persecution may be. The argument is that we none of us know all truth, that the discovery of new truth is promoted by free discussion and rendered very difficult by suppression.

People say that Nagasaki is famous for persecution and devastation, for it has known much in it's history. But Nagasaki is not the only place that has experienced both persecution and destruction The reason Nagasaki is famous, is because it is rebuilt, because it has always survived.

Where religion is trivialized, one is unlikely to find persecution.

Journalism has a special, hallowed place for stories of its practitioners' persecution.

The persecution of Christians isn't isolated. Instead, it's rampant and expanding around the world.

It must be understood that there are no nominal, halfhearted, lukewarm Christians in Russia or China. The price Christians pay is far too great. The next point to remember is that persecution has always produced a better Christian - a witnessing Christian, a soul-winning Christian. Communist persecution has backfired and produced serious, dedicated Christians such as are rarely seen in free lands. These people cannot understand how anyone can be a Christian and not want to win every soul they meet.

Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value-systems.

My question would be whether there is active persecution of atheists.

There is no truth sure enough to justify persecution.

Persecution is the heirloom of the church, and the ensign of the elect.

Silence is the greatest persecution; never do the saints keep themselves silent.

The Jewish question exists wherever the Jews live, however small their number. Where it does not exist it is imported by Jew immigrants. We naturally go where we are not persecuted, and, still persecution is the result of our appearance...By persecution we cannot be exterminated...the strong Jews turn proudly to their race when persecution bursts out. Entire branches of Judaism may disappear, break away; the tree lives.

If you think your belief is based upon reason, you will support it by argument rather than by persecution, and will abandon it if the argument goes against you. But if your belief is based upon faith, you will realize that argument is useless, and will therefore resort to force either in the form of persecution or by stunting or distorting the minds of the young in what is called 'education.'

Fanaticism is the child of false zeal and of superstition, the father of intolerance and of persecution.

The persecution of genius fosters its influence.

Perhaps the gravest under-publicized atrocity in the world is the persecution of Christians.