Real Religious Persecution

To help Christians in culturally dominant settings understand religious persecution, it is important to start by distinguishing discomfort from danger: persecution is not merely being criticized, mocked, or losing social influence, but being targeted because of belief through coercion, discrimination, violence, imprisonment, or denial of basic rights. Global data show that religious restrictions are widespread, with government harassment of religious groups reported in 183 countries in one Pew summary and 186 countries in another, underscoring that persecution is a real and broad human-rights problem rather than a niche grievance.
What persecution is