I don't watch TV, so all I know is what others have told me...

How much has the United States mainstream media covered the story on the Korean Christians that the Taliban are holding? I've heard - not much.

What I did not know before this is that Korea is second only to the United States in the number of Christian missionaries that are sent out of the county. 16,000 of them. Seven South Korean missionies have been captured in Iraq since 2003 - and the Christians keep going out, even under threat of death.

They are willing to die in order to spread the Gospel - and some have died.

One article I read pointed out that both the Koreans and the Taliban are convinced that they are on a mission from God. The difference is that Christians' mission is to spread the Gospel (although in times past it appears that was secondary to wealth), the Taliban's mission is to convert people - or kill them.

All over the world, there are Christians who are in danger of death, torture, loss of loved ones or property, loss of jobs and health. Yes, we are mocked once in a while - I've been hated and falsely accused of hatred. But I am not in the same league as the truly persecuted.

The persecution in other countries is growing. More and more stories are coming out. To put myself in the same category of "persecuted" trivializes the truly persecuted.

The Koreans, the Taliban is threatening to kill more of them.

These are the truly persecuted.

I'm not a breastfeeding mom and (at this point) will not likely ever be. I could not breast feed either of my children so I've had the experience of trying, but not an extended period.

But I'm a full supporter. So this doesn't make sense.

A breastfeeding resource kit that includes...baby formula, from the makers and sellers of...baby formula.

As one commenter put it, would you take seriously a "stop smoking" kit from the people you buy cigarettes from?

It can irritate me sometimes when a person sitting in front of his/her own personal computer, in his/her safe little house, and who will attend his/her church without fear, claims "persecution".

Ahem.

there are real people in other parts of the world who are suffering real persecution.

In our safe little PC world (political correctness) where the largest "sin" around is the lack of tolerance, "persecute" has come to mean "

1. To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs.
2. To annoy persistently; bother. (from answers.com)

It used to describe the torture and torments inflicted on the early Christians martyrs. And it still does.

GOKAK, INDIA (ANS) -- “I was cast out from my society for accepting Christ,” says Muthyappa, a helper fabricator who attends a church at Gokak in Karnataka state, India.

Muthyappa accepted Christ as his personal Savior, along with his family, some six years ago. The news of his acceptance of Christ spread throughout in their community and the elders called all the people in the society for a meeting to drive him out for accepting Jesus. The elders claimed that he had accepted a “foreign religion,” and also that he had dishonored the Hindu faith “and hence he is not fit to be a part of our religion and he needs to be kicked out from the company of his family and community.”

Muthyappa with his wife and 3 children

Muthyappa made his way out along with his wife and his three children, with only a few pairs of clothing. Seeing his commitment to Christ, his sister left the family and followed Muthyappa.

He told me that he was “holding on” to the verse from Psalm 27:10, “When the father and mother forsake me, Then the lord will take care of me.”

Not knowing where to go, he searched for some labor to try and support his family and got work as a helper to a fabricator where he earns only Rs 60 a day($1.5USD).

People, having somebody disagree with your denomination is not the persecution in the Bible. Losing your job, your family, your home, your life is.