The Persecution of the Unjust

Collective Invention (1934) by Rene Magritte

THE PERSECUTION OF THE UNJUST

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 5:10

The word “persecution” generally means that the persons who are its object suffer for some righteous principle—for example, they are persecuted for struggling for the rights of minorities, or for professing their Christian beliefs. However, being the object of “persecution”—opposition, criticism, resistance, and the like—could also come about as a result of the legitimate divergence of those who differ from us or even because the proponent—that is, us—is in the wrong. White supremacists, for example, who are opposed, censured, or resisted, can hardly be described as the object of persecution. The foregoing instance is an obvious illustration, but not all morally untenable positions are apparently so. We live in a sometimes complex moral universe. Therefore, if we discover ourselves to be the object of “persecution,” it behooves us to examine ourselves honestly and ask whether we are in some way or in some part of ourselves in the wrong and justly suffering for it. Maybe our “persecutors” are saying something worthy in response to which we are obstinately deaf. We must at least pursue moral certainty if we intend to maintain our position. After all, not everyone who is “persecuted” is a victim.