Just because a Christian is famous or wealthy does not mean that he has not faced spiritual persecution in his life. These 10 Christian names and their stories will inspire you to face your own persecution as you work toward God's plan for your life.
The ten most persecuted celebrities for Christ
1. Jim Caviezel
Jim Caviezel stars in the lead roleDie Passion Christi. Due to the big role he played in the film, he now finds it very difficult to find acting work in Hollywood. Mel Gibson actually warned Caviezel that the role would eclipse him in the film industry for life. Gibson's words have come true, as playing the role of Christi essentially blacklisted Caviezel. However, he finds the fact encouraging rather than discouraging and says that if he were an easily recognizable actor it would detract from the film's important message and image of Christ.
“When you live in holiness, when you really try to stop sinning, you become braver. You become bolder, you become a man of his word. You become a doer of conviction that you don't want to sell, and you really are a true knight in shining armor.”—Jim Caviezel(Those -one can happen)
2. Benham brothers
Twins David and Jason Benham are businessmen, speakers and authors. Their success led to a planned HGTV series that would premiere in 2014. The show, titled "Flip It Forward," was set to be hosted by the two brothers. However, after the two brothers' comments on abortion and gay marriage were condemned, HGTV canceled the show and fired both brothers.
"Being brave when no one is looking sets the stage for being brave when everyone is watching." -The Benham brothers
3. Phil Robertson
Most people know Phil Robertson as the enigmatic businessman and reality TV star on A&E's Duck Dynasty. In several interviews withGQ, Robertson compared homosexuality to bestiality and quoted a verse from 1 Corinthians. After his thoughts were made public, A&E suspended Robertson from the show. However, a large following of Robertson supporters emerged from the woodwork and A&E lifted the suspension before filming more episodes. However, the Robertson family are still berated in some circles for their conservative views and opinions on sexuality, although they claim they would never disrespect anyone for having different opinions.
“I only read what was written over 2000 years ago. Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom. All I did was quote from the scriptures, but they just didn't know.” –Phil Robertson
4. Steve Cha
Steve Cha is an actor, speaker and writer who worked as an extra on the set of the hit filmMoney ball. After filming wrapped, the actor approached Brad Pitt and gave him an evangelistic tract that featured Brad Pitt's face on the front of a million dollar bill. Inside, the tract quotes John 3:16 and asks readers to repent of their sins and turn to Christ and read their Bibles daily. Brad Pitt was slightly confused but polite, and Cha fired after fulfilling his duty of care. However, Cha's casting company contacted him a few days later and informed him that they were dropping him as an actor. Cha had approached a lead actor, an action forbidden to extras, and was now blacklisted. He would never find work in Hollywood again.
“Many sinful trends are glorified in our movies, TV shows, and commercials today. Curse. fornication. adultery. Materialism. Proud. idolatry. Defamation. But one of the vices that is most overlooked, and one that constantly bugs me, is the useless use of the name of the Lord.”—Steve Cha(Those:here)
5. Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury, a professional boxer from Great Britain, became heavyweight champion in late 2015 after defeating another long-time champion. He was named a finalist for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. However, his nomination was controversial thanks to Fury's strong stance on much-discussed issues. He expressed his desire to outlaw homosexuality, abortion and pedophilia in all countries and claimed his views were based on biblical truth.
“The darkness doesn't want to hear about the light. Evil doesn't want to hear good. It's my job to spread the word. That's what I do. look at me how happy i am I am absolutely overflowing with joy and happiness for God.” –Tyson Fury(Those -here)
6. Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron is perhaps the best known Christian celebrity out there. He began working as a child and starred on the popular sitcom Growing Pains for seven years. His sister, Candace Cameron-Bure, also worked in the industry, on another popular sitcom, Full House. After a period of atheism in his youth, Cameron converted to Christianity. From that point on, he requested that his acting roles be edited for adult content. After the shows were cancelled, he split from his co-stars and started a new life away from the entertainment industry to show his devotion to God.
“The church as a whole has strayed quite a distance from biblical evangelism; that is, sharing the gospel as Jesus did, as the apostle Paul did, and the rest of the disciples and prophets in Scripture.”—Kirk Cameron(Those -here)
7. Manny Pacquiao
The politician and world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao comes from the Philippines. Earlier this year, Pacquiao was incorrectly quoted as saying gay men should be killed. However, he later retracted the statement, claiming that he did not say those words. The author of the misguided article agreed, saying that Pacquiao never made that statement and that he added those words himself. However, Pacquiao strongly opposes legal same-sex marriage. In a television interview that year, he revisited the issue, comparing homosexuals to "worse than animals," though he later backtracked and said he didn't judge homosexuals. Nike subsequently ended his relationship with the boxer.
What I condemn is the deed. I'm happier because I'm telling the truth... It's worse when we hide the truth." -Manny Pacquiao(Those -here)
8. Brendan Eich
Brendan Eich isn't a name that most would recognize, but he's actually a US-based technologist who created JavaScript, which almost everyone uses today, and co-founded Mozilla. Despite his tremendous success, Eich resigned as CEO of the company in 2014. The reason? It was published that Eich had donated funds to a California campaign aimed at outlawing gay marriage in California.
9. Aaron and Melissa Klein
Aaron and Melissa Klein aren't well known in their own right, but they are because of the controversy surrounding their stance on gay marriage. The couple owns Sweet Cakes, an Oregon cake shop that often makes wedding cakes. However, they turned down a client in 2013, openly stating that they would never create a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. They claimed their right was protected by the US Constitution to refuse service to a person so long as their refusal was based on religious beliefs. After facing heavy criticism, the couple closed their shop and started working from home. The court fined the company for their decision, so the Kleins started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money. They made over $100,000 before the campaign was shut down by GoFundMe for violating their Terms of Service.
"It strengthened my faith. He can free us from that, but if he doesn't, that's okay too. We will continue to serve him because the alternative is simply out of the question - it's not an option. We will continue to follow the Lord regardless of the consequences.” –Aaron Klein (Source –Click here)
10. Daniel and Amy McArthur
The McArthurs, another couple who stand together for their religious beliefs, have a history similar to the Kleins. They own the Ashers Baking Company, which also frequently hosts weddings. They also turned down a client because they believed marriage should be between a man and a woman only. The Northern Irish family owns six bakeries and said hosting gay weddings would go against their religious beliefs. They were taken to court and the judge ruled that their actions were discriminatory, a decision they still believe was unfair.
“It was clear that we hate nobody. We didn't want to discriminate against anyone. We did what we did because of our Christian faith. It is for the love of God, to obey him.”—Daniel McArthur(Those -here)
"If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, she would love you as her own. So you don't belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”—John 15:18-19
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely speak all sorts of evil things against you.” – Matthew 5:11