I am glad you agree, but that was not your statement. You specified a definition of persecution as being "Statements are not persecution. Burning people at the stake (Hus), firing them from their job(Schulz), etc. is persecution."
Verbal persecution falls under etc.
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Is it not personal to God when you defame and mis-state His holy doctrine and make it profane? Is it possible to blasphemy God's doctrine and thus persecute God and be punished? Can Christians be persecuted by blaspheme?
Yes. Have I said anything to the contrary?
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False doctrine persecutes not only God, but His children (His Church) as well.
I agree. But let's return to the context of Pilgrim's question, do you "honestly believe that every statement ever made by anyone or any group, denomination, etc., which contradicts what you and/or your denomination believe is persecuting the 'one true church on earth'?"
If you have read the preceding posts, you understand that Pilgrim was not referring to the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church but my view of true visible churches. When representatives of true churches and false churches meet to freely discuss theological issues without rancor or slander (say on a discussion board called "The Highway"), there is no persecution of the true churches.
I was reading Luther's reply to his Papal excommunication for teaching, "The burning of heretics is contrary to the will of the Holy Spirit." As might be expected, he defended himself with scripture. But, I found it interesting that he also said "from the beginning until now the Church has never yet burned a heretic, and never will." Only false churches would perform such acts not a true visible church.
