A 65-year-old man was hospitalized last week after being viciously attacked while praying outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Florida.
According to the Naples Daily News, pro-life supporter Joe Alger was sitting outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic reciting the rosary when an unidentified man began to verbally assault him. Later, according to witnesses, the man started screaming at Alger and then knocked him to the ground. When he attempted to get up, the attacker hit him again. Alger, however, decided not to press charges.”It’s a painful situation”, he said, “and I’m not going to make it any worse.”
Jesus said,”If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you”
Why is that? Why do some folks have such an intense hatred for Jesus and his followers?
Jesus said, “…. all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”
The haters of God simply don’t know him…yet. But keep in mind, one of the most vicious persecutors of Christians ended up being converted to Christ. When Stephen, the first martyr of the the Church was being executed he said of his killers, “Lord lay not this sin to their charge”. Saul of Tarsus was there that day, and shortly thereafter, he became a Christian. Not only that, he wrote most of the New Testament!
In the book Tortured For Christ, Dale Rhoton tells a story about Richard Wurmbrand who was imprisoned in Eastern Europe for his faith. He writes, “As (Richard Wurmbrand and I) were walking”, “a man crossed the street and came over to us. In Romanian style, Pastor Wurmbrand and this man hugged and kissed, and then he introduced us. ‘That is interesting’, I said,’That man has the same name as the man who betrayed you {and sent you to prison}. Without blinking an eye Pastor Wurmbrand said “Dale, we all make mistakes.” He forgave the man who betrayed him and that same man became converted to Christ as a result.
Jesus said ,” Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” Why? One reason is that God knows that a God hater today, just might become a God lover tomorrow.
