'Diana or Christ?': The 'choice' to give up Christianity or be killed

We have recently moved house and are now putting up some pictures. A favourite is a print of a painting which centres on a young Christian enslaved woman in the Temple of Artemis, dedicated to the goddess Diana.

She was being given a “choice” by Roman soldiers. Will she give up Christianity by offering incense to the statue of the goddess Diana, and gain her freedom or will she refuse and be dragged away by the soldiers to be killed? The caption reads - Diana or Christ? 

Whilst there isn’t a big statue to the goddess Diana in our town centres or village halls, the pagan gods of our hedonistic culture are all too evident, and likely a finger tap away on our phones.

Some of us may also experience something of being marginalised for the sake of the gospel like the early church in Ephesus, which is where Diana was so revered.

However, we do not really face the “Diana or Christ” dilemma in modern Britain and should recognise the freedom we generally have to manifest our faith. When I was an MP and then the Prime Minster’s Deputy Special Envoy for religious freedom I was careful to distinguish Christians in the UK being marginalised from the severe persecution faced by brothers and sisters across the world.

None of us have any excuse not to take seriously, not least prayerfully, the plight of the persecuted church. We are called by God's Word, and informed by great organisations like Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and Open Doors. However, I am not convinced we are as committed as we should be, in prayer and advocacy.

The plight of the persecuted church

Just in the last couple of weeks these are some of the reports from Nigeria where, in the North, it is the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian...

Plateau State:

• Attack in Kwatas community on Sunday, 25th May 2025. Local pastor killed and two injured.
• Attack on Kopmur and Butura on Monday, 26th May 2025. Eight people killed.

Benue State:

• Catholic Priest Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo shot and injured, and two people abducted on Friday, 23rd May 2025. 
• One farmer also shot to death at Tse Orbiam Saturday, 24th May 2025. 
• Fulani terrorists kill 31 residents of Tse Orbiam on Sunday, 25th May 2025. Several others, including a Priest and Nuns, abducted.

We can all get more informed, more prayerful and more engaged. We can also encourage our government to continue to champion international religious freedom and to support the UK’s Special Envoy, and committed Christian, David Smith MP. 

Thankfully, we may not face a “Diana or Christ” moment but must stand in solidarity through prayer, and advocacy with our persecuted brothers and sisters. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 3: “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”