Blessed are you, O Church of God, when you are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for yours is the kingdom of heaven!  Blessed are you when people persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you — hypocrite, bigot, homophobe — because of Jesus Christ.  Rejoice!  Be glad!  For your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.