Bob of Speakers' Corner

A courageous soldier, a talented soldier, and a proven soldier.

And he rose quickly through the ranks, became a tribune in the Roman army, in the Roman legions.

And...

And this is all around, he was born around 280 AD, and his life goes into the early 300s.

And in 303 AD, Diocletian the Oppressor,

launched a major persecution against the Christian church.

He was a pagan himself.

This was before the conversion of the Roman Empire.

And this was the last great persecution of the Christian church.

So Christian churches were destroyed, Christian literature was burned, and every Roman soldier, because there were lots of Christians in the Roman legions,

was forced to make offerings to the pagan gods by pouring a bit of salt on an incenser before a statue or a bust of a god, and particularly the emperor.

And they were ordered to persecute Christians.

And Saint George refused.

He refused to carry out the edict.

He refused to use his authority against Christian congregations.

So he placed church before empire.

And he also refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods.

Now, because George was such a great Roman soldier, rather than just have him executed like anyone else, the emperor decided to make an example of him.

and wanted to break him.

And, you know, accounts differ as about whether he was tortured over years or whether he was tortured intensely, but he was tortured to renounce his faith.