'Sadly, American culture is increasingly hostile' to faith
By Bob UnruhPublished April 29, 2024 at 5:32pm
Long have reports of the persecution of Christians highlighted China and Pakistan, multiple Islamic nations in Africa, those hotbeds of hate for Christians in the Middle East.
But now it's the "West" that is being called out.
A report at the Washington Stand explains that now international religious freedom organizations "are monitoring religious freedom conditions in the United States … and it's easy to see why."
Arielle Del Turco, of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council, added, to the publication, "Sadly, American culture is increasingly hostile to traditional Christian beliefs."
Two recent situations both have developed in the leftist state of Colorado, run now by Democrats in the governor's office, state House and state Senate.
There bureaucrats first accused Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips of discrimination because he wouldn't promote same-sex marriages with his cake artistry, and then they demanded a web designer promote same-sex weddings if she provided any wedding services.
In both cases the principals are Christians who refused state demands they violate their faith, and in both cases the state was summarily slapped down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
However, the state still maintains the so-called "anti-discrimination" agenda under which the two were charged.
Del Turco told the Stand, "To a large extent, we can all intuit that by browsing through a streaming service or scrolling on social media.
But these cultural shifts are also having real-work impacts for Christians in America who simply want to go about their lives while staying true to their faith."
She pointed out, "When Christian couples are denied a foster care license because their faith is at odds with gender ideology or fifth graders are prevented from starting an interfaith prayer club at school, these are critical reminders that religious freedom isn’t something we can take for granted — it must be defended.
Thankfully, the U.S. still has strong legal protections in most cases and religious freedom is the victor in court more often than not.
However, cultural support for religious freedom is in peril and we must be intentional about fostering that.”
A report from the FRC's Center for Religious Liberty just months ago, called "Free to Believe?
The Intensifying Intolerance Toward Christians in the West," documented 168 incidents of anti-Christian hate or discrimination in recent years – including 33 in 2023.
Many happened during the wildly out-of-synch government lockdowns during COVID.
That report found, "As the mainstream culture moves further and further away from a Christian worldview, Christian beliefs that contradict progressive secular values are increasingly denounced by the culture and wrongly portrayed as being hateful or bigoted.".
Tony Perkins, chief of the FRC, said in the Stand report, "It is shocking to see Western countries — the same ones we think of as free and open societies — take authoritarian measures against Christians simply trying to live out their faith."
He warned "hostility" to Christians – which was what the Supreme Court found Colorado had exhibited – "is clearly and steadily rising in the West."
Also, there have been a flood of reports in recent years of vandalism, fire-bombing or more at Christian churches whose congregations are unwilling to endorse Joe Biden's radical abortion and transgender ideologies.
The report noted even the FBI, through a field office, "compiled and circulated a memo detailing plans to spy on Catholics who attend the Tridentine Mass, the form of the Mass most common prior to 1969."
The report explained there also are increasing attacks on Christians across Europe.
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