Are US Christians Persecuted?
Why do some evangelicals desperately want to be cultural victims?
Jan 7th, 2010 | By Skye Jethani | Category: Culture, Faith, FeaturesNews out of Egypt today reports that 7 Christians were killed in a drive by shooting after a Christmas Eve mass. (Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7.) The article from the BBC says: “Coptic Christians - who make up 10% of Egypt’s 80 million population - have complained of harassment and discrimination. Some Copts argue that previous attacks on them have gone unpunished or have resulted in light sentences.”
This comes on the heels of Fox News anchor Brit Hume complaining on Bill O’Reilly’s show that in our culture if “you speak the name Jesus Christ…all hell breaks loose.” (More on Brit Hume below.) But that raises a question: Are Christians in the US persecuted?
Many would like to think we are. Sure, some folks get uncomfortable when Jesus Christ is the subject of public prayers, and public schools have seen lawsuits arise when explicitly Christian content enters the classroom. And let’s not forget the efforts of groups like the ACLU to keep the “wall of separation” between church and state both strong and fortified.
But does all of that add up to persecution?
There is a rather odd desire to seek cultural-victim status within the church. We want to believe we’re persecuted. Maybe its rooted in the generally therapeutic approach to Christianity popular with evangelicals. In the last two generations we’ve seen sin move from being described as “rebellion” or “evil” to becoming “brokenness.” And much of the teaching and preaching popular in evangelical arenas carries the strong vibe of self-help and the implied victim-hood status that often accompanies it.
So it would make sense that we’d seek a cultural self-image for evangelicalism that is equally low. Never mind that evangelical political power was widely credited with determining two recent presidential elections (2000 and 2004). And that George W. Bush was an outspoken Christian. And let’s just ignore the $7 billion evangelical book and merchandise industry that is now so powerful its even swaying Hollywood to make more “family friendly” films with religious themes (Narnia, Passion of the Christ, etc.). And let’s just overlook the fact that the best selling non-fiction book this past decade was Rick Warren’s
How can evangelicals simultaneously be at the pinnacle of cultural, political, and economic power and claim victim status? I just don’t understand that. Sure, there are going to be isolated, and in some cases broad, examples of genuine persecution of Christians… most likely by a family or particularly hostile work environment. But the notion that our culture is widely unaccommodating to evangelicals is hard to believe, especially if you are not ignorant of history and the plight of believers in other parts of the world.
The Daily Show just did a bit on this subject. After Fox News’ Brit Hume suggested Tiger Woods abandon Buddhism to embrace Christianity he received a lot of criticism for inserting his personal religious views into an inappropriate forum. Jon Stewart, who is Jewish, and Aasiv Mondvi, who is Muslim, sympathize with the terrible plight of Christians in the US.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c |
great clip.
Careful Skye your liberal bent is starting to show.
Liberal bent? Really? I just wrote a post about my problems with the global warming agenda.
I enjoy your comments and agree with many. Life experience however has shown me the following: you may say you are a Christian and you will not be given a hard time, actually people like to pat each other on their back and compliment themselves on their faith as if this was some sort of medal to display. You may worship, and that is also praised and your affiliation and religious practice goes on your resume as a good thing. You may be a Mother Theresa and many will admire you on the public scene and even support you, because after all she did take care of the undesirables ,which would otherwise be staring people from the streets, but if you are a common man, a worker, a doctor, a banker, an insurance man, a woman , a student trying to follow Christian precepts of behavior, you will be ostracized for not doing what the crowd does, you may lose your job and your pension plan and your health insurance with all the consequences, for not agreeing to participate in shady or openly dishonest practices, you may have no friends because they like to follow excesses in sexual mores, drinking or other non Christian practices, so maybe being a Christian is not that easy even in this Country where we are not put to death for doing the right thing, of for saying what we believe in, or are we?
Sure, American Christians aren’t perscuted - especially compared to those living under oppressive Islamic regimes. However, I think the elite of the US (Ivy Leagues, inside the Beltway, literary types, Hollywood, etc.) is largely hostile to Christians and Christianity.
What’s the saying? Anti-Catholicism is the the anti-Semitism of the elites. If I went to a NYC cocktail party and made a critical comment about the church, no one woud bat an eye. Agreed?
Sure US Christians are persecuted. Just look at any Christian running for public office. They are ridiculed, defamed and made out to be modern-day lunatics.
But we are to consider it a joy when we are persecuted. When I ran for public office a few years ago, I was even persecuted by other self proclaimed “Christians” who supported my opponent, a man with a record for assaulting a police officer. I was ridiculed for my choice of profession as a Christian life coach trainer and my Christian education. And each week, I would still face the public and the press. I didn’t win as a result, but I have been greatly blessed for my obedience to run for office since then. God has given me far more than double for my trouble.