I was challenged recently at Vox's on my assertion that Christians weather persecution in the good ol' U.S. of A, in these troubled times. I'm off my rocker, according to a couple of the commenters. Persecution, or discrimination, or the War on Christmas--all of these are simple fantasies free-floating through my head.
I disagree.
First, let's define what it means to persecute:
Dictionary.com: persecute--1. To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs. 2. To annoy persistently; bother.
Ok. So, when Muslims and Jews are allowed the freedom of placing religious symbols on public property during the holidays--but Christians are prohibited--that's not persecution.
When someone is fired from his job because he is a Christian, that's not persecution.
When crosses are torn off war memorials and gravestones in fear of offending a lone Stalinite in a town full of Christians, that's not persecution.
When Christians are portrayed routinely as evil, stupid, insane, or a combination of all three in movies, books, tv, and music, that's not persecution.
When politicians, cultural figures, celebrities, tv commentators, and civil "rights" groups slander, libel, and distort the beliefs and teachings of Christians--with little or no challenge--there's no persecution involved.
When those same people assume the most base, vile motives of Christians in every fathomable scenario, nope, it ain't persecution.
When your child cannot speak openly of his belief in Jesus at school, but can learn the proper technique of putting on a condom at the ripe old age of ten, that's not persecution.
When the "scientific" community characterizes everything you believe as unscientific mumbo-jumbo akin to that of some frothing, benighted savage--uh-uh, it just isn't persecution.
Is this the same form of persecution as marching off to the firing squad, being fed feet-first into an oven, serving as a torch during the galdiatorial games, or as a chew-toy for lions? Clearly not. But the difference is not in the nature of these actions, but in the degree.
Remember, the persecutions of Christians in the first three centuries Anno Domini and the Holocaust both began in this manner; with baby steps, as it were. First came the lies, mischaracterizations, and distortions. Then came the discrimination and political, cultural, and legal obstacles. These metamorphosed into the pogroms and murders on a mass scale with which we're so familiar.
I think the situation needs viewing through a historical lens. The final outcome is obvious to me, taken to its logical conclusion and allowed its realization.
The examples I gave off the top of my head were not fabrications. It's an objective fact that these and many more exist in local and national news, with additional stories supplementing them at regular intervals.
Given all the above, I ask this simple question of those who shrug off the concept of Christian persecution in America:
If it's not persecution, what is it?
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