Conservative, Orthodox Christianity is under attack! Now, when I say conservative, I don't mean those who unequivocally support Donald Trump; I am not speaking about those who only read conspiracy theorist works and wouldn't know the truth if it walked up and introduced itself to them. No, I am talking about those Christians who hold their beliefs as central to their lives--those who can't live without God every moment and acknowledge Him in everything they do and say. By orthodox, I mean those who take the Bible from cover to cover as the literal, infallible word of God and try to live according to God's ordinances.
Whether writers like Ethan Renoe, wants to admit it or not; we are under attack. Dale Hanson, a blogger for Huffpost states "The reality is that there are few if any places in the world where it is better to be Christian than the U.S., so pretending that being forced to abide by the constitution is somehow a “war” comes off a lot like the spoiled rich kid whose parents won’t upgrade the radio on the new BMW I8 they are buying for his birthday. It just makes you look uninformed, selfish and silly." Well Mr. Hanson I guess I am uninformed, selfish and silly...but you, sir, are no better off than am I. Why? Because throwing jabs at Christians may pay well now; but I've read the book, and I know how this ends for people like you...so I guess that would make you uninformed, selfish and silly. Sure, the attack may not look like it does in the middle east or in other countries around the world where Christians are persecuted; but does persecution seriously look the same all over the world? Slavery today doesn't look like it did just a little over a 150 years ago; and slavery in the US doesn't look the same today as it does in Africa today. Since that is the case, you can't compare US Christian persecution to persecution in other countries; maybe I can go to a Starbucks and sip a Caramel Macchiato without fear of being attacked for my beliefs...but I certainly can't run a photography business that is based on my religious principles and beliefs without fear of being attacked or sued.
Dr. James Emory White mentions in an article he wrote "there is a growing pressure to marginalize Christianity and ultimately dominate it by using law to suppress religious freedom. He cites the following:
- Catholic Charities in Illinois shut down its adoption services rather than place children with same-sex couples (as the state required).
- A Christian counselor was penalized for refusing to advise gay couples.
- A court clerk in New York was told to issue same-sex marriage licenses despite religious reservations.
- A wedding photographer was sued for refusing to shoot a same-sex wedding."
Even as I write this, my beloved United Methodist Church has a committee set up on trying how to figure out if we can continue to support traditional marriage only; as well as the ordination of homosexuals. Seriously? I know, I know; the excuses abound...times change...we need to change...but what about our motto, Open Hearts...Open Minds...Open Doors. Seriously? Your entire theology is based on a slogan?
According to recent Pew Research reports, the percentage of Americans who describe themselves as religiously affiliated has shrunk while the percentage describing themselves as unaffiliated has grown from 2007 to 2014. The percentage who say they are “absolutely certain” God exists fell to 63% from 71% during the same time period. This new vigorous secularism has catapulted mockery of Christianity and other forms of religious traditionalism into the mainstream and set a new low for what counts as civil criticism of people’s most-cherished beliefs. In some precincts, the “faith of our fathers” is controversial as never before.
Some of the faithful have paid unexpected prices for their beliefs lately: the teacher in New Jersey suspended for giving a student a Bible; the football coach in Washington placed on leave for saying a prayer on the field at the end of a game; the fire chief in Atlanta fired for self-publishing a book defending Christian moral teaching; the Marine court-martialed for pasting a Bible verse above her desk; and other examples of the new intolerance. Anti-Christian activists hurl smears like “bigot” and “hater” at Americans who hold traditional beliefs about marriage and accuse anti-abortion Christians of waging a supposed “war on women.” Most recently a US Army Chaplain at Fort Bragg was reprimanded for not allowing a same-sex couple attend a marriage retreat--because if he had of, he would have lost his credentials to be a military Chaplain.
So maybe at this point you are asking "What’s a tolerant American to do? First we must understand that red-hot rhetoric about a “war” on Christianity is misbegotten: there is zero equivalence between the horrors of ISIS-led genocide against Christians in the Middle East and what Pope Francis calls the “polite persecution” of believers in the West. (According to Pew, 77% of Americans described themselves as religiously affiliated in 2014, down from 83% in 2007.) Yet we must also acknowledge that when some Americans citizens are fearful of expressing their religious views, something new has snaked its way into the village square: an insidious intolerance for religion that has no place in a country founded on religious freedom."
For me though this isn't just about same-sex marriage. It's not about who our president is or whether you support him or not. This is about true tolerance:
Luckily, even though some insidious intolerance for religion has snaked into my community, my town, my state and even my church; I, as a Christian am not afraid to voice my opinion; it's not that I don't care; believe me I do. However, Proverbs 28:1 states "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." And Philemon 1:8 "For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right."
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