Here in the US, we have the “war on marriage.” I heard tell of a “war on Easter” as well. Every Christmas, I brace myself for the “war on Christmas” rants.
This “war on religion” is so far reaching (judging from my Facebook page) that American Christians will soon have to peel off their bumper stickers, stop wearing religious jewelry, close some of the churches they have perched on nearly every block, shut down their radio stations, turn off their satellite broadcast stations, close down the dozens of Christian publishing houses, close down the denominational publishing houses, stop their magazine industry, newspapers, news services, their music industry, PACs, political candidates, and… what else? What am I forgetting?
In this vein, Religious News Service has this to say:
American Christians have a persecution complex. Whenever a public figure criticizes the Christian movement or offers believers in other faiths an equal voice in society, you can bet Christians will start howling. Claims about American persecution of Christians are a form of low comedy in a country where two-thirds of citizens claim to be Christians, where financial gifts to Christian churches are tax deductible, where Christian pastors can opt out of social security, and where no one is restricted from worshipping however, whenever, and wherever they wish.
But for many Christians, the “war on religion” is no laughing matter.
Turns out, being a Christian in the Middle East is actually quite dangerous, probably as dangerous as declaring yourself an unbeliever.
As many as two-thirds of Christians in Iraq have fled the country to escape massacres and church burnings. There are reportedly fewer than 60 Christian churches left in the war-torn country, a fact that adds another level of critique to the prudence of waging such a conflict. Just this month, an angry mob in Pakistan torched 40 Christian homes. And even Lebanon, once a safe haven for Christians, is experiencing a mass exodus.
“Massacres are taking place for no reason and without any justification against Christians,” says Amin Gemayel, the former President of Lebanon. “It is only because they are Christians.”
That’s exceedingly unfortunate, something American Christians should consider when they start complaining that they’re losing some of their privileged status.
The answer, it seems, is that many of their attentions have been focused elsewhere. Some are too busy protesting Target employees who wish them “Happy Holidays” and others have been mobilizing to boycott JCPenney over selecting Ellen DeGeneres, an outspoken lesbian, to be their spokesperson. Isn’t it time that American Christians reinvest their energies in addressing the actual persecution of their brothers and sisters happening outside their borders?
Today in the Middle East and elsewhere, Christians huddle together beneath a solitary light bulb to read from contraband Bibles and sing hushed hymns. At any moment, their doors may be broken in and their lives could be snuffed out. Many Christians sit in dank prisons for committing no crime except following Jesus. Tomorrow, they could be executed without due process. This is a true “war on religion,” and it is one that too few American Christians seem willing to enlist in.
This is a truly fascinating article. The comments are particularly interesting as well. While I’m sure it will have precisely zero impact in larger Christian society, I’ll be mentally measuring whether I detect a decrease in some of those “look we’re persecuted!” Facebook posts.
I girl can dream.
