Many of us can probably not even fathom what persecution is like. Insults? Sure. But life-threatening persecution, not so much. Lately I seem to be coming across more and more stories of what I’m going to call “civilized persecution” of Christians in the United States. From an atheist group protesting a street sign dedicated to New York firefighters that uses the word “heaven”, to various teenage valedictorians who were prohibited from sharing the impact their faith has on their lives, saying a prayer, or even using the word “God” in their graduation speeches, to a lawsuit from an anti-religion organization that is now suing Governor Rick Perry for participating in an all-day prayer event in his free time.
The first example I mention comes from New York City where an atheist group is protesting the name “Seven in Heaven Way”—a street sign dedicated to the memory of seven firefighters who died rescuing victims of 9/11. They claim it is insulting to them as atheists since they have decided that for them there is no heaven and there is no hell. The group says, “People died in 9/11, but they were all people who died, not just Christians. Heaven is a specifically Christian place. For the city to come up and say all those heroes are in heaven now, it’s not appropriate.” Excuse me for a moment—how is heaven a “specifically Christian place”? Am I wrong in saying that Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in heaven? (And dare I say, what’s the harm in wishing someone well in the afterlife?)
Now back to the point. Does their non-belief in heaven mean that we no longer have the right to believe in heaven or to mention it? Are they planning on outlawing the word “heaven”? This may sound like an extreme overreaction, but really, what is the point? How can they be so offended by a place they claim doesn’t even exist? If someone told me they were going to Blue Planet #1874 when they died I would not be offended. I may tell them that I don’t agree with them, but to be offended? It just doesn’t make sense.
This graduation season we also saw in different schools all over the country the censorship of a number of valedictorians. In Texas, Angela Hildenbrand was initially told that she was not allowed to lead a prayer or use words like “amen” because the parents of one of the graduating children filed a lawsuit. In the end, Angela was able to pray, beginning with the disclaimer that it was only for anyone who wanted to join in and felt comfortable—however, the school did remove “invocation” and “benediction” from the graduation program. Kyle Gearwar from Vermont is another valedictorian who was censored. He was told he was not allowed to read nearly half of his speech where he talked about how God had changed his life and how he depended on Jesus for his success.
The most recent case of civilized persecution involves Texas Governor Rick Perry who is participating in an all-day prayer event on August 6, 2011. The Freedom from Religious Foundation claims that his participation is in violation of separation of church and state. Now let me ask you a question—is Rick Perry the government or is he a man? Is his participation in a prayer event on a WEEKEND DAY when he is not working forcing anyone to participate in it? Is he forcing anyone to go or to listen to his prayers or to those of others? I cannot get past the backward logic this group is using. It would be one thing if he took every citizen of the United States and forced them all into a room and told them they would not be let out until they prayed, but this is NOT what is happening.
When did it become politically correct to be anything BUT a Christian? Would this group be doing the same thing to a Muslim or a Buddhist? Would they tell a Jew not to uphold the Sabbath or that they could no longer circumcise their boys? Oh, wait.
These may seem like minor setbacks or mere annoyances to many of us because we are in such a privileged part of the world where we normally don’t see the kind of persecution seen in other parts of the world. The truth is, someone is trying to silence the voice of Christians and they will continue to do so and they will become more and more bold in their demands. This is just the first step in a long-range plan to get rid of Christians, or at the very least, to get them out of positions of power. They want us voiceless. This is not the first time in history the tide has turned—we are just the last Christian nation to fall. Our morals and laws are being turned upside-down and inside-out and we seem to think nothing of it. I guarantee you that if we do nothing, we will end up not in a more peaceful, progressive, humane society (as no doubt those who are persecuting Christians claim) but in a more violent, intolerant and inhumane society.
Yesterday as I was planning this post on civilized persecution I came across an article about a Christian pastor in Iran named Yousef Nadarkhani who was arrested in 2009 and was sentenced to death last year because of his faith. He has been told that his sentence will be suspended if he recants his faith, which he refuses to do. Please pray for him to be encouraged and for God to give him strength and to let him continue to be a witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You may ask what the plight of this man has to do with what I’ve called civilized persecution in the United States? Well, it has EVERYTHING to do with it. This is the direction we are heading if we do not stand up and come together in prayer and ask God for direction. So, practically, what can we do?
The first thing we need to do is to strengthen our personal relationships with Christ. That means we need to get in the habit of reading the Bible every day and praying every single day. We can connect with other believers in homes, in coffee shops, at church, in the street. There is great strength when believers come together and ask God to intercede on our behalf and ask him to guide us. Jesus tells us, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:19,20 This is the time to come together and ask God for guidance and strength.
There may be someone reading this that is not sure about who God is or what they believe. I sincerely encourage you to investigate what the Bible really teaches. Forget everything that you think you know. Many of us in the Western world think that we know the story—and that it’s old news. We’ve seen scandals, controversies, hypocrisy and that’s enough for many to turn away in disgust. It’s important to note that Jesus was indignant at these VERY SAME THINGS. He hated that the church was being used for profit, he hated the pompous, holier-than-thou attitudes of the teachers of the law. He even called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” (Matt. 12:34). Don’t let human sin stand in the way of a relationship with a God who loves you and sent his son to die for you! Give him a fair chance.
If you are already a believer, I challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s word, pray, and listen to what God is asking you to do. Connect with other believers and pray for the persecuted all over the world (you can get more information here.) Pray for those who do not yet know Jesus and tell them your story. May God bless and encourage Yousef Nadarkhani, Amanda Hildenbrand, Kyle Gearwar, Rick Perry, and anyone else who is being persecuted. Keep your eyes on the prize—fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith. God bless!
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