Currently, over 200 million Christians worldwide are living under
the threat of persecution. 
Topping the list of countries
which have mounted a campaign against Christians are China and Sudan followed
by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Burma, Greece, Ethiopia, and Vietnam.
(Washington Watch, May 1998). Increasing persecution is
also found in Cuba, Laos, and North Korea.
Many Islamic-dominated
nations have adopted a fanatical, militant doctrine of persecution against all
“infidels.”
The militant Islamic Government of Sudan, for
example, is waging a self-described religious war against Christian,
non-Muslim, and moderate Muslim persons by using torture, starvation,
enslavement, and murder. In Pakistan, the government has declared those that
who “insult” Mohammed will be put to death. In Communist Laos more
than 250 pastors and Christian workers have been arrested; more than 60
churches and Christian institutions have been shut down; and the government has
forced many thousands of believers to sign documents to "renounce" their faith
and belief in Christianity.
In Saudi Arabia there is no religious
freedom. Apostasy is punishable by death. There are no public worship services
for non-Muslims. Anyone who does mission work or converts Muslims faces
expulsion, jail, or execution.
In countries near and far, people are
being persecuted simply because of their faith. Hundreds of men and women are
in prison serving sentences that range from a few months to life. They are not
criminals who have robbed or murdered other citizens but Christians who were
put on trial for their faith in Christ and found guilty. Christians are beaten,
tortured, imprisoned, and murdered by those who are hostile to their faith in
Jesus Christ.
Never before in American history have Christians experienced being hated for following Jesus Christ as they are today.
While the war on Christianity in America and
persecution of Christians has not yet reached
the feverish pitch of persecution as it has in other parts of the world, there
is a battle being waged. There is still a Constitution in America that protects
them and allows them to freely practice their faith. But, broiling beneath the
surface, the same hatred of God that exists in other parts of the world is
festering in all our institutions. Slowly, methodically, and incrementally the
anti-God forces are working to remove
that Constitutional barrier and replace it with the
10 Planks of
Communism.
It is important to recognize that those engaged in the
war on Christianity, working for the dissolution of our society and
breakdown of the family have a spiritual agenda.
They are not merely attempting to dismantle the historic cultural values of
this nation and move us toward a new
world order. They also want to destroy Christianity and Bible-based
religion. It is a clear part of their agenda, and they have already moved a
long way in that direction.
God hating zealots include people like
David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, Zbig Brzezinsky, and the other politicos,
European Royalty, world bankers and CEO’s of multinational corporations
who are members of the Council on
Foreign Relations, the Bilderberg
group and the Trilateral
Commission. Their stated plan is to have a one world government which is
opposed to God and Christ.
In America it is called 'secularism' and is
becoming visible in all walks of life and in all our institutions. Numerous
legislative and legal battles which I'll discuss below attest to the fact that
religious warfare is taking place.
| Bill Maher: The War on Christianity |
The Media
Our entertainment industry and the news
media sneer at anyone who defends Jesus Christ in public and have been leading
a propaganda war of stereotyping Christians into a subordinate class. Their
distortions reflect a genuine misunderstanding of who Christians are and what
they believe.
Americas' mainstream news media ignores conservative and
Christian news events, except when coverage makes religious leaders look "cold,
intolerant and oppressive," says Washington, D.C.'s Media Research Center.
Their coverage of the anti-christian agenda is all but ignored and rarely
reported on. Of course, that is understandable when you realize they are part
of the anti-christian cabal and have agreed not to cover what is discussed at
the globalist meetings they attend .
Though most Americans believe in
God and regularly attend religious services, "religion and religious issues are
hardly ever mentioned, much less covered, on network television morning,
evening and magazine shows," said the center's chairman Brent Bozell. He said
that the center has surveyed more than 18,000 nightly news shows broadcast by
ABC, CBS, NBC, the Cable News Network and the Public Broadcasting Service, but
found only 212 stories that focused on religion. That amounts to 1 percent of
coverage although 52 percent of Americans say they attend church and more than
90 percent say that they pray regularly.
Network coverage of abortion
and homosexuality "are never done from the religious viewpoint," Bozell said.
Instead, "religious figures are regularly portrayed as reactionary roadblocks
while their positive influences are rarely covered." Except at Christmastime,
when the networks traditionally broadcast "heartwarming" segments in their
broadcasts, the news shows usually portray religious groups and their leaders
"as cold, intolerant and oppressive," Bozell said. ["TV news
broadcasters unfair to Christians, says research center," Christian Crusade,
April 1994]
Government
The federal government abridges the free exercise of religion in America
by:
 |
Regulating churches and other religious organizations through its tax laws. |
|
Limiting religious liberty in the area of public and private education. |
|
Forbidding non-denominational prayer in public schools and at educational ceremonies. |
|
Excluding the Bible from school classrooms and from other school property. |
|
Refusing to permit the religious displays on public property, such as Christmas and Chanukah. |
Navy Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt was punished by a commander for offering sectarian prayers at a memorial service for a fallen sailor.
Schools
Possibly the most sinister battlefield in the war on Christianity takes place
in the classroom. The Ten Commandments
have been prohibited on school bulletin boards and most forms of prayer have
been declared unconstitutional in the nation's schools, even that which is
student initiated.
Atheists and others who hate God despises Christians
who help others come to a saving knowledge of Christ. They are determined to
battle those who would help immature Christians -- particularly Christian
children -- grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Increasingly, our children are discriminated against for trying to present
their Christian convictions in school.
In 1997 U.S. District Court
Judge Ira DeMent struck down a law that required schools to allow voluntary
student-initiated prayers at school events, saying it created excessive state
entanglement in religion. He ordered the end to school-sponsored religious
activities, such as prayers during morning announcements and at school events
even though it isn't forced on students.
A high school student in
Florida was suspended for handing out religious literature before and after -
but not during - school hours. Two high school students in Texas were told by
their principal they could not wear rosaries. The Principal claimed that they
were symbols of gang activity, even though the boys were not involved in any
gang.
In 2002, music teachers in Michigan, Maryland, and Virginia didn't
allow students to perform traditional carols like "Silent Night" and "The First
Noel" during Chrismas. A New Jersey public school banned the Charles Dickens
play, "A Christmas Carol" because of its spiritual overtones and message of
redemption.
The Courts
Judge Roy Moore in Gadsden, Alabama, was ordered to stop conducting
prayers in his courtroom and displaying the Ten Commandments. That led Alabama
Gov. Fob James, a supporter of prayer in public schools, to vow to use state
troopers, if necessary, to allow Moore to continue the prayers.
Confessed child rapist James Arnett's sentence was overturned by an Ohio
appeals court. The reason: the judge in his case quoted from Matthew 18:5-6
during sentencing.
The Public
Square
The secularist trend in the public forum is to replace the
word "Christmas" with "Season's Gretings" or "Happy Holidays."
In March
1998, The ACLU put pressure on the small town of Republic, Missouri to remove a
fish symbol from its official logo, calling it a "secret sign of Christianity."
In April 1998, Rev. Patrick Mahoney was arrested for praying on the
steps of the Supreme Court.
Tourists visiting Washington D.C. in 1997
were ordered by the police to stop praying in the rotunda of the U.S.
Capitol.
In 2003, the National Park Service removed 30 year-old plaques
inscribed with Bible verses at Grand Canyon following complaints from the
American Civil Liberties Union.
The
Workplace
The anti-Christian bias is a reality in many companies
today -- as you will discover if you refuse to work on Sundays, if you question
"shading the truth" in presentations, or if you stubbornly hold to your
Christian standards.
A Christian employee of Hewlet Packard was fired
for posting Bible verses condemning homosexual behavior on his desk in response
to posters displayed during a company campaign to promote a diverse work force.
(WorldNetDaily)
Businesses
Even though Krispy Kreme promises to give students a free doughnut for
each "A" on their report cards, a store in Schereville, Indiana refused to
reward the Kamp children for A's received in Bible classes. ["Chain Won't Give a Doughnut for an 'A' in Bible", Wendy Cloyd,
Assistant Editor, CitizenLink]
