I’m not a prophet. I’m highly skeptical of anyone who claims they know what the future holds. I have a horrible track record of predicting what is to come.
- In 2010 I bought stock in a natural gas ETF because “there is no way the price could go lower.” (It was at $75 per share, now it’s at $8.)
- I thought Netflix would never be popular.
- I once told a friend on the school board, “Just do the right thing and no one will care a month from now.” A few months later he was voted out of office and some are still mad about the decision he made.
I’m not a futurist. (See: Don’t Tell Me Every Religion Is the Same)
But I think I know how Christian persecution will come to America.
Some would object by saying persecution is already here. While I agree there have been cases in which Christians have been targeted for their religion, I’m unaware of any true cases of serious persecution. But it’s coming and here is how I think it will happen.
As Christians fail to protect the rights of people of other faiths and actually participate in the discrimination and persecution of other religions, it will be a short time before those same actions begin to happen to Christians.
Others will do to Christians what Christians do to others.
It’s a scary time in America and around the world. With the rise of Islamic terrorism, few people know the right steps to ensure our safety. Some make suggestions which seem grossly naive as though they just hope the problems go away. While others take a more hard-lined approach which seems at odds with America’s founding and contrary to our desire to let each person worship as they choose.
No one knows what to do, but many are attempting to judge an entire religion by the actions of a few. Clearly Islam has a problem. Some are hijacking the faith and using it for their own gain. It’s a problem which Muslims around the world must vocally confront and denounce.
Yet as a Christian, I’m concerned with the number of Christians who quickly associate all of Islam with Islamic terrorists. I’m deeply concerned with the reactions of many Christians who want to persecute Muslims for their faith. (See: A Christian Response to an Atheist Billboard)
Not only is this contrary to the American ideals, it is a frightening precedent. When Christians blame all Muslims for the actions of a few Muslims, we are hastening the day that others blame all Christians for the actions of a few Christians.
Many secularists already see religion as the key force of evil in the world. Some (who do not value the First Amendment) will look for any reason to limit the role of religion in society. If Christians fail to discern the difference between Islam and Radical Islam, if we fail to fight for the rights of those who worship differently than us, and if we actually persecute others for their religious beliefs, we will face the same result.
As Christians restrict the religious practice of Muslims, secularists will begin to restrict the religious practice of Christians. And we will not have a logical argument to stop it. We must choose a better way.
We must protect the freedoms of those who worship differently than us.
We must discern the difference between the basic tenets of a faith and the actions of a few who misinterpret that faith for their own personal gain.
We must refuse the simplistic thinking that the action of one person who is different than us defines everyone who is different than us.
We must seek every opportunity to extend love to others.
Not only is this the right thing to do for others; it’s the best action we can take for ourselves. If we use the actions of Islamic terrorists to score cheap points against the whole of Islam, we can expect others to do the same against us.
A dramatic shift is happening within America regarding religious practice. Many who promote tolerance are very intolerant to someone actually practicing their faith. Many Christians are rightfully nervous that their religious practices could soon come under attack. Yet we often fail to see how our actions toward others could quicken the limitations to our own religious practice.
There is a war on terror taking place in the world today and I recognize we face difficult decisions on how to confront the threat. (See: Why I Can’t Say America’s Going to Hell in a Handbasket)
At the same time, there is an attack on religion and many Christians are unknowingly fighting for the wrong side. As they fight against Islam, they are actually fueling the future fight against Christianity.
It seems like after terrible times in our country we see spiritual awakenings. It seemed that way with things like the great depression and the Civil War. So this article makes me think that maybe the kind of persecution you are talking about can lead to something good. I don’t know if I’m being a pessimist or hopeful or both.
It seems as though history has proven that the church is more effective in times of persecution.
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Persecution of Christians is coming to America whether or not we defend the religious liberty of muslims. It’s coming because the world hates Jesus, there is no other reason.
Part of the problem is when the function of the church and government are mixed up. Government cannot function based on grace and love, nor should we expect it too. Government functions by law and justice.
We should not be calling for the government to “show the love of Christ” by letting anyone and everyone into the country carte blanche. We should not be trying to abolish the death penalty because of love and grace and forgiveness, church and government play two separate roles.
While I can and do seperate the radicals from every day Muslims, I’m am still concerened about Islam. While I’ve never read the Quran, I have read about it and it seems to be open as to whether a Muslim repsonds peacefuly or forcefully. Seems to depend on the situation at the time. I have no problem anyone practicing their faith as long as it’s not forced on me or others. Islam is a man made religion, they worship Allah and do not believe Jesus is the Son of God but is a prophet only. Allah and God the Father are not the same in Islam. Islam does not belive Allah has a son. I’m leery of Islam but unless the main body of Muslims starts going all Rambo, I’ll will be gald to stand for their liberty to worship. Think this country needs to be cautious.
I know the future….I read the BOOK!!!
It is utter foolishness for Christians to support laws restricting other beliefs, that can be turned around and used against us. Time was what Roman Catholicism was The Super Bad Religion, because they served a foreign potentate, or something, but Unitarians were OK, even though they were a lot more heretical than Catholics – so when evangelicals decided they needed their own private schools, they ran afoul of laws intended to suppress Catholics.
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When the epidemic started the 1st one I went to after were churches and churches pastor. Threatening people making churches close down under the thread of whatever.
Government people come in to church park and writing down the license plates and when the pastor is trying decomplied by having church outside it made little difference to them they were still trying to shut down Christian services. Not bars mind you or shutting down other places of pleasure like movie theater sort theater or some Broadway or many other than you that were still open with no comment The Christian people. Yes there is persecution and there’s much more persecution coming they are trying to conclude. These are perilous times Jesus talked of and spoke about an 2nd Timothy all the things that that describes is exactly what is going on. With pornography running like sewers through the Internet and drag queens reading storybookstore children and giving sex education classes to kids in the 2nd and 3rd degree grade. Yes there’s persecution coming but there’s also I promise that the Holy Spirit would be poured down upon all Flash and you can look forward to.