Anti - Christian bigotry is thriving

[Amelia]

Anti - Christian bigotry is thriving

Ed Baker

March 23, 2005

http://www.christian-underground.com

Nearly 2,000 years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his followers are experiencing widespread harassment and persecution across the globe. This fact is rarely reported by most media groups, but the ugly truth about anti-Christian bigotry is plainly visible.

Prejudice against Christians range from mild off the cuff remarks such as "Christianity is a religion for losers," by media mogul Ted Turner to the Dallas Times Herald and outright discrimination in the U.S.

Some glaring examples include:

-- the suspension of several Lynn High School students in 2003 for handing out candy canes during the Christmas season with Bible verses attached;

-- a prohibition against Nativity scenes in New York City's public schools by officials during the past several years. School administrators allowed a Menorah to be displayed to commemorate Hanukkah and Muslim crescent symbols during the Islamic holiday season, but banned Christian expressions. School officials cited a need to be tolerant and diverse for allowing non-Christian theme expressions in the classrooms. These actions were supported by the American Civil Liberties Union;

-- Filmmaker Michael Moore recently displayed contempt for Christians when he dubbed middle America as "Jesus land," on his Web site for swaying the presidential election in favor of President Bush. Moore's label is reminiscent of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's degradation of Jewish voters in New York City when he called NYC "hymie town," during a failed presidential nomination attempt in 1984. Jackson apologized for his comments, but don't expect Moore to say he is sorry, even if hell freezes over.

Former Boston Herald columnist Don Feder, a devout Orthodox Jew, claims Christians, especially evangelical believers are a favorite punching bag for Hollywood producers.

"Since the 1970s Hollywood's treatment of Christians has been only slightly more benevolent than Al-Qaeda's treatment toward Jews," wrote Feder, a devout Orthodox Jew in his 2004 Steel Facts opinion piece, "Why Hollywood Hates Christians."

Contempt for Christian ideology is especially evident in many predominantly Muslim countries.

Most Islamic nations, except for Turkey, restrict attempts by Christian missionaries to seek converts and limit their activities to providing social welfare for needy people. Some Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, forbid Christians from building churches.

Saudi law also prohibits its citizens from converting to non-Islamic faiths. Muslims who forsake Islam for another religion can be sentenced to death or expelled from the country.

Sudan especially has contempt for Christianity. Its rulers allow Christians to be sold into slavery and it's not uncommon for Sudanese police to take Christian children from families and force them to be raised as Muslims by Islamic households.

Incidentally, Sudan is on the State Department's watchdog list of nations that support terrorism.

Violence against Christians is also common in many Islamic nations. Muslim extremists have attacked Christian neighborhoods in the Philippine Islands during the past few years. Christian businesses have also been vandalized by roving bands of fanatical Muslims in Indonesia on various occasions during this period.

History does not favor nations or individuals who persecute Christians and limit their faith practices. Roman rulers served Christians to the lions during halftime shows between gladiators fights at the famed coliseum in Rome, but the religion continued to spread. The emperor Constantine realized the futility of fighting the faith and he legalized it in 314 A.D.

Since then, there has been various attempts to persecute Christians throughout the centuries but they have all been for naught. Communist nations limited Christian practices to private expressions of faith, but that did not keep the faithful from spreading the gospel. Huge crowds of people turned out to hear the Rev. Billy Graham and Pope John Paul II when they visited the communist block during the 1980s.

When the Soviet Union and its Eastern Europe communist regimes collapsed, hordes of Christians began practicing their beliefs openly. Many churches in these nations are now filled with believers who kept the faith while they were repressed and are succeeding in attracting a new generation of followers.

That should comfort and strengthen Christians everywhere as we celebrate Good Friday and Easter this week.

[Guest]

Increasing...???

Well it is time that Christians increase in their mercy and humility mode then...that is what suffering is for...

look at James 1:2

[bevin]

It has been a long time since Christianity had a ruler prepared to lead a crusade against the infidel - and now we have GWB!

It has been a long time since we have had rulers prepared to go against the courts because of nut-case christian fanatics, and now we have Jeb Bush

Go Christians!

/Bevin