Are Christians persecuted in the United States? – by Gregory Cochran – Helium

Are Christians persecuted in the United States? – by Gregory Cochran – Helium.

Check out the article above for a fuller explanation of why I think there is persecution in America.  Here, I am offering an anecdote from a recent encounter at Southern Seminary.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of seminary students about persecution in America.  I know that most Christians in America would say that we aren’t persecuted.  After all, when you hear of Christians being tortured in jail just because they get baptized, it is hard to think that you are suffering persecution simply because some family member says, “You’re crazy.”  You are right to notice the huge difference between the two.

However, the difference is one of degree, not one of kind.  In other words, both are examples of persecution on account of Christ.  Jesus taught his followers that they would suffer persecution and that the persecution would sometimes come in the form of slander or false accusations (Matthew 5:10-12).  Some Christian persecution will take the form of slander, and some will take the form of torture.  One is immeasurably less pleasant than the other, but both are persecution.

After the class, one of the students came up to me to describe what may, in reality, be persecution.  He is in danger of losing his job at a Christian school because he insists on teaching his young students the gospel.  He is forbidden now from having them learn the Apostle’s Creed in Latin (which they had been doing quite well, he says).  And he cannot speak to them about the crucifixion of our Lord because it is too scary for young minds, according to the principle.  This young man had spoken about the death of Jesus because a girl in the class asked, “Why did Jesus have to die.”  So, obviously, in a Christian school, he thought it would be fine to answer her question.  He was wrong.

He now needs prayer and a discerning spirit so that he knows how to walk by faith.  He doesn’t want to be offensive or cause trouble, but he does hope to prove faithful, even if it means losing his job–from a Christian school, in America.