by Mike Willis

I thought that I had made up this word myself, but after a short visit to the internet, I found a definition of it on Wikipedia: “Christophobia or Christianophobia are also according to Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) names for ‘every form of discrimination and intolerance against Christians.’”

People have all kinds of phobias: claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), acrophobia (fear of heights), arachnephobia (fear of spiders), etc. (see phobialist.com). In recent years, we have introduced our society to “xenophobia” (fears of strangers or foreigners) to describe those who call for the enforcement of United States law on illegal immigration and “homophobia” to describe those who believe that same-sex marriage, adoption of children by gay and lesbians, and homosexual practices are sinful.

Another phobia is showing up. This disease seems limited to those with politically left beliefs – politicians, newscasters, reporters, evolutionists, atheists, ecumenists, etc. They all have this disease in common: They are afraid of Bible-believing Christians. I use “Bible believing” to describe Christians to distinguish them from a considerable block of mainstream American “Christians” who have little or no confidence in the verbal inspiration of Scripture, reject Jesus’ virgin birth, miracles, and bodily resurrection. Those on the political left view these mainstream “Christians” as their allies, whereas those who are Evangelical seem to scare those on the left.

Those who favor abortion are not afraid of the religious left, but they are afraid of the religious right – the Evangelicals. Those who are evolutionists are afraid of bigoted “Bible thumpers.” The politicians fear that the religious right will vote as a block to reject any candidate who is pro-abortion, a promoter of gay rights, and other social issues. Ecumenists are frightened that Evangelicals might try to convert those in non-Christian religions, thus offending Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews (remember how the Benghazi attack was initially blamed on a video produced by a Coptic Christian?). Nakoula, who produced the video, is the only one imprisoned as a result of this despicable tragedy. For a list of anti-Christians acts and sentiment see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Christian_sentiment.

As we go through the “Christmas” season, you undoubtedly have heard radio and television reports of various lawsuits in different cities because a nativity scene is displayed on public property. God’s people are not in favor of the religious celebration of Christmas. As a matter of fact, my remembrance of education in a public school was that school events in December featured singing religious songs in celebration of the birth of Jesus and members of the clergy gave a talk in our school assembly about the birth of Christ. My family taught us that (1) singing religious songs with instruments of music was not God’s will for His people, (2) December 25th was not likely to be the birthday of Jesus, and (3) the New Testament does not authorize a religious celebration of His birthday. We enjoyed Christmas as a festive secular holiday, but did not celebrate it religiously. However, though we did not join in the religious celebration of Christmas and would have preferred that our schools not teach the religious celebration of Christmas, we did not participate in lawsuits to remove God or religion from public school events. We prayed before playing football games, had a religious baccalaureate speech in conjunction with high school graduation, read from the Scriptures at the beginning of the school day in my elementary years, and emphasized moral principles (such as abstaining from sexual activity outside of wedlock, avoiding alcohol and drugs, etc.) without fear of government interference in those days.

However, in today’s society and in the name of “pluralism” and “intolerance,” our media and courts have tried to squelch the voices of those who teach moral judgments and principles that are contrary to pluralist and politically correct creeds. In regard to such topics as the following, there is no tolerance of Christian belief and Christians expressing their beliefs: abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, homosexual adoptions, sex outside of wedlock, polygamous marriages, no-fault divorce, creation, evolution, intelligent design, a young earth, climate change, and non-Christian religions. Anyone who affirms and asserts that there is an absolute truth on any of these topics is methodically marginalized as narrow-minded, divisive, and mean-spirited.

If an Evangelical decides to run for office and the media descend upon him with malicious intent to destroy his influence among the electorate. When he makes a gaffe in a speech, as all politicians do, his gaffe is broadcast on TV, radio, and internet outlets, lengthy commentaries on what he said are written, and voters are admonished not to elect such a radical extremist. However, should the political gaffe come from one of the media’s own, his gaffe is humorously reported and excused as a slip of the tongue followed by an explanation of what he intended to say. The message is unambiguous: Christians are not welcomed in the public forum. Religion should not influence public decisions, as if there were any politician who did not allow his religious beliefs (atheism, agnosticism, Islam, modernism, etc. are just as certainly religious as is Christianity, albeit religions different from what Jesus taught) to affect his judgments.

Our society bends over backward not to come across offensively to Muslims, in spite of the fact that nearly 100% of terrorists acts in our country and, to a large degree, around the world are somehow related to Islamic teaching. Rather than blaming Islamic teaching for contributing to terrorism, when a terrorist act occurs, every broadcast network emphasizes that the ones guilty should not be considered representative of the beautiful Muslim faith and reminds us that the religion of Islam has been hijacked by a radical element, similar to snake handlers in the Christian religion (although, I do not remember any snake handlers flying planes into buildings to kill thousands of innocents, beheading those who believe a different religion from themselves, calling upon its disciples to kill anyone speaking blasphemy about their prophets or the Christ, putting on explosive vests and detonating them where they can kill the most innocent bystanders).

In the Middle East, from Morocco to Pakistan, there is scarcely a single country in which Christians can worship without harassment (with the exception of Israel). On September 22, 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack took place at All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakiston, killing 127 people and injuring 250. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan-linked Islamist group Jundallah claimed responsibility for the attack. For a list of Islamic terror attacks against Christians since 9/11, see http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/christianattacks.htm. Many Christians have had to leave their homes and flee the countries of their birth to escape persecution and the threat of death.

The Bible Foretold That Saints Would Suffer for Righteousness’ Sake

The Lord warned His first-century disciples that they would be hated by those who despised Jesus. Regarding first-century Jewish antagonists, Jesus said,

Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! (Matt. 10:15-25).

Peter spoke of the persecution of Christians in Asia Minor in the mid-first century as follows:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls (1 Pet. 1:6-9).

The beloved apostle John described Satan’s warfare against the church in the book of Revelation. Unable to defeat the earthly Jesus, the Devil turned his attention against the church (Rev. 12:17). The result was persecution against the church. In the loosing of the fifth seal, John saw this:

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed (Rev. 6:9-11).

We are disappointed when we look at what is happening in the early twenty-first century, but should not be surprised. Why would we expect the treatment of God’s people to be different today from what it was in the first century? The enemy is the same (the Devil), although he is using different people to accomplish his same purpose – the destruction of Christians. In Islamic states, many professing Christianity have already lost their places of worship, homes, and lives; in America, Christians already are being marginalized, leaving many wondering what might be forthcoming.

Conclusion

America has gone through a cultural shift from that of favoring Christianity toward a secular stance, a state-sponsored atheism with the enforcement of moral relativity. Anyone who opposes that transition is politically marginalized. Like the Communists, the political left fears those who cannot be intimidated by the threat of force, namely those who fear Christ more than government. Consequently, “Christianophobia” is growing in America toward one of the most passive groups in its population.