IS PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS COMING IN AMERICA?

Don K. Preston

Just recently, in New York, a school determined that for the holiday season, the manger scene depicting Jesus’ birth would not be allowed. However, the same school board determined that the Moslem symbol and the Jewish Menorah would be allowed, because they are "historical in nature." In California, a young woman was told that if she mentioned the name of Jesus in her graduation speech she would be sued. In a small town here in Oklahoma, the authorities put an end to any Christian oriented practices, but, made special allowances for a Moslem young man to have time out to say his prayers five times a day.

Situations like this are becoming more and more common. In my personal experience, and this goes back to my high school days, on the opening day of school my 10^th grade biology teacher, in her introductory remarks, said, "I want you to know that I believe in evolution, and if you do not believe in evolution, you will fail this class! When I give you a test, you will give the correct evolutionary answers or you will fail." She ranted against those who are "ignorant enough to believe in the Bible and Creation," and said repeatedly that anyone challenging evolution in her class would fail. Being somewhat outspoken, I raised my hand and said, "Miss Taylor, I suppose you had better just go ahead and give me my "F" right now and get it over with, because I believe in the Bible, and I don’t believe in evolution, and I am not going to keep quiet about it either!" She promptly informed me that I most assuredly would fail her class. (She finally gave me a "D" to get rid of me.)

It is remarkable that a country founded on Christian principles and faith in God has turned, and is turning so radically away from its foundation. The educational, political, and social leaders in power today seem dead set on a course to eliminate faith from the public arena.

The point is that Christianity is under increasing attack. The question is, do you have enough faith to withstand persecution? Would you be willing to suffer the loss of your job because of your faith? There have been several examples in colleges already where professors have been fired for having the audacity to tell their students that Darwinian evolution has some serious flaws in it. Would you be willing to be ridiculed just because you believe in Jesus? One college professor in Lubbock, Tx. told his science students that if they so much as quoted from any Christian source, that they would be dismissed from his courses. The fact is, persecution of Christians is not coming to America, persecution of Christians is here now, and it is real.

Jesus said that those who follow him would suffer persecution. That was a first century reality, but there is an eternal principle at stake as well. That principle is, "Men love darkness more than they love light" (John 3:17f). The proper response to all of this is found in the words of Jesus: "Let you light so shine among men, so that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."(Matthew 5:16)