 |
|
|
WEBINAR | The Demonization of America's Christians
4:30 pm ET, Thursday, Aug. 18
|
|
|
|
|
America’s Christians are combatting growing rhetoric from mainstream media and even U.S. agencies seeking to disparage their conservative views and paint them as “domestic terrorists.”
This “othering” of America’s Christians is of grave concern to Save the Persecuted Christians. In too many countries worldwide, we have seen how the marginalization, discrimination, and harassment of people of faith eventually leads to violent persecution. When Christians, and other believers, are pushed from the public square, they become vulnerable to persecution—and that is precisely what is happening in America.
In short, we must protect the right of Christians to believe, worship, and associate freely worldwide or risk losing the ability and moral courage to exercise our own constitutional right to religious freedom at home. America will cease to be what the Bible calls a “shining city on a hill,” playing its historical role of a beacon of freedom to the world and a guarantor of it here.
Will American Christians become the world’s next victim of persecution? We allow this rhetoric to continue and build at our own peril.
Moderator:
- Frank Gaffney, president and CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians
Panelists:
- Charles “Sam” Faddis, Former CIA operations officer
- Trevor Loudon, producer, “Enemies Within the Church”
- Jonathan Alexandre, Director of Government Affairs, Liberty Council
- Liz Yore, esq., president and founder, Yore Children
- Pastor Jorge Parrott, president, Christ’s Mandate for Missions
- Dede Laugesen, executive director, Save the Persecuted Christians
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you for your past support of Save the Persecuted Christians. I wanted to give you an update about what you have helped make possible in the hope that you might be moved to renew that help in the near future.
Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) represents a large, international, and dynamic coalition of faith and civil society leaders committed to facilitating collaboration that can make a difference for Christians now being persecuted simply because they follow Jesus. We do so by pursuing initiatives that can go beyond relief of their great suffering by championing domestic and international policy initiatives that will hold accountable and, wherever possible, impose costs on those perpetrating such crimes against humanity.
Unfortunately, the need for such efforts continues to grow dramatically. To cite but one indicator: According to one of our valued STPC Coalition partners, Open Doors USA, there has been a dramatic rise this year in the number of persecuted Christians in the top 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian. The number of heavily persecuted Christians globally has increased six percent in the last year alone and a shocking 67 percent from 215 million in 2018 to 360 million in 2022—with 312 million experiencing extreme levels of persecution.
In other words, there are now more heavily persecuted Christians in the world than the population of the United States.
These followers of Jesus are being subjected to rape, imprisonment, torture, kidnappings, enslavement, the theft of property and, in altogether too many cases, the loss of their own lives and/or those of family members – sometimes on a genocidal scale. And countless millions more are being persecuted in less violent ways via discrimination and marginalization.
STPC also sponsors the Save Us Movement, made up of people of goodwill who, while neither leaders of faith or humanitarian organizations nor subject matter experts, are nonetheless alive to the plight of the persecuted and dedicated to relieving their suffering. Educated with our help about the plight of the persecuted Christians, we afford these individuals opportunities to voice and otherwise act on their concerns. In particular, our Movement is helping these grassroots citizens foster the political impetus needed to induce their elected representatives to give ending the persecution of Christians the priority it deserves.
|
|
|
|
|
The work of Save the Persecuted Christians has never been more important not only elsewhere in the world but here at home, as well.
Indeed, even as we have seen the numbers of the persecuted faithful continue to rise globally, we have also seen a troubling increase in the marginalization and demonization of Christians in America. As one of our partners observed, persecution develops in stages: There is the “squeeze”, the “silencing”, and then the “smash.”
This pattern is very familiar elsewhere, and we must be alive to – and be prepared to counter – its manifestations here. What begins with the marginalization, discrimination, and “othering” of the targeted population, unless challenged, inexorably morphs into censorship and “canceling.” And, unless such non-physical suppression is stopped, there can quickly follow violation, desecration, seizure, and destruction of properties like churches and other sanctuaries. From there, it is an all-too-short a step to violence against communities of believers.
The rhetoric in America pertaining to Christians—especially Christians who stand in solidarity with Israel, believe in traditional marriage, a biological basis for gender recognition, oppose abortion and/or simply hold that America was founded as a nation based on Judeo-Christian values and teachings—is increasingly inflammatory and discriminatory. American Christians have been unfairly targeted by the IRS and the Departments of Justice, Defense and Health and Human Services. They have increasingly been censored and canceled on social media platforms, excluded and punished for their beliefs, and radically maligned by the progressive Left. Conservative Christians in America have been described by their own government as “Christian nationalists” and “likely” domestic terrorists.
We allow this rhetoric to continue and build at our own peril. Will American Christians become the world’s next victim of persecution?
In short, we need a team like Save the Persecuted Christians today more than ever. We must protect the right of Christians to believe, worship, and associate freely worldwide or risk losing the ability and moral courage to exercise our own constitutional right to religious freedom at home. America will cease to be what the Bible calls a “shining city on a hill,” playing its historical role of a beacon of freedom to the world and a guarantor of it here.
For all these reasons, we ask you to prayerfully consider making a monthly, or one-time, contribution to the work of our organization now. Your tax-deductible gift will allow us to continue making a difference in the lives of hundreds of millions of persecuted Christians globally with our advocacy in action.
By so doing, you will: Help ensure that we can continue bringing witnesses to persecution to tell their stories at the highest levels of the American government. Help us continue to educate the American population on the threats to religious freedom for Christians and other believers in America and abroad. Help us to provide direct assistance to organizations providing aid to those impacted. Help us craft valuable documentation of such persecution to convince those in power that action is needed. Help us expand our avenues of communication. Help us help the world’s Christians live in peace.
With trust in God’s mercy,
Dede Laugesen
Executive Director
Save the Persecuted Christians
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
