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Modern Era Christian Persecution in the Free World

9/3/2013

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The Birth of Modern Christian Persecution in Western Europe?

Ryan Morgan, Regional Manager for Southeast Asia

8/30/2013
Europe
International Christian Concern
  

Starting on Sunday, September 1st, a small but significant change will begin to effect hundreds of thousands of young British girls around the United Kingdom. All new members of the 450,000 strong Girlguiding organization in the U.K. will no longer promise to "love my God" but rather "to be true to myself and develop my beliefs."

This controversial change in the membership pledge came after the Girlguiding organization, the U.K. equivalent to the American Girl Scouts, polled more than 40,000 members and found that 37% of the girls "do not believe in a god." Nearly one in four of all eight-year-old girls in the U.K. are Girlguiding members.

The shift in the Girlguiding pledge is highly indicative of the major cultural and religious changes sweeping across Western Europe. Traditionally considered a continent dominated by Christianity, orthodox Christian values today are espoused by only a minority of Western Europeans. Conservative Christian views on everything from abortion to marriage to euthanasia are considered not only outdated, but actually offensive.

Just a little over a hundred years ago, more than 80% of all of the world's Christians lived in either Europe or North America. Today, that number has dropped below 40% and the steepest decline has been in Europe. It's now believed that more Christians attend church on Sunday morning in China than on the entire European continent. The number of evangelical Christians, a movement that is relatively outspoken in espousing Christian doctrine, is estimated to comprise less than five percent of Western Europe's population (in the U.S., evangelicals still make up about 40% of all Americans).  According to the Center for Study on Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the only major religion in Western Europe that is currently growing is Islam.

The revision of the Girlguiding pledge is not the only indicator that cultural values have shifted away from traditional Christian beliefs. On August 20th, Barrie and Tony Dewitt-Barlow, a wealthy gay couple in the U.K., confirmed that they would be filing a lawsuit challenging the British government's decision allowing some religious groups to opt-out of marrying same-sex couples. The first same-sex weddings are expected to begin in the U.K. in 2014 after legislation earlier this year legalized gay marriage.

On July 1st, American street preacher Tony Miano was arrested by London police for making "homophobic" remarks. He was preaching on sexual immorality and pointedly condemned all forms of "immoral sexual conduct." This was too much for passers-by, and the police were called. After seven hours under arrest, police decided against pressing charges and Tony was released.

Last year, four Christians in Western Europe who were fired from their jobs for either wearing crosses or refusing to endorse homosexual partnerships took their cases to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. The court ruled against three of the four, saying that only one, a British Airways employee, had a right to wear her cross necklace because the airline had made earlier provisions for employees of other faiths to wear religious items. 

Last month, the Obama Administration ruled that a Christian family which had fled to the U.S. from Germany after facing fines and prosecution for homeschooling their children would not be eligible for asylum. In 1938, under Adolf Hitler's National Socialist Party, Germany passed a law requiring all families to send children to public school. This law remains on the books today and is defended as a way to promote "social integration and cohesion." Unfortunately for the Romeike's, who desired to teach their children along orthodox Christian lines and prevent exposure to anti-Biblical concepts, this law means possible fines, jail time, and the loss of their children for refusing to send their kids to public school if they return to Germany. Their legal counsel is currently taking their fight against deportation back to Germany to the U.S. Supreme Court.

While all of these events taken by themselves may not yet warrant the title of outright religious persecution, it is becoming increasingly clear that discrimination against and contempt for conservative Christian values are essentially the norm in Western Europe today. Ironically, when, and if, widespread outright persecution does begin to take place, it will largely go unnoticed, if only because there are so few Christians left who believe in what used to be considered orthodox Christian teaching.

Those who are willing to publicly declare their religious beliefs are fewer still. How much longer conservative Christians will even have this right, if they still do, is unclear.  With so few conservative evangelical Christians, it seems that when the last day of free religious speech in Western Europe does end, it will not be with a bang but a whimper.  If any Christians are still paying attention on that day, chances are they won't be living in Europe.

For interviews, contact Ryan Morgan, Regional Manager for Southeast Asia: 
[email protected]
 
# # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.  For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

International Christian Concern

2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: [email protected]

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    The Martyrdom of ST Stephen, Pietro da Cortona, 1660

    News and Information about
    Persecuted Christians from all around the
    World

    Persecuted saints benefit most from your heartfelt and earnest prayer.

    Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;
    for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him
    .
    James 1:12

    'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the
    devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so
    that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
    Revelation 2:10

    New American Standard Bible 
    (NASB)

    Copyright © 
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    1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
    by
    The Lockman Foundation


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    HOW TO READ A PERSECUTION NEWS STORY

    Trials make the promise sweet;
    Trials give new life to prayer;
    Trials bring me to His feet,
    Lay me low, and keep me there.


    "God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and subjecting them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many long miles with heavy backpacks of sorrow. Well, Christian, may this not account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is the Lord bringing out your graces and making them grow? Is it for this reason He contends with you?"

    Read Why Do I Face Trials?,
    by Alistair Begg, Truth for Life Daily, at One Place

    Christian persecution is just a phenomenon in the
    Middle East.

    Christians aren’t greatly
    impacted by persecution.

    Whatever persecution there is, the damage is superficial - more a loss of multicultural diversity than anything else.

    Christians supposedly bring persecution upon themselves by proselytizing.

    Persecution couldn’t
    happen here.

    Please read 5 Myths about Persecution of Christians, by
    Kristin Wright, at Religion Today.


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