By T. Steelman | 13 September 2015
Addicting Info
All this talk of “religious liberty” and “persecution” got me thinking… how can Christians tell if they are being persecuted? I mean, maybe they are and don’t know it? There has to be a way to know for sure?!
We here at Addicting Info are here to help. Because nowadays, with the Supreme Court saying that gays are actually people who have rights in America, “religious freedom” is so hard to ascertain. Why, one can’t even bully a gay couple anymore without being called a bigot! And all of those dirty sluts women using birth control — how dare they think that they can control their own reproductive health? Not being able to tell others how to live infringes upon the “liberty” of American Christians, right?
Maybe no, maybe sí… Below, are seven tell-tale signs that you are being persecuted. Just answer the question. If you answered “yes,” you’re NOT being persecuted. If you answered “no” to any question, contact your local ACLU chapter.
Are you allowed to go to a religious service of your own choosing? If you are, then you are not being persecuted. If you still think you are being persecuted even though you can meet with others of your faith wherever you wish, think again. In other countries, such as North Korea, Christians cannot meet with other Christians. If they do and are found out, they may be tortured or executed. Maybe you should meet with your prayer group to discuss.
Are you allowed to pray in the privacy of your own home? Lucky you! In many Islamic countries, praying — even at home — can be punished. Maybe send up a prayer of thanks that you can pray whenever you like in your own home. Without worrying about being arrested.
Can you purchase, read or possess religious books or material? You can walk into a Barnes & Noble anywhere in America — and beyond — and buy a Bible. So many kinds of Bibles, too! 5,675 in an online search at the B&N website. And you can even have them sent to you or download them! You can keep them safely in your home, too. You can even have other religious material: books, video, music, coloring books. In North Korea, that’s another infraction that can get you killed. The Gideons (those nice folks who provide those Bibles in your hotel room) have a list of countries (pdf) in which the Bible is banned. Go read your Bible in good health and with no threat of death.
Is your religious group allowed to build a house of worship in your community? Do you have a church building? Did anyone protest its being built? Were there “fixes” in at City Hall to hold up or deny the building permits for it? No? Then consider yourself lucky. In Saudi Arabia, churches are forbidden (yes, Sean Hannity got one right). Even here in America, some faiths have considerable trouble in building a house of worship, if it can be done at all. On September 10, 2015 the city planning commission of Sterling Heights, Michigan voted 9-0 to deny the construction of a mosque. Crowds cheered the decision. Funny how there are a lot of churches there, yet not one Muslim protested any of them. So next time you head to church, think about how great it is that you have one.
Can you teach your children about your faith at home? Good deal! Many Christians do this without complaint, understanding that home and church is the place to provide this education. Others think that they can impose their religious beliefs on the public schools. In Texas, Fundamentalist Christians have forced their beliefs — religious and political — into the very textbooks that are used in most public schools. This is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause. Because public schools are paid for by the public (hence the “public” part), and not everyone is Christian (gasp!), public monies (aka taxes) cannot be used to teach Christian beliefs. Or any other religion’s beliefs. So, teaching your kids about your religion at home and at church should be good enough. If you can do this, you are not being persecuted.
Is your religious group allowed equal protection under the establishment clause? That is to say, is the government taking their side against you? All religions are protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. The government is not allowed to give any one religion preferential treatment. Of course, we know that Christianity has, in the past, received such treatment merely by brunt of numbers. But, in the 21st century, we are holding the government to the letter of the First Amendment. This is why we expect all religions to be treated the same under the law. This came as a big surprise in Oklahoma when, in passing a bill to allow religious monuments on state property, all religions had to be given this right. So when the Satanic Temple pressed the issue, the Oklahoma legislature tried to gut their own state constitution. So Remember, if the government promotes one religion over yours, that’s bad. If the government enforces the law in regards to other religions being equal to yours, that’s good. And it’s not persecution.
Are you threatened with violence/injury/death in your country? Were you grabbed by a mob and whipped because of your beliefs? In some African countries, Christians were beaten and killed (pdf) this year: over 2,400 in Nigeria alone, over 4,300 total. Here in America, violence against Muslims has skyrocketed since 2001. On average, 100-150 violent crimes against Muslims occur in the U.S. every year. In Papua New Guinea, at least 2,100 people who were accused of being witches have been killed since the turn of the century. When you lock your door before your bedtime prayers tonight, send up thanks that you don’t have to worry about an angry mob or state police kicking that door in tonight.
All over the world Christians are actually being persecuted. Here in America, people of other faiths — mostly Muslim — are being persecuted. The claims by certain pseudo-Christians that they are also being persecuted are false and self-serving. These claims are nothing more than the childish whining of people who are finally learning that the Constitution doesn’t give them preferential treatment.
“Religious liberty” does not mean the right to dictate the law of the land. It does not mean that you can bully, badger or otherwise worry individuals based on their not following your faith. It does not give you the right to stop doing your government job because of your beliefs (looking at you, Kim Davis).
You are not being persecuted if you are called a bigot because of your beliefs; freedom of speech doesn’t exclude you from the consequences of practicing that right. You’re not being persecuted if you are not allowed to drag your religious beliefs into the public schools. Or build a 10 commandments monument on government (read: public) property.
American Christians seem to think that not getting their way is “persecution.” For American Christians to claim that they are being persecuted is a huge disrespect for those who actually ARE being persecuted in the rest of the world.
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Religious belief is silly
That's what makes the US great! You are allowed to express your feelings, and I'm allowed to say that I disagree.
And, I'm allowed to agree that all religious beliefs are silly. Especially, yours.
Amen to this. The same people who proclaim themselves Warriors for Jesus are the first to cry persecution when they don't get their way.
The preface of your argument is wrong.
Where is the cry from Christians that gays are not human beings. I am against gay marriage but not for religious reasons. There ARE valid reasons to object. The attempt to make them seem silly and/or religious in nature is a distortion and an ignorant tactic.
Where is the Christian outcry that women who use birth control are "dirty sluts". Another distortion. Having taxpayers pay for birth control is wrong. Killing unborn children is wrong. I have valid reasons to object and they are not based on religion.
Being able to practice religion without being killed in this country is because this country was founded by religious men who respected everyones individual right to their own beliefs. It was not founded by Athiest.
It's a distortion to compare Christianity to Islam and lump them together under the same heading of religion. The ultimate distortion.
All you did was make a lot of statements with no explanation
The country was founded by Deists, – ie rational thinkers wedded to the ideas of the European Enlightenment. ..they were not profoundly 'religious, they were secularists, hence the separation of church and state.
The word you're actually using is "premise", not "preface". Your lack of education in using the wrong word in your Fascist Christian Plutartheocrat BS/diatribe speaks volumes about your ignorance and bigotry. If the admins allow my stand-alone comment, read it, Jeff. You won't like it because it tells the truth about you and your FCPer comrades. But, you need to see/hear it, anyway.
Are you just trolling or have you not watched the news in decades? Everything you’ve said you can google if you want. It happens all the time. And there is no good reason to be against Gay rights, you are just a bigot. Leave others alone. This country was founded by secular values. Do the research. You can’t be this ignorant of reality. Most of the founding fathers were either deists, or atheists. Do you really not know this? Were you home schooled? Honestly, all this info is out there and you are oblivious to it. Tax payers pay tax, a part of that tax goes towards health. Birth Control for health issues, not just because some women don’t want babies, but because they could die if they don’t have birth control. You really need to get an education, because you are showing that you have no clue about what is going on in the world. Keep watching fox news and listening to Rush Limbaugh, or learn something.
what is your reason for not wanting gay couples to be happy and get married like heterosexual couples?
hey Jeff … RIP Betty, RIP
– Religion IS Perishing –
What is your reason against gay marriage if not religious?
No Jeff, there are NO valid reasons or arguments against Gay marriage, only biased and bigoted ones. Married couples get all kinds of benefits because they are married. Like discounts on taxes, insurance, etc. Just on the taxes alone to treat gay couples any differently would be unconstitutional. You say your reason's aren't religious, then just what ARE your reasons . Plus you REALLY need to study the founding fathers thoughts on religion and government a lot closer. The reason people aren't killed for their religious beliefs, or lack thereof, is because of the constitution, and only the constitution. And I would bet you that some of the founding fathers were Atheists, just like many of our current politicians, they just don't admit to it. For you education, there are two, and only two, mentions of religion in the constitution. Neither of them promote it, in fact they do the opposite. It says "Congress shall make NO laws respecting the establishment of religion, it also says NO religious test shall ever be required for ANY government office.
I'm intrigued
What are your non religious arguments against birth control
Or it it the 'paid for by tax payers' bit? It's much much cheaper for tax payers to fund birth control than have to fund caring for unwanted babies/children,,, by several orders of magnitude
And non-religious arguments against gay marriage? Go on,,,,,, I've never heard any so far.
Bigot.
By "preface" did you "premise" It makes a difference.
Religious belief is silly.
Not half as silly as copying a comment that someone else already posted twice.
Wow, Jeff. Such Fascist Christian Plutartheocrat BS you’ve spewed and, while doing it, you’ve just validated the author’s points in the article.
So, if your objection to same-sex marriage isn’t religious in nature (which would make you one of the very few to make that claim), what is/are your objection(s) to it? Four parts of the US Constitution make it legal.
Your BS about taxpayers paying for abortions is just that: BS. Obviously, either you haven’t heard about the Hyde Amendment (which disallows the government to fund abortions) or you’re trying to distort the argument with your FCPer BS.
“Killing unborn children is wrong”. In a Facebook note I wrote nearly two years ago, I correctly point out that the religious argument against abortion is bogus. The reasons for that are simple. First, the first half of the First Amendment legally disallows the transference of religious doctrine into our laws. Second, the Holy Bible doesn’t even mention abortion, let alone outlaw it. Furthermore, there are three passages in the Bible where “God” himself says that a fetus is not a human being until He gives it the “breath of life”, aka, it’s born. Before a fetus becomes a human being, it gets everything it needs from the umbilical cord. It doesn’t “breathe”. So, there goes your FCPer BS argument there. BTW: in the Roe v. Wade case, the Supreme Court actually VIOLATED religious doctrine by ruling that a fetus is a viable human being at 24 weeks. They also did rule, however, that an abortion is legal after the 24-week mark if not doing so would put the mother’s life in jeopardy.
In fact, Jeff, your whole comment is an exercise in a psychiatric ploy and the worst form of hypocrisy known as “projection”. You have a right to your own opinion but not your own facts. The fact that your opinion is based on bigotry and Fascism shows us how dangerous you and your GOP/FCPer comrades are to this country. The Fascist Christian Plutartheocracy you seek so badly awaits you in the Russian Federation. You need to renounce your US citizenship and move there. Otherwise, we’re going to call you out on your propaganda and BS, even though you claim that you have free speech rights and they’re being violated by those who call you out on your bigotry.