On what grounds do American Christians claim to be persecuted ?

Question

I've heard this claim again and again but I just can't figure out the basis for it. It seems a bit silly to me that 84% of the country complains about being picked on by the other 16%. So, where does this notion come from?

Answer 1

I don't know why they complain, we are supposed to be picked on according to Jesus...

Answer 2

They feel that having tolerance installed equates to removing their rights. To allow for all religions to have an equal ground means not putting any part of one religion into mandatory practice. There would have to be total removal of religion from anything that includes everyone. This may seem to favour atheists, but in reality it simply allows for equal rights for everyone.

When God made us, He gave us free will. He did not ask for His people to take that free will away again. This is something that Christians should note when declaring the country to be Christian. The persecution surely is not there. Jesus did say that the meek shall inherit the Earth. Let us be meek, in His name, and seek to preserve God's plan of free will.

[Brightness]

Answer 3

1) Being vilified for celebrating Christmas or wishing someone a "Merry Christmas". What is so wrong with wishing someone well - regardless of their religion? That only shows me that they don't have a tolerance for my religion & this is offensive to me

2) Saying "God Bless You" to someone who sneezes. I can see if I said, "May bad luck fall on you 'til the end of your days!" Again, I'm wishing you good health. Why do you have an intolerance for my religion?

3) Not letting my child pray in school. That's a violation of his/her right to freedom of religion. If you don't want your child to pray, fine. But, don't take away my child's right to freely express himself/herself through prayer

4) Banning cross necklaces/earrings, etc. in school. Why are those banned but upside-down gothic crosses are allowed, for example?

5) At work, I've heard several people cursing the name of Jesus & no one bats an eyelash, but if someone said "$%#@ mohammed!" in an office setting, WW3 would break out

I have several more examples, but you get the point

Answer 4

I hate the smug, self-righteous b******s! I persecute them at every opportunity!

Answer 5

They define themselves being "prosecuted" by not being allowed to Make ALL The Rules/Laws for the *whole country*.

They're just like spoiled children...

Answer 6

Claims to be christian...84%?

I like how Maya Angelou handled that claim on an individual basis.  A young woman introduced herself to the author/poet, saying she was a christian.  Angelou replied, "Already?"

Those who follow christianity would do well to remember that even their god Jesus assumed an aura of humility, according to their own traditions about him.

Answer 7

Christians get ridiculed by people spouting off scientific facts.

Answer 8

Have you seen some of the stuff Protestants have said about Catholics? There ya go!

Answer 9

for me it comes from experience.

Edit: I was born and raised Roman Catholic and all my life i've had to listen to my dad's side of the family tell me that I'm going to h**l because i'm Catholic. My grandmother and my dad make fun of me for believing in God at all.  It also doesn't help that I'm also disabled. They also have told me that no matter how much I pray because of my disability I'm doomed to be in h**l. My dad's entire family are atheists and don't believe in God. He has constantly bashed me for my faith and for my husband becoming Catholic and for us raising our son Catholic as well.

Answer 10

what is religion with out complaints they all ***** and hate each other thats all they know. i have seen to many hens in the back of pews whispering negative ideas about people and other religions  

Answer 11

Can't be religious in public schools, whereas other religions are given a lot of tolerance because of political correctness.

Example- I was sent home in first grade for bringing in a book about how St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland on St. Patrick's Day. It was a FREAKING CHILDREN'S BOOK, not the Catechism of the Catholic Church, for heaven's sake!

Dumb, huh?

Answer 12

" It seems a bit silly to me that 84% of the country complains about being picked on by the other 16%. So, where does this notion come from?"

Random numbers ftw? You can't assume the 16% that don't complain are the ones doing the bullying. In fact, I would think it better to assume the people picking on others are in that 84% bracket, and the 16% are just the one's who learn how to get over it.

All hail the 16%. We should strive to be more like them.

Answer 13

Well when they take away the nativity scene, but allow other icons of other religions to be seen, then there is something wrong.  Prayer in school, well, there should be a quiet time for those who wish to pray, can pray, and those who don't want to, well they can text away or play vid games, or whatever.  Being called a Jesus Freak doesn't bug me one bit.  I take it as a compliment actually. (just don't call me a fundie).  I think that it's the politically correct who is doing the persecuting, I don't see the use of being politically correct, because to me, it's tap dancing around issues (I'm a gimp, and I know it so don't call me hadicapable).  As for having been persecuted, well my late husband would make fun of me for my faith, but when it came right down to it, he would always request for me to pray when he was in need.  Strange, is that not?

Answer 14

when they can't get their own way (ie legislating their morality), they scream persecution.

Answer 15

I think that the wording of your stat should be 84% of the country CLAIM to be Christian.

If I throw a pepsi label on a bottle of sprite, is it pepsi because I put a new label on it or is it still sprite? Many people label themselves as Christian, yet they lead a very different lifestyle. I say there must be evidence to what you say you believe.

To be honest, when I saw your question I thought you were going to point out the fact that American Christians claim persecution while Christians in China are jailed and tortured for owning a Bible. Men, women, and children are tortured and killed in places like Pakistan and Afghanastan for their beliefs in the God of the Bible.

Answer 16

Yes, like when I am protesting at the local Planned Parenthood (which I have a perfect constitutional right to do), and someone tries to jump the curb and run me over, then get out and rip up my signs? Or drive by and shout obscenities at me? Or someone who knocks an old lady down who is protesting? We are there to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. So much for those "peace-loving" pro-aborts!

Or how about that pastor who was attacked and killed by g**s at a "g*y Pride" parade simply for quoting Scripture? And local governments that label the Bible as "hate speech"?

Answer 17

When Grandmas Go to Jail for Witnessing

Google “Arlene Elshinnawy” and you will pull up 9 pages of results from Christian news sites which tell you that this sweet little 75 year old grandmother was arrested for preaching against homosexuality on a Philadelphia sidewalk. She has become the poster grandma of the Christian’s victimization at the hands of hate crime laws, appearing on every right-wing show from Bill O’Reilly to Focus on the Family.

From my favorite, World Net Daily:

“Arrested for sharing the Gospel? An expected outcome in North Korea, China or any Muslim country on the globe. But in Pennsylvania? Yep. Arlene Elshinnawy, a 75-year-old grandmother of three ... (along with nine others), were arrested for sharing their faith on the public sidewalk in Philadelphia, Pa., USA. They faced 47 years (the rest of their lives) in jail for spreading the Gospel because of a Pennsylvania "hate crimes" law ...”

In order to find the real story, I had to Google Philly Pride and Arlene Elshinnawy together. Which returned the actual court documents for this case, always the best source for the truth. Which is this:

On October 10, 2004, the g*y rights organization Philly Pride held a festival known as OutFest which covered several streets in the g*y neighborhood of Philadelphia, for which they had obtained all the legal permits. Streets were blocked off from traffic, vendors were set up, stages assembled for presentations, etc.

It was well-publicized in the news that the Christian anti-g*y group Repent America planned to disrupt the event, which they had done at several other similar events across the nation. Philly Pride asked the city to step in and prevent the protesters from coming into the festival area, since they had obtained a legal permit to hold a private, non-publicly funded event, and wanted to avoid any confrontation.

The city declined the request. As the court document shows, however, Repent America “did not seek or obtain a permit to conduct any expressive activities at the OutFest location.”

Philly Pride knew they would be there, though, and they decided to recruit volunteers to form a “human buffer” against Repent America’s protestors.

On the day of the festival, members of Repent America, including the grannies, illegally entered the area, complete with signage, bullhorns, and a documentary film crew (see court document).

What ensued was a face-off between the g**s and the anti-g**s, with much yelling and screaming for hours, drawing crowds in the thousands. As the court document shows, the anti-g**s (do I really have to call them Christian?) were menacing and taunting, calling a member of Philly Pride “she man” repeatedly, making school-yard jokes about 5 O’clock shadow, etc.

The Philly police officers who, god love them, were overseeing the festival, allowed this to continue for quite some time as it is within both parties’ First Amendment rights to try to out-scream each other. It was only when officers asked members of Repent America to move to a different location, as they were blocking access to a stage presentation, that trouble erupted. The anti-g**s threw themselves to the ground and began screaming about their First Amendment rights. They were subsequently arrested for “disorderly conduct, disobeying the order of a police officer, and related charges.”

They turned around and sued the city for violation of their civil rights, and the judge threw the case out of court. But four years later, the Christian myth machine is still milking this one for all it's worth, spreading the lie that grandmas who were singing and praying on a public sidewalk were handcuffed and hauled off to jail for Jesus' sake.

I do, in fact, believe Ms. Elshinawwy is a victim. But not of any hate crimes law.  

Answer 18

Find out here:

http://nopersecution.blogspot.com/

Answer 19

Non Christians want to have Christianity removed from schools, government, laws, pledges, money, etc, and make all religions (or lack there of) equal.  Equality = persecution when you are the only religion in charge.

Answer 20

For those that think that they are being persecuted, go speak to a survivor of the Holocaust, then tell me you are being persecuted.

Answer 21

They believe equal rights are a form of persecution.

i.e. g*y people getting equal pay, spousal rights, protection in the work place etc. is 'persecution.'