US Makes Hall of Shame List of Countries Engaged in Religious Persecution


prisonchaplain
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The attached link is to an article that has the US joining countries like North Korea and Saudi Arabia, for engaging in religious persecution. The organization notes, towards the end, that Americans face less danger than in most overseas countries, but earns its place on the list due to the rapid decline in liberty--especially in practicing faith in the public square.

http://www.persecution.org/persecutionnl/2017-01/ICC 2016 Hall of Shame Report.pdf

So...is this report over-done?  Do we dare protest religious persecution and run the risk of "crying wolf?"  On the other hand, is the trend mentioned a serious concern?  AND, will the change in government reverse, or even slow down the direction?

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I agree that this is a truth:  Throughout the United States conflicts are are happening between Christian businesses, organizations and individuals through legal action, free speech infringement, public expressions of faith and employment.

One can hope Christian First Amendment rights will start being restored in the coming years.  This certainly would not have been the case under Hillary Clinton.

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To determine the legitimacy of including the US on the list, one would have to know how other western countries are rated, and how they ought to be rated.  E.g. How does the trend in the US compare to that in Canada, Australia, or the UK?  (And if they're as bad or worse, then one would have to ask: Why weren't they on the list?)  I don't know the answers to these questions, I'm just saying that seems like the litmus test here.

Whatever else is true, the situation cited on the timeline at the end (and everything like it) ought to terrify every American:

Quote

United  States: The  Georgia   Department  of  Public  Health   (DPH)   terminated   Dr.   Eric    Walsh,    a    leading    public     health    expert    who    also     serves as a lay minister, due  to  the  content  of  his  sermons.  The  DPH  sent  workers  to  investigate  his  sermons  on  issues  of  health,   homosexuality,   and   other    topics,    and    subsequently     retaliated.

 

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I believe the "comfort" that both sides of the equation feel comes from believing that their "lives" are not in danger.  Apart from the gay nightclub incident mentioned in the report, all the other issues were of the non-violent kind: legal action, termination of employment, negative talk via media and much of the public circle, marginalization via court decisions and legislation, etc.

The problem is that when much of this comes with government backing, that by definition is a violent act.  But most people simply don't see it that way.  Just how far is it from being penalized, sued, or run out of business due to refusal to bake a cake for a gay wedding; to being imprisoned for the same?  And if you run from such imprisonment how likely are you to get killed because of it?

Notice that apart from media, all the others have exhibited violence or government intrusion (a surreptitious form of violence).  And one could even argue that the media is inciting violence.

But let's not cry wolf about people losing their jobs, their reputations, their licenses, their businesses, their life savings, their properties, etc.  I mean, it's only money.

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