Christian persecution is here and now

When one thinks of the term "Christian persecution," visions of scenes in distant foreign lands may come to mind - Chinese Christians huddled in the dark by candlelight for house church services, or Sudanese Christians struggling for their very lives against onslaughts from a militant Islamic regime.

David Limbaugh, author, attorney, syndicated columnist, political commentator and brother of Rush, shows us in his latest book that Christian persecution, though perhaps in a more subtle form, is actually taking place here and now as well.

Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christianity, a follow-up to his bestseller Absolute Power, offers a meticulously detailed and documented litany of attacks against the Christian faith in the United States - at the same time that other forms of religious or spiritual belief (not to mention anti-religious, pagan or downright satanic sentiments) are allowed free reign.

Limbaugh begins by placing the current attacks on Christianity in the context of an American nation that was founded on godly principles. However, the effort to expunge Christian influences from the U.S. public school system gained steam with the Everson v. Board of Education Supreme Court case of 1947, which dealt with the use of public funds and education. Thus began the recitation of the mantra that has been subsequently repeated in numerous court rulings through the subsequent decades: "separation of church and state," culled from Thomas Jefferson's infamous statement on the subject.

Limbaugh demonstrates that, in fact, the founding fathers of the U.S. had not the slightest intention of eliminating any vestiges of religious belief in the public sphere, let alone in education. He points out that the well-known and often-referred-to Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion" - has been twisted and mangled to the point where the intent of the founders to safeguard religious liberty has now become an open and quite blatant attack, specifically on the Christian faith.

Curiously, other forms of spiritual belief seem to remain untouched. Despite the apparent sanction against religious manifestations in public institutions, and especially in education, New Age, Hinduism, native spirituality, Earth worship and more all flourish under the new paradigm.

In addition, filthy forms of "sex education" flood elementary and secondary schools. In the realm of higher education, the situation is no better. Meanwhile, Christianity is "purged" from the public square and in government offices. Public employees are muzzled from expressing their religious beliefs in even the most innocuous manners. Chaplains are attacked. Corporations promote homosexual and "anti-homophobia" programs while suppressing religious observances. Diversity and sensitivity training sessions are aimed at worldviews other than Christian ones.

Christian sentiments are regularly offended through the arts and in media, and Hollywood is a particular bastion of such manifestations. Although Limbaugh does a capable job of analyzing the situation there, a more comprehensive analysis is provided in Michael Medved's excellent book, Hollywood vs. America. Needless to say, however, the double standard, vis-à-vis Christianity and other worldviews, that is evident in much of the rest of the American society, is magnified in the rarified and elitist air of Hollywood and the rest of the mass entertainment industry.

Toward the end of the book, Limbaugh returns to the beginning, by examining America's Christian roots. He then concludes by considering the issue of America's liberty standing at the crossroads. He consults noted Christian leaders such as Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Michael Novak, Dr. Marvin Olasky, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Nancy Pearcey and Dr. Ravi Zacharias, to get their views on why America has been transformed from a faith powerhouse to a nation seemingly at war against Christianity.