| | Report: Secular intolerance of Christians' views is leading to self-censorship | | Curated for you byCP Editors | | Good afternoon! It's Monday, June 13, and today's headlines include a report revealing that Christians are having to practice self-censorship due to secular intolerance, details of Iran using proxy militias to drive Christians out of the Middle East, and the Satanic Temple's removal from a pride event following backlash. | | A report on a series of case studies conducted in France, Germany, Mexico, and Colombia has revealed that "[s]ecular intolerance has a chilling effect on Christians, which directly affects their capacity to express their faith freely in society and is leading to various forms of self-censorship." From the fear of legal proceedings to discrimination charges and disciplinary actions at their places of work, people are increasingly electing to keep expressions of faith or opinions on issues related to life, marriage, and family private "because they had witnessed sanctions or prosecutions to which colleagues or peers had been subjected," the report notes. Many incidents cited in the report might seem insignificant, the authors say, but "these many small things together cause ‘death by a thousand cuts,'" highlighting that the subtle and often non-physically violent nature of this chilling effect is often misunderstood or ignored, which has resulted in it remaining invisible. This, in turn, has led to the phenomenon failing to be recognized in religious freedom datasets, including those conducted by the Pew Research Center, the authors concluded. | Madeleine Enzelberger, executive director of OIDAC Europe, said the study "raises the legitimate question of how is it possible in a mature, liberal democratic society that stands for tolerance, diversity, and inclusive and open discourse, that people are frightened to freely speak their minds?" according to Christian Today. Read more.Also of Interest ...EU claims Israel Supreme Court decision jeopardizes Christian heritage in JerusalemPakistan court upholds death sentence of Christian brothers in blasphemy case'Lion of Judah' statue celebrating Jewish-Christian ties dedicated in Jerusalem | | P.S. Volume 2 of CP Magazine is here! If you'd like to help support Christian journalism, this digital-only offering runs just $19.99 annually—or get your free copy when you sign-up for a free Christian Post account. Sign-up to download your flipbook or PDF copy today. |
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| Iran reportedly using proxy militias to drive Christians out of Middle East | | Through its proxy militias, Iran is carrying out an "invisible jihad" against Christians in the Middle East with the aim of creating a Muslim demographic purity by producing conditions that would force Christians out of the region, according to a new report from the Philos Project, a nonprofit that promotes Christian engagement in the region. Defining invisible jihad as "demographic reduction through coerced emigration," the report adds that "these militias use extant conflicts to manufacture conditions behind the massive exodus." The rise of "Khomenism," introduced by Ayatollah Khomeini, the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989, is behind the exodus of Christians from the Middle East, the report said. As Iran realized Christians could not be killed en masse, the regime opted for the "alternative policy of eliminationism through coercive immigration." Read more. | | Satanic Temple removed from 'pride' event featuring 'unbaptisms' amid backlash | | The Satanic Temple was stripped from the roster of an Idaho pride event on Saturday after sponsors, who were seemingly supportive of an event that also targeted impressionable children, started bowing out amid backlash for including a group that has Satan in its name. The "family-friendly" event was sponsored by nationally and locally recognized groups, such as the Idaho chapter of the ACLU, Citizen's Climate Lobby, and a local library. The Satanic Temple Idaho's (TST) participation in the Coeur d’Alene event was to include something it calls "unbaptisms." In a Facebook post advertising the event that has since been removed, TST Idaho said that its members would still be attending the event and would "have merchandise for sale, be offering support to our community and performing unbaptisms for those interested! Just know, Satan loves you for you! Hail Satan!" Read more. | | How Christians should think about inflation and investing | | How should Christians think about investing? In this CP Analysis article, Jimmy Song discusses inflation, investing, and wealth management through a biblical lens. "As Christians, we need to think about these two types of investment. Are we investing money in excess of our needs, or are we 'investing' because we don't want to get robbed by inflation?" he questions. Read more. |
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