In Today's Culture, Do You See Evidence of a War on Christianity?

Voices
Friday, May 5, 2006 1:43 PM

No. A cultural "war on Christianity" is a social construct dreamed up by right-wing "Christians" who need to operate and motivate out of fear in the absence of sound biblical interpretation and authentic community ethos.

The real threat to Christianity today -- the authentic and ancient belief in Jesus's message of reconciliation, hospitality, and peace -- is a self-concerned evangelism that is captive to an atomistic idea of the Gospel and a market-driven model of individual choice -- the very individualism that conservative social critics deplore in other contexts.

--Andrew Genszler, Washington, D.C.

Is there a war being waged against Christianity in our country, in our culture and in our world? There is no clear cut answer to that question.

There is unquestionable violence and oppression against Christianity in much of the world. The church is being persecuted in an unprecedented fashion across the globe. In many of those cases it is less of a war on Christianity and more of a struggle for power by the controlling governments or religious bodies. In the United States Christianity is not met with violence, but rather the kind of indifference and contempt that can only come from a culture that has come to reject the very notions of community, service, and submission, which are tenet of Christianity. The church in America is in decline primarily because of individualism and consumerism. The church, when living according to the teachings of Christ, lives in contrast to our culture. So in some ways the church is at war with our culture. The culture views the church as irrelevant and the church views the culture as hedonistic and selfish.

--Greg Arthur, Associate Pastor, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Do I feel there is a war on Christianity? Absolutely NOT. There is a Marketing War among those who's business is Church and profits come from a "Chicken Little mentality" about scaring people into submission.

If there is a War on Christianity it's a war among factions trying to manipulate the public for funds to support special interest groups and divide the nation along religious lines.

All need to read the 'Sermon on the Mount' and use that as a guide to profiteering off of someone's faith.

--Jim MacKrell, Conroe, Tex.

The "War on Christianity" is just another example of aggressors painting themselves as victims. Moderate "live and let live"

Christians don't have a problem with America's growing religious diversity. Fundamentalists feel threatened by that diversity and attempt to suppress it by pressuring and coercing others to live by their rules. That's where the battlefront in this "War" is.

--Jeff Winter, Seattle, Wash.

Yes, I do. In today's society unfortunately "freedom of religion" has really been implemented and interpreted as "freedom FROM Christianity."

The world ignores the murder or oppression of Christians in countries like Saudi Arabia or Indonesia yet thinks the violence over cartoons of Islam to be acceptable and justifiable. The Bible instructs us to pray for our enemies and those that oppress us. Islam requires submission to their religion or death. Yet the world sees Jesus as the one who was wrong?

--Trisha Marsh Johnson, Athens, Ga.

There is no war against Christianity. But, there is a backlash against those who fanatically and often venomously try to push their beliefs upon others, be it in the street in front of an abortion center, in front of a school board or in the legislative halls.

Any belief that must be sold with fear or force or requires the support of civil law is a weak religious doctrine.

--C. L. Waltemath, Portland, Ore.

Materialist culture battles Christianity. It's an undeclared war, subtle, at times active, most times passive. It's selfishness versus selflessness; greed, charity; doubt, faith.

Few people think of themselves as casualties in this fight. Yet Christianity, when practiced more than forty minutes on a Sunday, reveals the fracturing energy contained within anger, bigotry, impatience, and legions of other faults.

But secular narcissists see only other people as broken. None truly enjoy peering at their own splitting image. The answer for many? Destroy the cross-shaped mirror that pains you.

Christians, to win this struggle, need practice that most demanding virtue -- forgiveness.

--Lawrence P. McGuire, Waldorf, Md.

The question is so ridiculous that I wonder how it started. It flies in the face of reality. Over 90 percent of Americans consider themselves Christians. There are evangelists and promoters of some form of Christianity on almost every street corner, especially in low income and poverty stricken areas. Christianity is promoted in the movies, mainstream press, magazines, and some state and local governments. Christianity has a foothold in America that will be passed on for generations.

The masses must have something to believe in since so many people who struggle from day to day with various health and personal issues are already in a living "hell." Therefore, most people must have something to believe in to exist from day-to-day. As Marx stated, "Religion is the opium for the masses."

Religion is a necessity in order to have an orderly and compliant society. That is one of the reasons why it is promoted and tolerated by the rich and powerful who control most of the world's resources. Large numbers of the rich and powerful are enjoying their "heaven" here on earth. Whereas the working class and poor "believe" they will need to die to reach "heaven."

--Robert Whiting, Palm Coast, Fla.

The Christian right controls one of the only two major political parties in the United States, exerting inappropriate influence about policy on members of Congress, determining judicial appointments, obstructing the path of potential nominees it doesn't approve of.

I can't imagine how this translates into "a war against Christianity,"

except that anything less than 100 percent compliance is unacceptable to them. Their "war against Christianity" is really just inflammatory language for advocacy of the United States Constitution and the separation of church and state.

--Marilyn Goodman, Yaphank, N.Y.

Since the definition of war means, "a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism," there is clear evidence of a cultural war on Christianity (and other religions) all around us. For example, the mainstream media rarely hesitates to sensationalize any story that allegedly undercuts the divinity of Christ while downplaying stories that speak to the faithful. For example, a fantasy story like the DaVinci Code is treated like a serious historical matter while movies like the Passion are widely condemned as historically inaccurate and pornographically violent. The latest example is the recent release of the Gospel of Judas.

--Wayne Cimons, Tuckahoe, N.Y.

Many self-styled Christians supported a U.S. attack on Iraq that has inflicted unimaginable horror on thousands of men, women and children in both countries. It is a slap in the face of Jesus to support war. It is another slap to advertise yourself as a victim in this trumped up war of words over creationism, Christmas and school prayer. If there is any war on Christianity, it is the war waged by those who call themselves followers of Jesus while proving they are nothing of the kind.

--Frank Mortimer, Foxboro, Mass.

"War on Christianity" is nonsense, and revs up the blatting, gassy climate that characterizes most public debate on culture. It would be more reasonable to use the term "war" for our neglect of the poor, dumbing-down of education, impoverishment of children and the elderly, hysteria about gay citizens, scapegoating of immigrants and destruction of the environment. For the self-righteous to flaunt the word to claim victimhood is an insult to the thousands of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians who have died in the real war in Iraq.

--Laura Wallace, Charlottesville, Va.

Quite the opposite. I see evidence of what I call "counterfeit Christians" imposing their far-out views on everyone, whether we like it or not. My religious beliefs, or lack of them, are my business and no one else's. I find the effort of the counterfeit Christians to replace good science with superstition and rational ethical thinking with pseudo-Biblical "law" seriously troubling. I don't care what people believe, but I worry when people expect belief in magic and the supernatural to be taken seriously alongside science and reason. If standing up against superstition is "anti-Christian", then perhaps the problem is with the so-called "Christians" and not with me.

--Philip. J. Tramdack, New Castle, Pa.

A war on Christianity? None whatever. Christians are, and ought to be, fully free to practice their religion as they see fit -- in their own homes and places of worship, and on their own dime. Some of us non-Christians do have problems when our kids are required to recite their prayers, or when our kids are taught their religious doctrines as science in the schools, or when those doctrines attempt to dictate public policy for all of us -- as with stem-cell research, reproductive freedom, disease prevention, and the teaching of modern biology and cosmology.

--Douglas G. Mook, New York, N.Y.

I don't believe it's a war against Christianity so much as any acknowledgement of God. Concrete examples are the current program substituting Before the Common Era (BCE) for BC (Before Christ). This effort is akin to the arrogance of French revolutionists when they replaced calendar day names and counting of years with a system based on the year of the revolution. Another example is the attempt to replace an "Act of God" at law with absurdly long phrases saying the same thing but avoiding naming God. It's akin to generational chauvinism but with much deeper consequences if successful.

--John Gallagher, Alexandria, Va.

The answer to this question probably has a lot to do with the circles a person chooses to run in. We all have blind spots, and they are often made bigger when we choose to associate almost exclusively with those who basically see the world as we do. Too many Christians think the world in its totality is completely against Christianity, while too many non-Christians wrongly insist that society does not harbor an anti-Christian bias. The truth is in the middle. Much of society is ambivalent about Christianity and the legitimate role it plays in society.

Some portions of society welcome Christianity's contributions. Other portions actively fight against Christianity (particularly the "conservative" kind), all the while insisting that they're not playing favorites. The Post's Editorial page is a particularly egregious example of this. So yes, there is a war against Christianity, but it is a war that is being prosecuted by a minority section of society against a particular type of Christianity, the "conservative" kind.

--Jason Foster, Arlington, Va.

It's safe to say, when the world begins to embrace a "gospel" from the man that sold the Lord Jesus Christ to be killed, there is definitely a war taking place against Bible Christianity. The acceptance of the gospel of Judas brings a supposedly Christian nation down to a new level of stupidity. To overlook the very words of Jesus Christ himself saying that Judas would betray him prior to his betrayal is wicked and absurd. The word betrayal in and of itself carries negative implications. Rebellion has crippled this country and left us stupid before the enemy that takes many forms, yet cannot be seen. The "gospel of Judas" is just the newest manifestation.

--R. Brandon Edgar, Tampa, Fla.

There is not a war on Christianity. Rather, the fundamentalists of Christianity are waging a war (crusade) against those who disagree with their archaic set of social mores. One front in their crusade is a campaign of disinformation; they would have the media believe that they are under attack from all directions. We see evidence of this when The Washington Post poses such an attention grabbing question as 'Is there evidence of a war on Christianity.' The Post is aiding the crusade by attempting to rile up the populace.

--Kevin Dwyer, Hyattsville, Md.

If there's an outright war on Christianity, then it could've fooled me! Christians still have the same religious freedom that they and everyone else in this country have always had! The only fighting I see going on is for the rights of non-Christians to be able to live their lives and practice their faiths free from aggressive proselytizing/evangelizing, outright harassment, and imposition of the Christian religion on their lives in any form. That simple demand does not constitute a declaration of war; rather, it serves to reinforce the fact that freedom of religion in this country means ANY religion, as well as the fact that no one has the right to force their beliefs on another person!

--Amanda K. Maynard, Boonsboro, Md.

I'm a Mexican-American woman from a predominantly Hispanic culture where Catholicism and the Catholic Church have always had enormous influence.

Here in the Southwest, we do not see any attacks on Christianity. What we have seen in the last 10 years is what can only be described as a blatant, almost sacrilegious use of religion by political extremists to advance political agendas. When I hear Tom DeLay claim that attacks against him are attacks against Christianity, I cringe. Mr. DeLay and those of his ilk have successfully exploited peoples fears and exploited the use of Christianity to advance their extreme agendas. What Americans should fear is not attacks on their religion, but those who in the name of a Christian god would destroy those who they neither understand, nor have respect for.

--Yolanda Jurado-Gesswein, Edinburg, Tex.

The global war on Christianity is 2006 years old. If you can be a slave-owning nation; massacre Native Americans; and place Asian-Americans into interment camps and still consider yourself a Christian nation, then the war on American-Christianity is relatively new. "One Nation under God" was added to the pledge in 1954. "In God we trust" wasn't printed on money until 1957. Were we less Christian before the cold war? The war on Christianity is self-imposed. It was caused by mindless backing of the Korean/Vietnam/Iraq wars, prosperity preaching in the pulpit, television evangelists and sexual molestation in the Diocese. You can't impose righteousness when you are not righteous.

--Sean L. Wright, Bowie, Md.

There isn't a war against Christianity. There is a definite shift about the value of it because people have come to realize how the power of religious zealotry has been systematically destroying societies and countries around the world.

--Victor Kelley, Monroeville Pa.

The aspect of the war on Christianity that is most harmful is by those who are Christians. Jesus asked, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" Christians who destroy God's creation, don't love, but kill enemies, who seek money and power, or do not have compassion on aliens attack Christianity most harmfully.

--James J Foxvog, Tiskilwa Ill.

Why is it that the people who claim most strongly that there is a 'war on Christianity' tend to be part of large and well-funded activist coalitions? It is these coalitions that have successfully put George W. Bush into the presidency while pushing to overturn Roe v. Wade, to teach the non-theory of "intelligent design" in science classes, and to pass communist-style censorship laws to govern university course content. If Islam or Judaism had such a large influence on American politics, these coalitions would be among the first to declare war on it, claiming violations of the principles of secular governance.

--Leo Trottier, La Jolla, Calif.

No, Christianity is not under attack. Liberals and other non-religious types fight against the conservative agenda, including anti-abortion and tax cuts for the rich. Problems arise when church and state are indistinguishable and religious fanatics dictate day-to-day life. One of Christianity's many strengths is its service component, and even the most atheist of atheists should agree that a church feeding the homeless and providing counseling is a positive contribution. It is when the Christian right oversteps its bounds by entering the political arena that liberals get upset. Therefore the issue is not Christianity itself, but its boundaries.

--Azzia Zur "Oz", Berkeley, Calif.

No, I do not see a war on Christianity.

Conservative members of Christian sects who believe that anything other than their value system is "bad" and "wrong" feel threatened by the ever emerging diversity of belief and thought in this country, so they find it necessary to spin this change a "war".

Calling it a "war" trivializes those who have been and are currently being persecuted because of their faith and I find it appalling.

When Christians in this country experience the same atrocities Jews in Europe experienced during World War II only then will they then be able to call it a war.

--Caren M. Calamita, Washington, D.C.

No. There is no war on Christians. There is a looming election year and a need to fire up the base. There are real cultural differences. No one is this country is trying to oppress the 85 percent of the country that is Christian. There people trying to acknowledge that there are other religions and that there is no state religion. There people who go too far on both sides. There are leaders who prefer to fan the flames of intolerance rather than find real solutions. There is no war on Christians, except the one they are waging on themselves.

--Carly Lesser, Washington, D.C.

This year's online Easter photos portrayed Americans, sleeping on the White House lawn in order to participate in an egg hunt; a child's vain attempt to carry more eggs than he could possibly manage all by himself; and women competing in a parade for the most outlandish holiday bonnet. Photos taken in other countries depicted individuals experiencing a sense of oneness and community by singing in church choirs and watching Easter processions.

Is there a "war" on Christianity, or is the war within our ideal and our actual belief system?

--Carol Stengel, Emmaus, Pa.

No there is not a war on Christianity, right wing religious and fundamentalist groups are imposing religion, in schools and everywhere they can in America, violating the separation of church and state, and Christian Zionists who promote war in the Middle East; ever since the Supreme Court appointed George W. Bush, religious groups have been allowed to take over and this represents a setback to the liberty of Americans.

--Candice Mueller, Las Vegas, Nev.

Whenever a hypothesis fails to build evidence towards a clear conclusion the issue remains open for debate. The fact that no human has proven the existence of a god, and thus one "true" religion, we have multiple gods, multiple beliefs and a war between the Christians and others. It provides much entertainment to those who await such evidence that any god or an afterlife exists. Oddly enough, for all their preaching of peace, the Christians are responsible for all human wars in the past 2,000 years.

Waging war against Christians is long overdue for the sake of mankind.

--Jeffrey Allen Miller, New York, N.Y.

Obviously the words need to be defined! But I'm not going to indulge myself in that little treat.

I do not believe there is evidence of an outright, intentional war on Christianity on the part of contemporary culture. There is a war nonetheless and it is being waged by fundamentalists and far-right evangelicals who confuse their understanding of the words of the Scriptures with authentic, living Christian Faith. They are waging unconditional war on the Christian Faith by smothering its vibrant, new blossoming. The Right is waging war against what could save our culture.

--Paul Levesque, Caballo, N.M.

First, the war metaphor is so over-used that it has no meaning. Second, a "War on Christianity" implies a deliberate or coordinated attack intended to destroy Christianity. I do not think anyone really believes that there is a coordinated or deliberate strategy that is being implemented to destroy Christianity.

However, there is growing divide over what place Christianity should have in society. Clearly, there are a lot of people who take Christianity seriously. See e.g., the evangelical movement, "Christian Investment groups," etc. To those people the term "Christian" implies good, right-thinking and honest.

On the other side there are a growing number of people who see religion, especially Christianity, as a type of superstition. A great example of this are the NPR call-in shows right after Kerry lost in '04. If you heard those shows, you heard angry liberal-types calling Bush voters bible thumpers, Jesus freaks, etc. To those people the term "Christian" implies closed minded, bigoted and stupid.

I do not think that calling these different views a "war" is helpful to anyone. I think the word you want is debate.

--Bernard McShane, Bayonne, N.J.

The idea of a "war on Christianity" is a fiction maintained by some Christians whose purposes it serves and unsophisticated journalists.

There's nothing like a siege to energize the faithful, and provide reams of easy copy.

Any reduction of Christianity's influence in the public arena is a result of Christianity being unable to express itself convincingly in the modern world. The siege mentality is counter productive: from Paul onwards, the task of Christians is to make the love of Christ apparent in the world, not to fight for control. This is a difficult, but worthy, mission.

--Denis Lynch, San Jose, Calif.

In the U.S., I don't see a war against Christianity per se, but more of a struggle to keep a harmonious balance among the different religions of all stripes. As long as we can prevent one faction, such as atheists or left- or right-wing extremists, from shoving their dictates down everybody else's throats, including our government's, I'm hopeful we'll remain a nonviolent, democratic society with freedom of beliefs for one and all.

--Joseph Snyder, Alexandria, Va.

"War" is too strong a word to describe instances of attacks against Christians. Such incidents are not new but they have lately gained prominence in the media. The acts are reprehensible and must be condemned.

The attacks are mostly by Muslims, often spurred by fanatic mullahs. One can point to George Bush's "holy war" as one of the reasons for the attacks. More than 30,000 Iraqi civilians have lost their lives, and we continue to read and hear about "collateral damage". The Danish cartoons too incited violence. Proselytizing by Christian missionaries has always drawn the ire of some people. Once in a while it results in attacks against missionaries.

However, to be honest we must look at our own society in today's America.

The not very subtle efforts to dismantle the barrier between church and state; politicization of religious organizations and their active role on issues such as abortion, gay rights and display of statues on public grounds make it clear that Christian zealots are not much different than their Muslim counterparts. And perhaps for the first time in our nation's history we have an administration that does everything it can to promote fundamentalist Christian causes. One will not be too far from the truth to say that the Christian fundamentalists are waging a war of a sort by their bullying tactics against others.

--Rana Sircar, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Absolutely!

Laws are being passed which undermine Christian values (approval of same-sex marriage, abortion on demand). Hollywood routinely glorifies sex before (or outside) marriage, children who are disrespectful to parents and foul language, while little positive mention is made of abstinence, obedience or wholesomeness. Tolerance is demanded and granted -- unless you are talking about the Christian's freedom to express his beliefs. Rather than a war against Christianity, I see it as resistance to Jesus -- another taboo word in our culture. His powerful, personally threatening message produces either repentance and freedom or rebellion.

--Julie Hughes, Leesburg, Va.

The war exists against God, the same and only God which practicing Christians, Jews and Muslims place at the center of their worship. It is a war of darkness against light; a war of ignorance against truth; a war of ruthlessness against mercy; a war of pride against humility; a war of death against life; a war of revenge against forgiveness. In summary, it is a war of hate against love. God is true love, and the evidence of war is in everything which opposes or distorts that true love and the fruits of true love in our world society.

--Taylor K. Hughes, Fairfax County, Va.

No, I don't see much evidence of a war against Christianity; but I do see a war against fundamentalist pseudo-Christianity. Christian theologians claim that God transcends gender, but this is not the religion that fundamentalists practice. It is becoming more and more evident to women and others that, like Muslim fundamentalists, so-called "Christian" fundamentalists believe that God is male and masculinity is God. How else can you explain their claim that women can't be priests or ministers because they don't image Christ (since Christ is male.) They seem unaware that this virtually destroys the meaning of the religion, since all Christians are supposed to be growing more and more into the likeness of Christ. Yet, according to fundamentalists, women can never image Christ, no matter how much they grow, because they are not male. This idolatrous male worship, which takes the place for fundamentalists of the central Christian message of love, is pseudo-Christianity at its worst. It is destroying real Christianity much more effectively than any open "war" ever could, and needs to be labeled and condemned for what it is -- evil, destructive, idolatrous false religion.

--Joyce L. S. Beck, Fort Worth, Tex.

I do not see a war on Christianity at all. I see the opposite: more people drawn to Christianity when their own approaches to life's difficulties do not work. Christianity's critics, in fact, strengthen the religion by posing new ways to question and doubt the faith. With that, comes more thoughtful introspection for those who are believers and often, for those thinking about coming to or returning to the faith.

Negativisms/skepticisms heaped on Christianity by its critics only make the religion more resilient and appealing to more people.

--Joan Harlin, Silver Spring, Md.

I feel that it is completely inappropriate to ask this question next to an article about a clergy member who is being retaliated against by the Catholic Church because he is sharing his story about being raped. To imply that this priest is part of the "war on Christianity" is morally vacant. The church has a problem. The Catholic Church hierarchy is choosing to punish the victims instead of bringing justice to the victims.

The Church needs to implement a policy of zero tolerance for the perpetrators of sex crimes. It needs to report all incidences of sexual assault to the police, and remove all sexual predators and their protectors from their ranks. The priests that need to be "removed" from their duties are not those clergy like Mr. Moran. The inability of the church to own up to the problem, to fix the problem, and it's inability to prevent the problem of sexual abuse in the church is what will bring down the Catholic Church.

--Liz Adams, Cary, N.C.

A war on Christianity??? What a joke. Christianity deserves to go the way of the dinosaur.

Christians will piss you off till you want to retaliate and then they boo hoo about how Christians always get persecuted.

The Christians piss and moan about how barbaric the Muslims are, and the Muslims are certainly barbaric, but they aren't acting any differently than the Christians did about 800 years ago when Christians gave everyone the choice to convert or die. Kind of makes one believe that even religions evolve.

Anyway, I grew up in one of those "loving" Christian homes. We had to be beaten daily for the greater honor and glory of that sick sadistic god of the bible. We had to live on the verge of starvation so my very Christian father could be the number one contributor in money to the church. We had to be in church every time the doors were open and yet there was never any evidence of a shred of love in our Christian household. I don't know if I have all the Jesus crap I need but I've had all I can stand.

Here's my favorite quote..."Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction" - Blaise Pascal

--Joe McGee, Sterling, Colo.

Yes, some of us are at war with organized Christianity: those denominations whose leaders are criminal despots and whose only goal is power.

Christ's message, which is in no way implemented in most of organized Christianity, is still valid today. That message was very simple: "I am with you always."

Christian leaders, who chose gold chalices and Gucci sunglasses over the safety of children, should be investigated as conspirators under the RICO act.

--Katherine (Kay) Goodnow, Lenexa, Kan.