A popular online news source recently posted an article that asked how long we will be allowed to remain Christians. It was a serious question the author had received from a friend. I don't question his friend's sincerity, but I do wonder what has led him to believe there is a legitimate reason to fear that Christian faith will be outlawed. We will get to some particular cases that have been in the news, but first the big picture.
- Every president has claimed to be Christian (or at least to have a belief in God)
- Over 70% of Americans claim to be Christians
- There are churches everywhere - literally, everywhere
- Christian colleges, schools, and non-profits flourish
- The "prophets" of the NAR have the President's ear
- The evangelical voting block flexed its political muscle this past election
- We open sessions of Congress with prayer, and Presidents - even Obama! - issue Easter and Christmas proclamations that are blatantly Christian
- Presidents - even Obama! - issue proclamations for the National Day Of Prayer
- Congress claims to be 91% Christian, which has been pretty steady for about 60 years
- Check out Wikipedia's list of Christian charity groups
- Google "Christian schools" or "Christian companies in the United States." There's a lot. (Did you know Forever 21 was a Christian business? And that Chick-Fil-A is delicious?)
- "A 2014 Pew Research Center survey asked Americans to rate groups on a 'feeling thermometer' from zero (as cold and negative as possible) to 100 (the warmest, most positive possible rating). U.S. adults gave atheists an average rating of 41, comparable to the rating they gave Muslims (40) and far colder than the average given to Jews (63), Catholics (62) and evangelical Christians (61)." (Worth noting: the configuration shifts dramatically across age groups.)
