2023 has seen a 300% increase in hostility towards Christians and Churches

Church Steeple

Mathew 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Important Takeaways:

  • ‘Cause For Concern’: FRC Report Highlights 300% Increase In Hostility Towards Churches in The First Quarter Of 2023
  • The report documented a nearly 300% increase in acts of hostility in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same time frame in 2022. If the trend continues, the report underscored that “2023 will have the highest number of incidents of the six years FRC has tracked.”
  • The acts of hostility contained in the report include “vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, bomb threats, and more.”
  • In its previous report from December 2022, FRC expounded on the serious nature of rising aggression towards Christianity in the US.
  • “Americans appear increasingly comfortable lashing out against church buildings, pointing to a larger societal problem of marginalizing core Christian beliefs, including those that touch on hot-button political issues related to human dignity and sexuality,” FRC cautioned.
  • This targeting of Christians was brought to the forefront late last month when 28-year-old Audrey Hale entered Covenant School in Nashville, opening fire on children and teachers, resulting in the deaths of six people. Unfortunately, instead of the response which typically arises from such an event, many on the left proceeded to mock the Christian school’s prayer and refer to the shooter’s death as a “tragedy” due to Hale identifying as “transgender.” As one activist proclaimed, “Hate has consequences.”
  • FRC’s report indicated that the Nashville shooting is not an isolated incident but rather a growing trend that deserves immediate attention.
  • Author and Pastor, Mark Hitchcock, recently delved into this topic
    • “What we’re seeing today is an unleashing of satanic warfare against Christians because we stand in the way of Satan’s agenda, unlike any others,” Hitchcock argued. “The battle lines are being drawn, and we’re seeing a real clash of kingdoms, the clash of Satan’s kingdom versus God’s kingdom, a clash between darkness and light, a clash between the culture of death and life, a culture of disorder versus peace, a culture of dysphoria versus divine order.”
    • “We see a ramping up of this hatred against the people of God, against believers. In America, really, up to now, what we’ve seen in the last few years, it’s mainly been what I call a kind of low-grade or soft persecution. It’s more of a mocking, maligning, and marginalizing of Christians,” he explained. “But we’re seeing that now being ramped up. The rhetoric is rising, and more and more Christians are in the crosshairs— [we are] moving to a more physical persecution against believers.”

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