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"Christians are not persecuted in America. The inability to teach children that God created man in a science class is not persecution."

Well, there are now, and have been real cases of (anti)Christian persecution in America. You are probably not in the position of paying attention to those kinds of things, so you may be unaware. And much of what is really persecution will never be deemed as such by non-Christians.

But my thoughts keep returning to another question; let me see if I can pose it here in an understandable manner.

Let's first consider the hours spent by, say, Christians, in trying to get government and the government schools to accept "Intelligent Design," and the hours, days and weeks spent in trying to get "Intelligent Design" incorporated into science curricula. Let us then consider the amounts of money the "ID" people (IF Christians) are spending in various ways, including in the courts, trying to get "ID" legally permitted in the government schools.

Now, here's the question: WHAT IF (i.e. What would happen if...) those same people (if Christians) were to spend the same amount of time, money and energy actually introducing the Intelligent Designer, Himself, to their own relatives, neighbors, friends, colleagues, work mates, school mates, and to any others who will listen?

I believe that the "ID" people (if Christians) would be much more effective in the long haul if they were to put their time, money and energies into personal Christian evangelism, introducing Jesus Christ, the Savior, and the Intelligent Designer. The reason that we have what we have in this nation -- such widespread unbelief in the CREATOR, and such anti-Christian militancy in publicly financed institutions, is because Christians, by-and-large, stopped practicing personal evangelism 65 years ago. Professing Christian church people have left the preaching of the Gospel to their "clergymen." From 1800 to 1940 there had been a much higher percentage of church folks who thought it to be their personal responsibility to win their neighbors to Jesus Christ through personal witnessing. If Christians had continued, there would be more Christians on the school faculties and school boards, more Christians in the judicial system, more Christians in government in general.

Christians have ceded the the tax-supported schools (and the remainder of government) to unbelievers. We have peeled off and begun Christian schools and home schools. I certainly have departed from any government involvement in the education of my children. We do go out into our neighborhood (my whole family), and witness for Christ. It is part of our home school requirements as well. We distribute free Bibles and Gospel literature. We print leaflets and letters offering to any of our neighbors our time, biblical counsel and prayers to their loved ones who might be in jail, hospitals and nursing facilities.

If I ever receive any letters from "Christian" organizations soliciting donations to the "ID" cause, I will throw them in the garbage! Any donation that I might make would be much better spent purchasing Bibles and Gospel literature for my next door neighbors, introducing them to the Intelligent Designer. Every new Christian, won to Christ by another Christian will mean one less person who will become a worshiper of Charles Darwin and his crowd.

At bottom, government endorsement of atheistic science is an unconstitutional infringement upon the rights of those who would undertake science from a theistic point of view. If goverment is prohibited from favoring one belief over another, then it must accomodate them both. That includes both atheists and theists. If government cannot accommodate both points of view, then the public school system should be dismantled altogether. I believe it is proper to allow the atheistic point of view to be presented in public schools, but that point of view is by no means entitled to an exclusive hearing.

Real Christian persecution in America? Why don't you tell me about it. Having seen the real thing up close and personal, I can't wait to see what examples you have for me.

Remember, it must be persecution....not the inability of Christians to use the force of government to spread the Word. Go ahead, Baptist. Tell me all about the Christians who are flogged and imprisoned in America for practicing their faith. I'm sure you have hundreds of stories, don't you?