[reasonseeker]

"But this bitter elite posture is nothing new and people of faith—Christians, Jews and others—have long been not only ridiculed, but have actually been persecuted for their beliefs."

In what way have they been -- not just ridiculed -- but "PERSECUTED?" Religionists have gotten their way in altering the National Motto to include a reference to God (they insist that the Founding Fathers were really religious and didn't intend to have a separation of church and state, yet religionists found it necessary to alter the secular National Motto that the Founding Fathers themselves chose), and the Pledge of Allegiance (the original Pledge wasn't good enough for the religionists either). Are churches being closed down? Preachers thrown off the airwaves by government edict? Where is the alleged "persecution?"

[Alouette]

religionists found it necessary to alter the secular National Motto that the Founding Fathers themselves chose,

OK, what was it before "religionists" changed it to IN GOD WE TRUST?

[MineralMan]

"Are churches being closed down? Preachers thrown off the airwaves by government edict? Where is the alleged "persecution?"

Bingo. There is no persecution. It's a straw man set up in an attempt to make Christianity (preferably of the southern protestant variety) the national religion.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..are churches being closed down? Preachers thrown off the airwaves by government edict? Where is the alleged "persecution?"...

Christian beliefs are the very cornerstone of your republic, and they are under attack daily by the liberals. The cover arguments used against Judge Moore's monument could also be used to argue for erasing the Biblical inscription from the Liberty Bell. Those opposed to the war on Christian morality know that we are moving towards the events you mentioned exponentially and that Judge Moore's monument is merely the latest manifestation.