'War' on Christians Is Alleged. Conference Depicts a Culture Hostile to Evangelical Beliefs.

Washington Post ^ | 3/29/6 | Alan Cooperman

[Crackingham]

The "War on Christmas" has morphed into a "War on Christians."

Last December, some evangelical Christian groups declared that the religious celebration of Christmas -- and even the phrase "Merry Christmas" -- was under attack by the forces of secularism. This week, radio commentator Rick Scarborough convened a conference in Washington on the "War on Christians and the Values Voters in 2006." The opening session was devoted to "reports from the frontlines" on "persecution" of Christians in the United States and Canada, including an artist whose paintings were barred from a municipal art show in Deltona, Fla., because they contained religious themes.

Among the conference's speakers were former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and conservative Christian leaders Phyllis Schlafly, Rod Parsley, Gary Bauer, Janet Parshall and Alan Keyes.

To many of the 400 evangelicals packed into a small ballroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, it was a hard but necessary look at moral relativism, hedonism and Christophobia, or fear of Christ, to pick just a few terms offered by various speakers referring to the enemy. To some outsiders, it illuminated the paranoia of the Christian right.

"Certainly religious persecution existed in our history, but to claim that these examples amount to religious persecution disrespects the experiences of people who have been jailed and died because of their faith," said Hollyn Hollman, general counsel of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

"This is a skirmish over religious pluralism, and the inclination to see it as a war against Christianity strikes me as a spoiled-brat response by Christians who have always enjoyed the privileges of a majority position," said the Rev. Robert Franklin, a minister in the Church of God in Christ and professor of social ethics at Emory University.

[Chiapet]

If you need more information get David Limbaugh's book.

David, is that you? Wouldn't shilling for book sales be more effective on TV or something?

[PetroniusMaximus]

"David, is that you?"

Shhhhhh!!! Don't tell.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>I got into the habit because there is a proscription within Judaism to writing the whole word. It is a sign of respect I found worth adopting. I do not advocate it as a rule for all.<<<

A couple close to me and my wife are Jewish, and he writes God the same way. Now we know why.

[Reddy]

Waah, the Catholic Church chimes its bells very loudly? This is what is being broadcast over Hamtramck loudspeakers:

Allah is great, Allah is great
Allah is great, Allah is great
I bear witness there is no deity but Allah
I bear witness there is no deity but Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah
Hurry to the prayer
Hurry to the prayer
Hurry to the success
Hurry to the success
Allah is great, Allah is great
There is no deity but Allah

Yesterday, a caller on the Hannity program told about her local store that was offering pictures with the SPRING Bunny! I guess you can't say EASTER anymore.

Explain again how there is not enmity against Christians?

[Gone GF]

Let's see, in your first post you told me that a Christian church would NEVER be allowed to broadcast anything loudly. Sorry, but chiming religious music is indeed publicly and loudly doing just what you said they can't do. I have no qualms with it, but if a Christian church is allowed to do it, exactly how would you propose outlawing Muslims from doing something similar?

"Yesterday, a caller on the Hannity program told about her local store that was offering pictures with the SPRING Bunny! I guess you can't say EASTER anymore."

And where did this happen (sounds like BS to me)? Certainly not where I live. Gosh, my kids even say "Easter" in the public school. And Christmas for that matter.

Anybody who thinks that Christianity is about to be wiped out in the U.S. is just paranoid.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"Anybody who thinks that Christianity is about to be wiped out in the U.S. is just paranoid."

Anybody who can't see that there is a concerted effort to suppress Christianity and remove all traces of it from the public forum is blind.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I've told my entire family of the skepticism this story has received here on FR. It occurred 8-9 years ago and I don't remember much being written about it at the time.

Re: mannequins -- that's my word for the "art works." They were life-size plaster figures, naked and anatomically accurate.

Is this really so hard to imagine? Actually, your disbelief makes me feel a little better about my disgust and vocal complaints to the city council. At the time, a lot of people thought the sculptures were a "brave" statement in favor of women's rights...at the expense of my young sons' peace of mind.

You can bet they haven't forgotten it.