Anti-Christian discrimination
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anti-christian sentiment is a negative bias against Christians or the religion of Christianity. Anti-Christian bias can be held by individuals or groups, and may be the result of prejudice or grievance with political and/or social movements motivated by a specific Christian sect's dogma.
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Anti-christian expressions
Vandalism
The vandalism or defacement of Christian symbols or property is one form of the expression of anti-Christian sentiment. If the defaced or vandalized object is considered holy by Christians, such as the Bible or the Cross, the case becomes that of desecration. Such destruction is illegal since it violates property rights or hate crime laws. Arson directed at Christian meeting places or churches, is one such hate crime.[1] Churches are a target for hate crimes for various motivations, including anti-Christian sentiment.[2] An aggravating factor in the burning of a church in Minnedosa, Manitoba was that two of the arsonists were fans of National Socialist black metal music with anti-Christian themes, according to the Crown.[3]
Music
Some elements of the black metal scene declare open hatred of Christianity. Headliners of the black metal scene have claimed responsibility for inspiring (if not necessarily perpetrating) over 50 arsons directed at Christian churches in Norway from 1992 to 1996[4]. Many of the buildings were hundreds of years old, and widely regarded as important historical landmarks. The most notable church was Norway's Fantoft stave church, which the police believed was destroyed by the one-man band Burzum, Varg Vikernes, aka "Count Grishnackh"[4]. However, Varg would not be convicted of any arson offences, until his arrest for the murder of Mayhem guitarist Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous) in 1993. The death metal group Deicide, known for their anti-Christian sentiment, released "Once Upon the Cross," composed entirely of anti-Christian songs, including "Kill the Christian."
Examples of anti-Christian sentiment in politics and culture
United States
Christians of various denominations, including figures such as Ann Coulter and Jerry Falwell, claim that American society and the United States government discriminate against Christians. Christian activists routinely speak out against the perceived increasingly secular nature of American society, and what they see as the minimizing of formerly dominant Christian traditions, e.g. the War on Christmas popularized by Bill O'Reilly.
David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Institute, and Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project published a study of attitudes of 16-29 year old Americans towards Christianity. They found that about 38% of all those who did not regularly attend church had negative impressions of Christianity, and especially evangelical Christianity, associating it with conservative political activism, hypocrisy, anti-homosexuality, and judgmentalism.[5] About 17% had "very bad" perceptions of Christianity.[6][7]
Irreverent or, by some opinions, inappropriate depictions of Christian symbols in American art have been taken offensively, with works such as Andres Serrano's Piss Christ resulting in moves to cut public funding of art exhibitions that offend Christian symbols, and requests that offensive works be removed from private galleries, such as the Catholic League's 2007 campaign against Cosimo Cavallaro's My Sweet Lord, a 200 pound chocolate sculpture of Christ. The Lab Gallery where it being shown removed the work after it received "anonymous death threats" related to the sculpture's exhibition.
Conservative Christians are sometimes accused by social progressives of being "intolerant bigots" and "hate mongers", saying they oppose science, gay rights, use of birth control, liberal democracy, and other progressive social policies, including the rights of people of other races and religions, of women, and of people with different sexual orientations.[8][9][10][11][12] Another common accusation against Christians is that they caused the most bloody wars and thus should be held accountable for these events.
Several groups, including ACT UP and the Freedom from Religion Foundation have openly condemned Christianity in the United States government.
Saudi Arabia
- See also: Freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a state that attempts to follow the precepts of Islam closely. They include a number of serious restrictions on Christians, including but not limited to, and in no particular order:
- prohibition on Bibles [13]
- prohibition on churches, and Christian services in general, even prayers conducted in private [14]
In Saudi Arabia, diyya, the compensation of victims of bodily harm, is practiced as part of Sharia law. Payment due depends on the religion and sex of the victim. The compensation due to Christians and their families is half of what is due to Muslims.[15] This means a murderer can buy off his crime, and avoid further punishment. Killing a Christian or a woman, according to Islamic law half as expensive as killing a Muslim male. The death penalty in Islam is up to the victim's family who can choose to accept blood money or seek a death sentence for the defendant. Saudi Arabia has been criticized by Muslims and non-Muslims for selectively applying Sharia and discriminating against the poor.
India
Several Indian states have passed anti-conversion laws primarily to prevent people from converting to Christianity. Arunachal Pradesh passed a bill in 1978. In 2003 Gujarat State, after religious riots in 2002 passed an anti-conversion bill in 2003.
In July 2006 the Madhya Pradesh government passed legislation requiring people who desire to convert to a different religion to provide the government with one-month's notice, or face fines and penalties.[16]
In August 2006 the Chhattisgarh State Assembly passed similar legislation requiring anyone who desires to convert to another religion to give 30 days' notice to, and seek permission from, the district magistrate.[17]
In February 2007 Himachal Pradesh became the first Congress Party ruled state to adopt legislation banning illegal religious conversions.[18]
The recent wave of such laws in Indian states has been described as a gradual and continuous institutionalization of Hindutva.[19] Some extremist Hindu groups accuse Christian missionaries of using fraudulent and exploitative inducements to lure poor and uneducated people to the faith, and have also launched movements to reconvert many tribal Christians back to Hinduism.
Most of the anti-conversion laws are brief and leave ambiguity under which persecution can be justified. Legal experts believe that both conversion activities and willful trespass by missionaries upon the sacred spaces of other faiths can be prosecuted under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, and as such there is no need for anti-conversion laws by individual states and they should be repealed. A consolidation of various anti-conversion or "Freedom of Religion" Laws has been made by the All Indian Christian Council.[20]
Hindu extremist attacks against Christians, especially in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa, have occurred in recent years in response to missionary activity by evangelical Christians.[21] According to a report by the Center for Religious Freedom the attacks include the murder of missionaries and priests, the sexual assault of nuns, the ransacking of churches, convents and other Christian institutions.[22] According to careful estimates, at least 70 churches and 600 houses were attacked and torched by Hindu extremists.[23] Human rights groups consider the violence as the failure of the state government that did not address the problem before it became violent. The authorities failed to react quickly enough to save human lives and property.[24]
China
- See also: Christianity in China
Christianity was banned for a century in China by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty after the Pope forbade Chinese Catholics from venerating their relatives or Confucius.[25] Currently, the ruling Chinese Communist Party maintains tight control over all religions in China.
United Kingdom
In 2006 the London Police Association placed an ad in a newspaper depicting a picture of a Bible beside a pool of blood along with the slogan 'In the name of the Father' together with details of an increase in homophobic violence. Over 50,000 complaints were made to the police but after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police, they announced there was insufficient evidence to bring any charges.[26]
A check-in counter worker for British Airways was put on unpaid leave after refusing to hide her cross necklace, which violated the airline's policy on employees wearing jewellery[27], although the airline had permitted the wearing of turbans and hijab.[28] One Member of Parliament specifically complained of 'anti-christian discrimination' and over 100 MPs signed a House of Commons motion on the subject.[29] British Airways later lifted its ban on visible crosses.[30]
Canada
- For the 1998 multi-faith memorial for the Swissair disaster, the Canadian government allowed Jewish and Muslim religious leaders to quote from their Scriptures during their speeches, but mandated that a Christian pastor could not read from the Bible or mention Jesus. [31]
- Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps issued a calendar of all days, weeks and months "important" to Canadian heritage. The calendar omitted Christmas and Easter. After complaints from Christians the government recalled the calendar. [31]
Indonesia
In Indonesia in 2006 Islamists beheaded three Christian girls because of their faith. The perpetrators did not receive the death penalty but were punished with 13 years prison each for creating unrest. The murderer claimed that the beheaded girls were "Ramadam trophies" [32].
On going to jail, Hasanuddin said "It's not a problem (if I am being sentenced to prison) because this is a part of our struggle."[33] Hasanuddin was the leader of the regional Islamic terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) for the Poso district.[34]
Israel
Judaism traditionally has taken a very harsh view on proselytizing. Ever since the formation of the Jewish state, orthodox Jewish communities have come under scrutiny for the negative stereotyping and scapegoating of Christian minorities in the region, up to and including violent acts against Christian missionaries and communities.[35] Israeli liberal journalist has chronicled numerous instances of Orthodox Jewish groups becoming increasingly active in their opposition to Jews converting to Christianity, including violent acts against converts. These attacks often go unpunished by Israeli authorities.[35]. In general, Christian missionaries limit proselytism in Israel due to Christian Zionist beliefs, and many believe reports of proselytism made by Orthodox Jewish groups are exaggerated as a pretext to attack Christians in the region.[35]
More recently, Jewish fundamentalist groups in Israel have stepped up attacks against evangelical Christian movements. In May 2008, hundreds of New Testaments were burned in Or Yehuda, Israel after having been collected, according to Or-Yehuda's deputy mayor, in an effort to stop attempts to distribute Christian literature in the city.[2]
See also
- Anti-Catholicism
- Anticlericalism
- Anti-Protestantism
- Anti-Mormonism
- Anti-Muslim
- Antireligion
- Antitheism
- Civil rights
- Conversational intolerance
- Discrimination against atheists
- Persecution of Christians
- Religious persecution
- Religious segregation
- Religious intolerance
References
- ^ Time Magazine
- ^ Washington Post article
- ^ CBC: Minnedosa Fire, 6/28/2006
- ^ a b Grude, Torstein (Director). (1998, January 1). Satan rir Media [motion picture]. Norway: Grude, Torstein.
- ^ About 91% of young non-Christians felt that Christians were anti-homosexual, 87% felt Christians were judgmental and 85% thought Christians were hypocritical.
- ^ unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, Baker Books, October 1, 2007, ISBN 0801013003
- ^ Who Do People Say We Are? It doesn't hurt to listen to what non-Christians think of us., A Christianity Today editorial, Christianity Today, December 12, 2007
- ^ Chip Berlet, "Following the Threads," in Ansell, Amy E. Unraveling the Right: The New Conservatism in American Thought and Politics, pp. 24, Westview Press, 1998, ISBN 0-813-33147-1
- ^ "MPs turn attack back on Cardinal Pell", Sydney Morning Herald (2007-06-06).
- ^ "Pope warns Bush on stem cells", BBC News (2001-07-23).
- ^ Andrew Dickson, White (1898). A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom. p. X. Theological Opposition to Inoculation, Vaccination, and the Use of Anaesthetics. http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/whitem10.html.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Bibles, Crucifixes Not Allowed into Saudi Arabia | Christianpost.com
- ^ SAUDI ARABIA Arrested: four Christians found praying at home - Asia News
- ^ "Death Cases of Indian Nationals". Consulate General of India, Jeddah. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
- ^ Conversions harder in India state 26/07/2006
- ^ Christian anger at conversion law 04/08/2006
- ^ WorldWide Religious News-Himachal enforces anti-conversion law
- ^ Times of India report about the International Religious Freedom Report 2003, released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour of the US State Department
- ^ "Laws & Policies". All India Christian Council.
- ^ Another attack in Orissa
- ^ The Rise of Hindu Extremism and the Repression of Christian and Muslim minorities in India, A Report by Center for Religious Freedom, 2003
- ^ Fact Finding Teams Tell of Unprecedented Anti-Christian Violence in Orissa. ASSIST News Service. 30 December 2007
- ^ India: Stop Hindu-Christian Violence in Orissa. Human Rights Watch
- ^ Mr. Ye Xiaowen, China's Religions Retrospect and Prospect, Hong Kong, 19 February 2001
- ^ Lifesite.net: No prosecution for Anti-Christian London Gay Police Association Ads September 26 2006
- ^ Woman loses fight to wear cross, BBC, November 20, 2006.
- ^ "BA drops ban on wearing crosses" BBC, January 19, 2007
- ^ BA cross ban shows 'Anti-Christian discrimination' politics.co.uk November 29, 2006
- ^ "British Airways caves in on cross ban", , BBC, January 21, 2007.
- ^ a b "Anti-Christian prejudice", John H. Redekop, , January 11, 2002.
- ^ Beheaded girls were Ramadan 'trophies'
- ^ BBC News: Indonesians jailed for beheadings
- ^ Islamic Militants in Indonesia Jailed for Beheading Christian Girls
- ^ a b c Persecution of Christians in Israel: The New Inquisition, Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Autumn, 1978), pp. 135-140
Further reading
- David Limbaugh. Persecution: How Liberals are Waging War Against Christianity, ISBN 0895261111
- Marvin Olasky. Prodigal Press: The Anti-Christian Bias of American News Media , ISBN 0891074767
- Michael Moynihan, . Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground, ISBN 0922915482
External links
- Website about Christianophobia What is Christianophobia, cases of Christianophobia in Europe
- News article on Bjorn Atldax Anti-Christian logo jeans
- News article about Christianophobia.
- News article about the Vatican's reaction to a "Seven Wonders of the World" contest that 'excluded' Christian monuments
- Protecting persecuted Christians - Christians throughout the world are victims of abuse, violence and discrimination
- Berlin Wall Between Church and State News and Commentary on the War on Christianity in the public square.
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