How Bad is it?

Yesterday we were in Bible Study and we addressed the issue of the social changes in our culture. There are many things going one which cause one to worry. It seems that we hear about people being 'persecuted' for their faith in America (or Canada or England) in ways that were unthinkable a decade ago. Traditional beliefs are increasingly being "criminalized" (usually through fines) and while such cases are isolated and seem to be few and far between, the fact that they occur at all is bothersome.

One of the datum which catches my attention is the comments section of many secular websites. I try to keep up with things and probably get most of my news from internet sources. I also read articles from popular publications (like on-line newspapers or magazines). My personal interest includes religious topics, not surprisingly, and it is there that I see the 'writing on the wall' (literally and figuratively). It is amazing how many angry atheists there are. It is sobering to read the (often simplistic) attacks on organized religion in general and the Christian Church in particular. There can be little doubt that some of this is the culture wars (secularized Democrats and Right Wing Christian Republicans). Some of what I wrote about the last two days (demonizing) is certainly at work. Christians have not always been real Christian in the political sphere. But, there is more going on than poor witness or faulty Christians. There is also a deep seated something (anger, hate, despair, fear, rebellion?) at work.

The recent effort to undermine the Catholic Church is something different. I cannot help but believe the media focus on pedophilia in the Catholic Church is part of it. Let me be clear, the Bishops messed up in a myriad of ways. There is NO excuse for what they did. They got what they deserved. But, here is where I do have questions. Why is it that the focus was almost solely on the Catholic Church? (remember I am not Roman and my status with Rome is persona non grata) I have read that the abuse rate in RC churches is actually lower than in many others. I think that there is an anti-Catholic (and also anti-Christian) movement. The sins of the church have taken away their moral authority to speak to issues. It is literally like building bombs and then sending them to your enemies to use in war.

So, how bad is it? By historical standards, it has been better but it has been worse. In the 16th Century Christians were killing each other. In the early Middle Ages the barbarians were pretty brutal and thorough in wreaking destruction. As one looks over the last two thousand years it is fair to say that many Christians have lived in far worse conditions. Even now, looking at Christians in Africa or Asia, we know that there are many who suffer greatly, including death, for the faith. So American Christians can come off as whiners when we talk about how bad it is. Yet, in fairness, there is ample reason to be concerned about the current trajectory. It is fair to ponder what it will be like in twenty years. And we do well to engage in spiritual practices to prepare for what comes next.