[Mr. Silverback]

Christians are being sold as slaves, wrongfully imprisoned, and executed in other parts of the world; that is persecution. The U.S. isn't there, at least not yet.

My wife has this answer for you: Don't do anything about this, and it will be.

I have this answer for you: "People ask me when I go to churches to speak, 'When do you think persecution will come to America?' Lately, my response has been, 'Ask Cassie Bernall's parents if we have persecution in America yet.'"--Tom White, President of Voice of the Martyrs and a victim of torturous persecution at the hands of Castro's regime.

Don't let your good instinct (to refuse whining) blind you. If Christians cannot share their ideas in the public square or must pretend they're not Christians when they enter certain buildings, that is persecution, plain and simple. The fact that our brothers and sisters are suffering worse elsewhere doesn't change that a bit.

[opus86]

Was Cassie Bernall persecuted for her faith? I've heard disputing claims about that. Just wondering.

I agree that this sort of incrementalism leads to greater evils. I'm not suggesting that we sit idly by and allow these sorts of things to be forced on us (though that may happen whether we fight it or not.) Of course we ought to fight for our rights. I'm simply saying, put it in perspective. Is this bad? Absolutely, but it's much, much worse - and has been for some time - in other countries. Persecution in the U.S. is still a different thing than persecution in China.