Posted on 01/31/2015 6:40:02 AM PST by Cobraman_SC
A recent study by two sociologists at the University of North Texas found that strong hostility toward Christians is held by a “small, but elite group” of Americans with considerable political and cultural influence, particularly in higher education.
After noting evidence of anti-Christian hostility among cultural progressive activists, sociology professors David Williamson and George Yancey took a “systematic look” at the qualitative data from an extensive national survey, the American National Election Survey, and conducted interviews with members of liberal advocacy organizations. They published their findings in their recent book, So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is there Christianophobia in the United States?
Prof. Yancey recently sat down with The Christian Post to discuss the book. Yancey explained that they chose to conduct the study because despite all the literature on hostility toward groups in America, anti-Christian sentiments had been largely neglected. When they dug deeper, they began to find some troubling trends, including "unnecessary vitriol and fears within many of our respondents" and frequent justification of hatred of Christians in some progressive circles. They also found that the social status of many who harbored hostility toward Christians allowed them to "act on their anger and fears," whether in subtle or direct ways.
One of the dominant tendencies Williamson and Yancey found was that many of these elites found ways to “justify their intolerance” of Christians:
Another aspect that drove me to work on this project was that while I consistently saw evidence of Christianophobia in other areas of my life and in our society, unlike other types of intolerances, those who exhibited Christianophobia do not tend to think that they are intolerant. Usually those who do not like blacks or Muslims admit that they are intolerant but simply try to justify their intolerance. Those with Christianophobia tend to deny that they are intolerant but rather that they are fairly interpreting social reality. Envisioning themselves as fair and free of intolerance allows them to blame those they detest rather than recognize how their emotions have distorted their intellectual judgments.
Yancey offered a summary of the perspective of Christians held by anti-Christian activists. Christians, said Yancey, were often seen by this group as "the great evil force" that "blocks" society from achieving the "progressive paradise":
In the minds of many of the respondents Christians are ignorant, intolerant and stupid individuals who are unable to think for themselves. The general image they have of Christians is that they are a backward, non-critical thinking, child-like people who do not like science and want to interfere with the lives of everyone else.
But even worse, they see ordinary Christians as having been manipulated by evil Christian leaders and will vote in whatever way those leaders want. They believe that those leaders are trying to set up a theocracy to force everybody to accept their Christian beliefs. So, for some with Christianophobia, this is a struggle for our society and our ability to move toward a progressive society. Christians are often seen as the great evil force that blocks our society from achieving this progressive paradise.
The study also provided some stunning statements from progressives about Christians, including one male with a doctorate degree who said, "I want them all to die in a fire," and a master's degree-educated woman who declared, "They should be eradicated without hesitation or remorse."
Are you sure this isn’t satire?
Wow, they are starting to catch on. This is why I never, ever discuss my faith with anyone.
It is not Christians the pagans need to fear, but the Son of God Himself.
One of the dominant tendencies Williamson and Yancey found was that many of these elites found ways to “justify their intolerance” of Christians:
Obvious to anyone willing to see, earth shattering to those with their eyes closed.
The same ones bleating about how the "Prophet Mohammed" cannot be dissed, but have no problems with an icon of the Blessed Virgin being smeared with feces.
And the group of haters is larger than most people realize, or want to admit.
Self-haters, knowing the gospel roots of Western society, but hating it on bare naked principle.
Even though the Muslims are far more prudish, they ain’t Christian. So they are welcomed with foolish enthusiasm.
Check out NPR forums to see anti-Christian rhetoric.
Pity the choice of the word “Christianophobia”. The suffix “phobia” is so misused now for political reasons that, by the time the issue starts getting to crisis levels, the public will be so desensitized to it they won’t even notice it. It will be like calling someone a Luddite. People will respond, “Oh, ha ha.”
“I want them to all die in a fire...they should be eradicated without hesitation or remorse.”
These quotes sound amazingly like Adolph and Himmler quotes.
No wonder they are opposed to the Second Amendment.
However, it appears they will have their own personal experiences with fire on their judgment days.
“I want them to all die in a fire...they should be eradicated without hesitation or remorse.”....
Sounds like they want to return to the days of Nero. That tactic did not turn out so well for the pagans, did it?
As a previous poster wrote, there will be plenty of fire and brimstone when these folks meet their Creator.
Also, I do not think we should fear witnessing for Jesus Christ. It does not need to be a confrontational sort of witness, just a simple statement of belief. I have decided that I will strive to declare always my belief in Jesus as the Son of God, Lord and Redeemer.
These folks want to intimidate us, but I believe in the end, they will either convert or perish.
Funny. I recently witnessed a local tattoo artist kick three people off his facebook for mentioning God, stating “ if you come on my page and mention God you’re out of here.”
I understand that many folks don’t believe in him and that’s their choice. The interesting part is that they react to any exposure to religion like vampires to holy water... They freak.
You can sometimes reach them by pointing out how extreme their reactions are and asking them what the are afraid of.
It isn’t even that tattooing is verboten in Christianity (it is not, though it is in Judaism) but that its modern preferred art forms are monstrous and blasphemous.
I’d like to see how he would react to a proposal to tattoo a picture of Jesus on someone.
He'd probably be fine with it if the tattoo Jesus was smoking a joint or performing an abortion.
I get that some people believe a devil or demon is a fictional character like tattooing Mickey Mouse.
But if that’s true then they should have no problem tattooing Jesus as you say. But they do not. They react against the religious in a way that reveals that they are afraid to hear the truth.
That revelation informs the observer that they are not as sure about their beliefs as they would have us believe.
See also the Southern Poverty Law Center. Those people are so anti-Christian but have no problems with muslims.
RATS underground overfloweth.
True ...this is not Christianphobia, but institutionalized religious hatred. Which if by all accounts is being taught in our schools or state college campus may be in infringement on our Rights as citizens.
I have recently been deeply fascinated in the reading of the Book of Maccabees. It details the over throw of the temple and WHY God allowed it. In many ways the reflection upon our own nation’s culture is pretty intense.
Today’s verse that stood out: Maccabees 5:19
But the Lord did not choose the nation for the sake of the holy place, but the place for the sake of the nation.
In 2012, when the DNC denied God 3 times and their leaders still over-ruled the delegates votes was the crisis point. There was still some fear of the Lord or the Christian voting block. But I place their hearts will be fully hardened in 2016. I go back often and look at that event on youtube. There is immense symbolism going on beyond the denial. Oddly pay attention to who...yes who...in the crowd so vehemently denies Christ. The ‘who’ the camera settles upon to show this broadcast of America’s denial.
Revelations tells us many will die for their belief. And we see that happening in the Middle East under ISIS. But we will also come to realize that such a purging of the nations must come to pass, even here in America.
Many are homosexuals who don’t want to hear about their sin.
That Christians believe God’s promise of salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, infuriates those who worship themselves and excuse their sinful appetites. They certainly don’t want to think of the possibility of an after-life.
I just bought a package of cowboy and western movies from TCM. The first disk had four old silent western movies in which Christianity was a strong part of the plot. All were pro-Christian.
How far we have fallen today!
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