War on Christians

Got this article from Tara earlier in the week: It's about the "War on Christians."

You may remember December's "War on Christmas", in which folks like Bill O'Reilly got all het up over the use of "holidays," instead of "Christmas."

If you haven't guessed already, I'm pretty sure there's no War on Christians. At least, not in the United States. You'll note, toward the end of the article, for example, that the speaker at the conference compares himself to the man in Afghanistan condemned to death for converting to Christianity. Clearly the comparison points out the irony of the situation. Death and the threat of death vs. not being able to use government time and space to promote a particular religion.

But I do think that these christians are describing a real phenomenon. Is it a conscious war on them and their beliefs (including the right to practice their faith by proselytizing others)? I don't think so. It's more like this--they're facing a reaction against aggressive, unethical proselytization, combined with greater respect for all minorities. In addition to that, though, there is also an overall change in our culture and how it works that makes certain approaches to Christianity less and less useful. To say this is a war, though, is like saying that the ocean is at war with us when we stand in the waves on the beach.

There is a passage from Paul that applies very well here:

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22-26)

Now I may be stretching it to interpret the "law" as referring to United States law, but I do believe that when christians find ways to demonstrate these fruits of the Spirit, that it is good news for everyone.