According to new research, secular intolerance among Christians has a chilling impact that impairs their ability to openly express their faith in society, leading to various forms of self-censorship.
The case study entitled "Perceptions on Self-Censorship" was published by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), in collaboration with the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America (OLIRE) and the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF).
It covered case studies from France, Germany, Colombia, and Mexico, investigating the nature, scope, and intensity of self-censorship, as well as secular intolerance as a "persecution engine."
The researchers concluded that incidents may not be significant but collectively affected Christians the way they express their beliefs freely. Most of the chilling effects were subtle and non-violent that's why it was largely ignored and misunderstood.
Christians in all four nations were found to be self-censoring when it came to subjects like marriage, identity politics, sexuality, bioethics, and morals.
Christians Facing Legal Consequences, Faith Deterioration
Respondents from Colombia and Mexico said they were concerned about the legal ramifications that entail their religious expressions. While others who actively share their beliefs agreed that their belief expressions had a cost. According to them, it may entail quick demeaning or stigmatization of Christians who freely expressed their beliefs and may label them as "retrograde, discriminator, intolerant or incompetent."
In some cases, speaking up about their beliefs resulted in defamation, job loss, academic punishment, or discrimination claims, causing a dread or paralyzing effect. The report added these violations of the right to religious freedom can also lead to the elimination of religion in a specific setting.
Christians Being Limited And Cancelled
In France, people developed a "cultural mindset" that limits their religious expression through the separation of religion and state in 1905. The researchers concluded that secularism has fostered secularization. This cultural mindset was influenced by postmodern theories and political trends. They added that this "cultural mindset" had caused many people to self-censorship including Catholics and Protestants.
The researchers also found out in Germany that the word "evangelical" has negative connotations and was used to defame people that were avoided by politicians, authors, journalists, and private people. Politics and the media were rated as the most unfavorable environments for persons with opposing viewpoints, followed by left-dominated academes. They added that through German media's sensationalizing of opposing views and invoking biased gains, the viable debate culture in the country was destroyed. There was no likely place for Christian journalists in large or major news media outlets.
Some interviewees claimed that people were permanently removed from debates, lose their professional credibility, and became a risk to those people who are in contact with them. Christians were rejected not because of their statements or ideas but because of their identities as Christians, which according to the report was an "irreversible stigma."
Raise Awareness and Training About Self-Censorship
Most of their respondents claimed they were unaware that they are "self-censoring" because of their adaptation to their environmental and political climate, according to the research author Friedericke Boellmann.
The research also found that trained individuals like legislators, student activists, priests, pastors, and academics were more confident in their religious expressions and less inclined to self-censor because of the training they received. That's why OLIRE International Director Dr. Dennis Petri recommended starting raising awareness about self-censorship among Christians and developing training to assist Christians.
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