Several officials of religious and charitable organizations have expressed their concern over what they believe to be a surge in governmental and cultural hostility toward Catholics and other Christians during the Biden administration.
They draw attention to a troubling pattern of rising church vandalism, laws targeting church sacraments, and the use of federal law enforcement forces against believers.
Rise in Anti-Christian Hostility in the Biden Administration
The Family Research Council's (FRC) Assistant Director of the Center for Religious Liberty, Arielle Del Turco, blames the growth of secularism in the United States for the growing animosity toward churches. Del Turco is the primary author of a report by the FRC titled "Hostility Against Churches Is on the Rise in the United States," which details the rise in church vandalism in recent years.
The research suggests that 2023 is already on track to establish records for the largest number of church vandalism occurrences in the six years that the FRC has been keeping track of these cases. This is according to an update that was issued this month. Sixty-nine hostile activities against churches have already been reported during the first quarter of the year, spanning 29 states.
These hostile acts include 53 cases of vandalism, 10 arson attempts or attacks, three gun-related crimes, three bomb threats, and two other occurrences, including assault. The number of hostile acts reported by the FRC during the same time period the previous year was around three times as high as this statistic.
Del Turco believes that as secularism grows, people lose their respect for and knowledge of religion. According to Fox News, this, in her opinion, might be a factor in instances of church vandalism. Del Turco draws attention to the rising tension between Christianity and secular beliefs about abortion, same-sex marriage, and other LGBT issues that resulted from the Sexual Revolution.
She contends that the left is becoming more intolerant of Christianity when these ideas clash with Christian beliefs, which may be exhibited in violent attacks on churches. Del Turco adds that it appears that Roman Catholic churches are the main targets.
Also Read:Nigeria Witnesses Tragic Loss of 50,000 Christians in 14-Year Religious Conflict
Unprecedented and Severe
CatholicVote.org president Brian Burch expressed alarm over the rising anti-Catholic sentiment in the nation, notably from the federal and state governments. According to a shared article in Blabber Buzz, he considers this increase to be unprecedented and a severe danger to Catholics' freedom to exercise their faith without concern about violence, vandalism, or governmental pressure.
The goal of Burch's organization is to make Catholics more aware of these dangers. However, he pointed out that many Catholics, including some in high roles within the Church, are still unaware of the seriousness of the escalating cultural opposition they encounter.
Burch thinks that people who profoundly misunderstand religion's purpose and instead adhere to a radical left-wing ideology are to blame for the rise in anti-Catholic prejudice. Organized religion is viewed as a threat to this ideology's outlook on America's future. According to Burch, this viewpoint sees religion as oppressive, especially in light of recent scientific and technical achievements. He also noted how this philosophy had made it up to the top of American business and government.
Biden Administration Accused of Infringing Religious Freedom with Latest Actions
