The so-called persecution of Christians in America, a childish claim, and an analogy that will probably piss someone off.

Christian in America still claiming they’re being ‘persecuted’ for their faith seem to act a lot like a four year old fighting with a sibling and doesn’t get their way. Sorry if that sounds disrespectful, but anyone who makes this claim seems to not understand what religious persecution really is.

First of all, let’s get this out of the way. Non-establishment of your religion does not equal persecution(i.e. no established prayer in schools does not mean that Christians are not welcome in schools). People being allowed to openly disagree with your perspective is not persecution. Not basing a law code off of the bible does not equal persecution. No one is trying to take away your rights to practice your religion in your home and church and anywhere else in your personal life, at least not here in the U.S.

So what do I mean by this title? I mean the uncanny ability of a group of Christians that complain about their so-called religious persecution and the non-coincidence that they sound like a 4-year-old throwing a hissy fit that their other siblings are being acknowledged.

It looks a lot like this to me: “Mom! Nathan got a bigger piece of pizza than me! That’s not fair! I want more pizza!” or “Nathan got a cooler toy than me, I want a cooler toy!” (Nathan is my brother’s name). But this perspective fails to see that a) the pieces of pizza are actually the same size and that b) They chose their toy and already have one. How does this translate into a matter of religion? Christians complain the second they think their imaginary rights are being threatened – they think they have a right to live in a Christian nation, even though freedom of religion forbids any religion becoming the ‘official’ one (why do we have Christian laws?) and that anyone who isn’t Christian should just deal with it. Gay marriage is still illegal in most of this country because of Christian views. The claim that gay marriage is ‘wrong’ is a view that comes strictly from religion, so when religious people in support of gay marriage being illegal see it becoming legal, they throw a hissy fit on par with that of a child who didn’t get their way, and try to say their views are being persecuted and torn down. No, they’re not, you’re allowed to think however you want, you can still go to church and not allow same-sex marriage within the church. You’re still allowed to believe whatever you want to. Just because the governments in this country are allowing people to marry people of the same sex, doesn’t mean your religion is being threatened. Just in the way a four year old doesn’t get that just because someone else has a toy they think is cool, doesn’t mean the four year old no longer has any toys to play with, they just ignore that they do because they want things their way – it induces a jealousy that their sibling also got something instead of their sibling having to watch them play with their toy while they having nothing.

Just because government is finally recognizing that people who don’t follow your religion also live in this country and deserve equality doesn’t mean you’re suddenly not allowed to think the way you do. It just means you should probably keep it to your own life, and not force the way you think people should live upon everyone. Let them live how they want to, no one is being harmed because of it, and no one is having their rights taken away because of it.

This mindset that everyone should live how I want to so that my feelings don’t get hurt is just childish. I’m sure I’ll get someone saying I’m being disrespectful, but I think it’s really disrespectful to not allow two people in love equal status because your views say it’s icky. I think it’s disrespectful to think you should be allowed to force religious practices, like prayer in public schools, on anyone – which are places for learning, not for your faith, not for your personal matters. Just because we’re not too keen on prayer in school doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have your faith outside of that place. It doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to pray at all. No one is taking that away from you, if someone were, that would be persecution. Just because you have to live among other viewpoints and have to interact with people who disagree with you doesn’t mean you’re being persecuted. Just because you’re slowly not being allowed to force your perspective on marriage on everyone, and other viewpoints are being considered, doesn’t mean you’re being persecuted.

Any religious persecution that DOES happen in this country is not a matter of government or what is legal, it would be about narrow-minded people taking it upon themselves to do something wrong in regards of someone else’s opposing religious views. There are no laws that reinforce any group of people being persecuted solely for their religious views, not in this country. If you want to know what religious persecution is, I suggest reading up on the state of the Soviet Union int hr 1940’s, or learn about the Crusades. Stop whining, no one is trying to ruin your right to believe whatever you want, be grateful you live in a country (or time) that isn’t actually persecuting you for what you believe.

Don’t bother telling me not all Christians are like that, I’m not stupid, I know that. I know there are plenty of Christians who also support gay marriage. This post isn’t about those people. It applies to the group of people that this behavior is exhibited in. Frankly, it’s childish and just not true. If anyone is ‘persecuted’ at least Atheists have an argument on this, there are several states in which there are laws that say a person with no belief in a God can’t hold political office, and I’m not running around whining about it claiming persecution on that basis.