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Intolerance Alive and Well
Many stories of religious persecution and hate crimes against Christians are making the news in North America, particularly around Christmas.
 A high school teacher was suspended without pay for using a couple of carols with traditional Christmas themes in his program.
In Lexington, Kentucky, school bus drivers were ordered not to use "religious" holiday greetings such as "Merry Christmas," or they would face disciplinary action.
Teacher Jane Whipple's bulletin boards were the envy of her school. Then her principal stepped into her room. In the blink of an eye, the school's top official removed a paper wreath from a file cabinet. "Against school policy," he sternly proclaimed. Soon after, the cooks were told they couldn't serve red and green Jello during December.
A school district near Vancouver, Canada has forbidden students from supporting the annual World Vision 30-hour famine event that raises money and awareness for world hunger, because the organization is based on Christian values.
Last year Modesto City Schools fired custodian James Yonan solely because he was caught sharing his pro-life beliefs with high school students. They had asked him what he thought during a discussion.
An eight-year-old girl was expelled from school for saying grace over her lunch in the school cafeteria.
An employee of Epsilon Foam Corporation was demoted and told that she would lose her job unless she renounced her faith.
In Reno, two men were arrested for quietly sharing Christ one-on-one with passersby on a downtown street.
A community in Quebec, Canada now requires a license for anyone going door to door. Several Jehovah's Witnesses who defied the bylaw found themselves charged with proselytizing without a license. While this kind of charge is rare in North America, it's been common in Europe and other countries for decades. In Greece, the nation that invented democracy, thousands of people have been charged and jailed for proselytizing in public.
A 16-year-old girl, while preparing for a high school assignment on the issue most important to her life, was told by her teacher that she could not write about Jesus Christ. The same teacher allowed other children to write about witchcraft, Buddhism, and new age theology--all subjects that are religious in nature. Her legal appeal was rejected by the courts and the decision of the teacher to disallow the subject was upheld.
After the tragic death of Matthew Sheppard, reportedly a hate crime against homosexuality, NBC anchor Katie Couric declared that Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family were to blame.
In Canada, new legislation has been proposed that would consider Scriptural statements condemning homosexuality to be legally defined as "hate literature." Pastors or anyone quoting such passages could be charged with hate crimes. When introducing the legislation, the homosexual Member of Parliament who sponsored the bill quoted Bible passages and declared that such "hateful statements" must be removed from society.
Where does this opposition come from? Where will it end? How can Christians respond to these attacks on their faith? And how can Christian children be taught to stand up under this deluge of popular thought?
First, we must take a brief look at where these ideas came from. We'll study some of their origins and the flawed logic behind them. Then we'll examine the foundations of the Christian faith, so that we can fully understand why we believe what we believe.
We'll look deeply into the origin of the Bible to see how God placed His unique signature on the Bible and its content.
Finally, we'll examine how we can apply the truths of the Bible in practical ways to our own lives.
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