This article is part 1 in our 3-part series on religious persecution in America.

Are Christians being persecuted in America?

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If you define the words “Christian” and “persecuted” biblically, then yes.

Who is praying on the wall?

Believers vs. Deserters

To true believers, the simplest definition of a Christian is a “follower of Christ.”

Christians who truly follow Christ call Jesus Savior and Lord. A true Christian believes in the true gospel that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and will come again. All those who repent and believe in the name of Jesus will enter eternal life. Christians believe in Christ alone for salvation – there is no other name under which you can be saved.

As Paul warned in Galatians 1:8,9… But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

True believers and followers of Christ also seek to live a godly life with a steadfast belief and adherence to the authority and truth of the Bible as God’s Word. This is especially true when we speak out against the cultural hot buttons of our time… marriage, abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, euthanasia, family, parental rights, and Jesus is the ONLY way, truth, and life.

The Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:6 called Christians who turn away from the truth of God’s word and follow a different gospel deserters… I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.

In America, churches with rainbow flags that preach sin over salvation, God as non-binary, and Jesus as a good teacher but not Savior… the churches that call abortion healthcare and call gender fluid, defile the sanctity of marriage, and embrace all faiths as equal to Christianity…

These self-identified so-called Christian churches are deceived and pose no threat to the devil or those in worldly authority. As Satan could say, “No need to harm them, they’re one of us.” We call them… apostate.

But the true believing Christian in America is most certainly mocked, ridiculed, silenced, insulted, socially scorned, ostracized, discriminated, investigated, fired, labeled hateful, and even imprisoned.

But Persecuted? As compared to what?

In a recent IFA writers’ meeting, the nature of Christian persecution in America came up. Someone said, “Well, we’re not persecuted like the Christians in Nigeria.” True, we agreed.

In Nigeria, 4,216 Christians have been martyred in 2026. A Nigerian Christian is killed every 86 minutes by Islamist jihadists. The Nigerian government is doing very little to stop it.

In the Middle East, Muslims who convert to Christianity are seen as traitors and are subject to long prison terms, torture, and even death.

Freedoms for Christians in China have rapidly deteriorated since the rise of President XI Jinping. Christians are under constant surveillance and are required to align their faith with state-approved Communist ideology. Many churches go “underground”. In other words, they are not sanctioned by the state. Online Christian content is increasingly censored. Pastors who do not conform are imprisoned, and their churches are closed.

In comparison to these countries, Christians in America are not being systematically murdered by the government in the streets, or in their homes, or in their churches.

Christians have certainly been targeted by individuals in shootings at churches and Christian schools. Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated for his faith at Utah Valley University. The incidences of physical violence against Christians have been on the rise for the past 20 years in America.

But while American Christians are not currently persecuted as severely as Christians in Nigeria, the Middle East, or China (yet), it is more than fair to say that American culture is growing increasingly hostile to true gospel evangelical Christians who hold fast to God and His Word.

What did Jesus say about persecution?

Jesus spoke to His disciples about what it means to be persecuted for His sake.

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. (Luke 6:22-23)

Biblically, Christian persecution is not limited to the most severe torture and death, like we’re seeing in Nigeria.

In Luke 6, Jesus also spoke of social persecution… of being hated, reviled, excluded, and cast out. In John 15:18, Jesus said If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

In America today, we see rampant discrimination against Christians for their ‘free exercise of religion, which is guaranteed to every American in the First Amendment. Public schools today are openly hostile to a biblical worldview. Schools refuse to teach the Christian founding of our nation, Creation, or basic Christian principles. Schools indoctrinate our children in the acceptability of sinful behaviors.

We also see Christians threatened, fined, fired, mistreated, and imprisoned because of their devotion to Jesus and living a godly life. This form of persecution that Jesus spoke of is often carried out by social media, groups, institutions, workplaces, and even the government.

So yes, true Christians are being persecuted (as Jesus defines persecution) in America today.

Far too many examples exist of this type of social and legal persecution of Christians, but here are a few of the most egregious. I’m sure you have seen many other examples as Christian persecution grows more common in our nation.

Creating false perceptions of Christians

In entertainment, Christians are often portrayed in TV or in the movies as mean, narrow-minded, judgmental, hypocritical, and villains. Long gone are the kindly moral priest, Father Mulcahy, on MASH, or the God-loving Baptist minister, Rev. Fordwick, on The Waltons.

Instead, in the rare sightings of Christian clergy or people we see on TV or in movies, they are portrayed as child molesters, secret pornography viewers, homophobes or homosexuals, Bible-quoting killers, fools, liars, cheaters, or just plain mentally ill.

Even self-proclaimed Christians, such as Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico, call Christians America’s villains. Otherize much?

Christians are reviled, mocked, and ridiculed in mainstream entertainment today. But Jesus said…

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. (Matthew 5:10-12)

Christians declared haters

Opposing sin and declaring a biblical worldview can get you blacklisted as a ‘hate group’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the mainstream media’s go-to “expert” on all things hateful in America.

Established in 1971, the SPLC’s initial goal was to dismantle groups that promote violence and hateful ideologies. Their biggest target was the KKK.

But today, the SPLC slaps the hate group label on any group that holds different political views than they do. And their prime target these days appears to be Christians and their biblical values in order to silence them and cut off their funding. For example, if a Christian group is listed on the SPLC’s hate map, corporations will not donate to them or match employee gifts.

According to SPLC Senior Fellow Mark Potek, ‘Our aim in life is to destroy these groups, to completely destroy them.” Groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom, American Family Association, Campus Ministry USA, D. James Kennedy Ministries, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Massachusetts Family Institute, Moms for Liberty, Ruth Institute, Turning Point USA… just to name a few… are on the SPLC’s hate map.

None of these groups promotes violence. Instead, they stand for biblical truths on marriage, family, sexuality, life, and oppose sin. Yet to the world, they must be destroyed.

We are called to hate what God hates, and God hates sin. While the gospel message applies to all people – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) – true Christians repent of their sin, turn, and follow Jesus and the authoritative Word of God. We do not dress up our sin and parade it in front of God as acceptable.

True Christians who love God are labeled as haters in this world just as Jesus foretold…

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19)

Workplace Discrimination

While it is illegal to discriminate against religious expression at work, it appears to be happening with increasing frequency. For example, workers are fired for wearing crosses. Christians are often denied a simple accommodation to not work on Sundays. Companies refuse to promote or hire Christians. Corporate policies often forbid sharing the gospel with a coworker.

Christians are also discriminated against in academia, which sadly shapes our cultural values. Virginia State University is reportedly suppressing Christian student ministries but not Muslim groups. Christians are bombarded with celebrating Pride month at work and schools, and are required to call trans people by their preferred pronouns or face suspensions or firings.

Many homeschooled children are from Christian families. In Nebraska, a homeschooler was declared not eligible for employment as a firefighter because he did not have a diploma from an “accredited” high school. If states already consider homeschooling diplomas unacceptable for employment, the secular state could soon decide diplomas from Christian and religious schools unacceptable for employment.

Is it any wonder then that Alliance Defending Freedom, which takes on many of these discrimination cases for plaintiffs, is listed as a hate group by SPLC? The Apostle Paul reminds us…

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. (Galatians 4:28)

Government Discrimination

States and local communities are increasingly discriminating against Christians and casting them out of the public square. For instance:

Dearborn, Michigan, is home to one of the largest Arab-American communities in the country and has a Muslim mayor who calls Christian citizens bigots and says they are not welcome in Dearborn. The city spends taxpayer dollars on Muslim religious holiday displays but refuses to do the same for Christian or Jewish holidays. The Islamic call to prayer is blasted over loudspeakers five times a day in American cities, including Dearborn, New York City, and Minneapolis.

Massachusetts is considering a bill establishing a taxpayer-funded commission to recommend Muslims for appointed positions in state and local government, to report annually its findings related to Islamophobia and discrimination, and to evaluate anti-discrimination efforts. Muslims are less than 2% the MA population, and no such commission exists for any other religion.

Many blue states have laws demanding that foster parents affirm a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s a backdoor law that disqualifies Christian parents from fostering. Faith-based adoption agencies are under attack for refusing to place children with same-sex couples.

Almost half the states ban licensed medical health providers from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity from a biblical perspective. Another backdoor law to disqualify Christian therapists from practicing. These anti-Christian laws are harmful to children, but secular authorities do not care.

Again, Jesus spoke of this… Because of Me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. (Matthew 10:18 CEV)

Investigations and Imprisonment

Catholic parents in Massachusetts have had their 15-year-old daughter taken away from them by the state’s Department of Children and Families (DCF), which declared them unfit parents. Their daughter had been secretly transitioning at school, and the parents had no idea. They were reported to DCF by the school’s guidance counselor. They have been denied contact with their daughter for two years. They are taking DCF to court to prevent testosterone treatments. This is not an isolated case but is happening in blue states across America.

During the Biden administration, Catholics were targeted by the FBI as domestic terrorist threats. Parents at school board meetings questioning the teaching of critical race theory, comprehensive sex education, and other Leftist ideology to their children were arrested for criminal trespass and targeted for hate crimes and domestic terrorism.

For praying and singing hymns in a peaceful protest outside abortion clinics, pro-life citizens were arrested and charged under the FACE Act. They were found guilty and sentenced to prison. Fortunately, President Trump pardoned them once he took office.

The Apostle Paul warned us that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12)

And he encourages us… For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Persecution Progresses in the U.S.

So, as the Bible defines Christian and persecution, American Christians are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus and submission to the Word of God.

There appears to be a progression of persecution happening in America today. We can see similarities between America today and Nazi Germany when Hitler systematically persecuted the Jews, first by reviling and scorning them, then by passing laws to take away their basic human and citizen rights, and finally by shipping them off in trains to the concentration camps for mass extermination.

We are certainly in the first phase of reviling, hatred, and discrimination… and inching closer towards the second phase, especially if Socialists continue their takeover of the Democrat party. What would a 13-member packed liberal Supreme Court do to squash religious liberty in our country?

But we can take heart from the Acts of the Apostles. In Acts 5, Peter and the apostles were arrested and beaten for preaching about Jesus. They were told to stop. But instead, they went away rejoicing because they were found worthy to suffer shame for Jesus. Can you just see them? High-fiving each other as they walk out of prison, big smiles on their faces, thanking and praising God that they were worthy. And they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ? (Acts 5:41 NIV)

In the next article, we will examine the parallels of what happened to the Jews in the 1930s… and what is happening to the true Christians today as anti-Semitic and anti-Christian hatred continues to catch fire in the United States.

Let’s Pray

Dear Loving Father, You have repeatedly told us through your Word that believers will be persecuted for their faith and for living a godly life. We praise You as the one, true Living God. We give You all glory.

Lord, may we be worthy like the apostles to rejoice in our persecutions. Lord, rescue us from wicked and evil people. I pray that you will give us Spirit-filled boldness to share the gospel of Good News and to hold fast to the truth and trustworthiness of Your Word, so that we can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Give us strength and faithfulness to endure social, legal, and bodily persecution, so that we can stand to the end. Drive out all fear in us of those who persecute us and seek to destroy us.

Give those who are actively facing persecution for Your sake today, the confidence to do what is right in Your eyes through such dangerous circumstances. Guide and comfort them, protect and provide for them, that through their suffering the gospel will reach many. Keep them safe from emotional, spiritual, or bodily harm. Give them wisdom and courage. May our lives bring honor to Jesus.

Lord, for those who persecute us, we ask that you forgive them, open their eyes, soften their hearts, and grant them Your salvation. Bring them to a place where they feel true godly compassion and repent of their sinful actions. As Paul persecuted the new Christians, may today’s persecutors have a Damascus Road experience. May they be blinded by the light of truth and turn their zeal to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen

How are you praying about the persecution of Christians in America? Share your prayers and scriptures below.

Belinda Brewster analyzes cultural, political, and world events from a biblical worldview. Belinda’s passion is to equip, support, and encourage parents and grandparents who are courageously battling against the spiritual and cultural forces impacting children and grandchildren. Photo Credit: Andrew Ciscel from Minneapolis / Chicago / Knoxville, USA – in Federal Plaza, Chicago, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8957995.