US churches under constant attack, but ignored by media, government
San Francisco: Christian churches in the US are constantly under attack, but the US government, politicians and major media ignore them while focusing on such incidents in India and elsewhere. A survey of local media for a random period of a month between Thanksgiving Day, November 26, and Christmas that was conducted by IANS found that there were reports of at least 45 attacks on Christian churches, ranging from beheading or removal of sacred statues to shooting at churches. Except for five, none of these made it into the major national media. The New York Times covered only a string of attacks on five nativity scenes around Christmas time. The nativity scenes display statues showing the birth of Jesus in a farm shed for animals after his parents could not find a place in Bethlehem’s inns. ” The American media do not cover vandalism in Christian churches the way they do vandalism in Islamic mosques,” William Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said. ” Much of the bias is a function of political correctness: there is more sensitivity in the media to anti-Muslim bigotry than there is to anti-Christian bigotry. This is also the fruit of multiculturalism in the schools where Islam is elevated and Christianity is denigrated.” While the incidents during the period were confined to property damages, in two cases the attacks took on an ominous turn. In Tennessee, two churches were shot at during the Thanksgiving weekend. No one was injured but the buildings’ windows were damaged.
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Pastor Shane Idleman Shares Why He Believes Churches are Dying
Pastor Shane Idleman recently revealed what he believes is the reason for low church attendance and the closing of many churches. According to Christian Today, Idleman wrote an article for the Christian Post in which he addresses the fact that around 4,000 churches in America close every year and over 3,500 people decide to leave the church every single day. “Church is boring, and many churches are dying because the power of God has vanished from the pulpit as well as the pew. Like Samson, they ‘know not that the Spirit of the Lord has departed.’ (Judge 16:20). But there is hope if we once again seek God,” writes Idleman. Idleman also wrote about the need for revival in the church. He called on church leaders to apply 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Idleman says that attempting to draw people into the church through marketing techniques and entertainment will ultimately fail. Instead, Idleman calls for “humility, vibrant prayer, and heartfelt worship.” “This isn’t meant to discourage, but to convict,” the pastor continues. “Conviction is a wonderful gift from God used to turn the heart back to Him.”