Franklin Graham claims Christian persecution is on the rise both in America and overseas. Yet, at the same time, we have some reports claiming that evangelicals are out of touch and that their numbers are declining. But according to Christian leaders that’s to expected and they’re fine with it… what?
In a related report by The Inquisitr , Kevin Sorbo, star of the God’s Not Dead movie, says Christian persecution is alive and well in America . Although, the Heaven Is For Real movie box office results just came in and Christians turned out in full force for the film.
The ministry of the most famous American preacher of all time, Billy Graham, is being continued by his son, Franklin. But this generation of Christian missionaries face different challenges than before, with society quickly changing into something that the younger Graham claims is becoming hostile to Christians:
“We are seeing it across the globe, no question about it, and it’s frightening. We see the anti-Christian position in this country. We see so much of it coming out of the entertainment industry, especially in certain segments of the news media. Christians are being attacked and… we see it now in Europe. Anti-Semitism, no question, it’s there. We are living in a world that is changing, and it is frightening to see how quickly [it] is changing, and we’re going to see real persecution of Christians and Jews in the years to come. I would encourage Christians not to back down, to stand firm, to share your faith, to stand for your faith, not to be afraid of the secularists who will scoff at you. You know, we live in a world where we want to be politically correct, we live in a world where people want to be accepted and standing for Jesus Christ. You’re not going to be accepted in some circles and you just have to be willing to accept that.”
One major issue that split the generation gap is homosexuality. While a majority of Americans now support the LGBT community’s stance on marriage and other issues, the same cannot be said for most evangelicals. But the generational gap becomes apparent when you compare young evangelicals against their elders. While 75 percent of people under 30 now say they approve gay marriage, an amazing 43 percent of young evangelicals also believe the same.
Reports also say that 82 percent of evangelical leaders feel that Christianity’s influence on America is waning, and records show that church attendance and membership is at record lows. At the same time, Dr. Russell Moore , president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, believes the shift in numbers just show that only “authentic Christians” are left standing:
“I think what we’re seeing is the collapse of a cultural nominal form of Christianity. There was a time in America where in order to be a good person, to be seen as a good citizen, one had to nominally, at least, be a member of a church. Those days are over. We’re at a point now where Christianity is able to be authentic. It offers an opportunity for the church to speak clearly, articulately about what it is that we believe.”
Do you agree with what evangelical leaders Franklin Graham and Russel Moore are saying?
