Christians living in Western Australia have probably felt pretty secure about practicing their faith up until now. It has been quite comfortable going to our local churches each week, worshiping with like-minded people and enjoying a Christ centered, family oriented existence.

We have always enjoyed a fair legal system, we have always been free in the past to voice our opinions without fear of persecution, prosecution or ridicule, and we have always believed in a parliament that passed fair laws based on Christian principles.

More than that, we Christians have always believed in the innate good of all people. We even smile indulgently when we hear things like ‘Christians are now the most persecuted group in the world’, believing that even if it was true, it was happening somewhere else and certainly not in comfortable Western Australia.

Yet here we are. We are like the frog placed in a pot of cold water on the stove, who continues to swim around happily as the water gets hotter, perhaps because he is comparing the temperature now to the temperature a second ago, rather than how cool it was at the start.

We become inured to the anti-Christian themes running through our television programs, to the anti-Christian sentiments of our politicians and to the developing violence and behaviour on our streets.

We fail to see the changes to our world because they occur slowly and subtly.

Is that too dramatic? Are we just being silly when we look at those things and worry?

Of course, it is one thing for the world to change around us, but it is quite another to be persecuted ourselves. Is that happening to us now?

Well, we all know the negative effect admitting our Christianity can have on our careers, and how suspicious people can be about the reasons behind our actions at work.

We also know we are ridiculed when we admit we believe in the inerrant word of the bible, or if we work to preserve human life, or if we question evolution.

And we know now anti-vilification laws that prevent us from speaking out about different issues and different groups (although interestingly, these laws don’t seem to be applied to those who express anti-Christian sentiments).

We also know anti-Christian bills of one shade or another are always being presented to Parliament now. Parliamentarians don’t want to pray before Parliament commences either.

These things we know. However, perhaps we aren’t all aware of the more subtle anti-Christian activities happening in our own society right now. One example of this is the revelation that the new Children’s Hospital will have a Muslim prayer room but nothing for Christians – not even a single crucifix. Subtly anti-Christian, wouldn’t you say?

Another example is the money the State Government is giving to the Marie Stopes clinic in Midland. This money, given to a profit making private enterprise, is to allow them to upgrade their clinic so that it can provide more of the abortions that the Midland Hospital won’t provide under the St John of God administration.

Think about this last one: government money being given to a private, profit making clinic to fund abortions. Even non-Christians should question that one. Yet another is the low level of Christians being allowed to migrate to Australia because of persecution and loss of religious freedom in their own countries.

So, are we persecuted yet? Should we have a strong political voice now?

Are We Persecuted Yet? – Steve Klomp

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Are We Persecuted Yet? – Steve Klomp

PLEASE DONATE! EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS

VOLUNTEER

PLEASE DONATE!
EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS