The freedoms of speech and religion have been eroding for a decade, and the erosion rate has been slowly increasing. No longer is this erosion a trickle; it has grown into a torrent. Today, I am astonished at how rapidly news events accrue. A year ago I reported on these things and it is worse today than then.

The press in the United States records the following seven articles.

1. A United States member of the House of Representatives identified the Family Heritage Alliance as an extremist group for making the dangerous and un-American claim that a child benefits from having a married father and mother. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/democrat-erupts-advocacy-group-promoting-families-married-mom-dad-dangerous-un-american)
2. A teacher was dismissed from her position when she refused to agree to lie to parents concerning gender issues that her students might be having. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/christian-teacher-loses-job-refusing-deceive-parents-kids-gender-transitions-devil?test=25acc518ede44190a027e07c647a192c)
3. An FBI memo identified traditional Catholics and conservative Christians as potential terrorists and suggested that surveillance might be necessary. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/fbi-found-gateway-declare-christians-criminals-federal-whistleblower)
4. Arizona’s Washington Elementary School District canceled its contract with Arizona Christian University because having Christian student teachers made it unsafe for LGBTQ students. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/christian-universitys-students-careers-take-hit-after-district-punished-them-beliefs-admin?test=25acc518ede44190a027e07c647a192c)
5. A medical conference sponsored by an OB/GYN group that was pro-choice refused access to the conference to those who belonged to a pro-life OB/GYN group. (https://breakpoint.org/pro-life-doctors-banned-from-medical-education-conference/)
6. U.S. Department of Education’s “Free Inquiry Rule” is to be rescinded. The rule protected campus, student-led religious groups from discrimination. Previously several colleges and universities had discriminated against such groups and even banned them from campus. (https://breakpoint.org/call-to-action-for-religious-student-groups-on-campuses/)
7. A Hollywood star noted that much of Hollywood’s programming portrayed Christians as wicked or foolish. Seldom was Christianity portrayed accurately or favorably. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/rainn-wilson-calls-out-anti-christian-bias-hollywood-last-episode)

The press in Canada records these two articles.

1. The British Columbia Nursing Board is seeking to censure an RN with an unblemished record for supporting her belief that there are two distinct sexes. (https://nationalpost.com/opinion/michael-higgins-amy-hamm-is-being-persecuted-for-believing-in-biology)
2. 16-year-old Josh Alexander was suspended from a Catholic High School for protesting the Trans friendly agenda at his high school, which allowed male students in female bathrooms. (https://www.foxnews.com/world/attorney-teen-suspended-opposing-trans-ideology-says-religious-freedom-essentially-dead-canada)

The press in England records these two articles.

1. The British government voted 299-116 to continue criminalizing silent prayer near abortion clinics. The no-prayer zones are several hundred feet in length. (https://breakpoint.org/britains-1984-moment/)
2. A Methodist Bible college in the U.K. fired a Christian theologian. It threatened to report him as a terrorist because of his tweets opposing homosexuality being accepted within the church. (https://www.foxnews.com/world/bible-college-fires-theologian-tweet-against-homosexuality-threatens-report-terrorist-lawyers)

And finally, the press in Europe records this one article.

1. The EU seeks to fine and imprison a Malta citizen for discussing his conversion to Christianity and his subsequent rejection of his prior LGBTQ lifestyle. (https://www.foxnews.com/world/christian-man-facing-jail-ex-lgbt-testimony-was-reported-police-eu-officials-report)

My goal is not to provide information just for information’s sake. My goal is to ask what the response should be. How should a conservative Christian citizen think about these things? Please consider the example of a goalie who took a position honoring his faith. He declined to participate in something he felt he could not honor. (https://www.foxnews.com/sports/sharks-goalie-opts-not-wear-lgbtq-themed-warm-up-jersey-teams-pride-night) Fortunately, his employer supports the individual rights of the players to be true to their beliefs. That is not always the case. John Stonestreet speaks about the need for Christians to develop a theology of being fired. It is no longer an academic issue. (https://www.breakpoint.org/the-point-another-case-for-the-theology-of-getting-fired/)

Russell Moore has suggested that Christians do not need to be on the offensive but instead on the defensive, and he is onto something. Christians should not angrily attack people who have beliefs they oppose. Instead, we must defend our beliefs and call our adversaries to embrace a far more beautiful and whole faith than theirs. We have something extraordinary that the world needs. Rather than an angry attack, we need to offer a warm embrace and something far superior. Invite them in from the cold and show the truth. Remember the words of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “It is up to us today to take up this challenge, to live not by lies and to speak the truth that defeats evil. How do we do this in a society built on lies? By accepting a life outside the mainstream, courageously defending the truth, and being willing to endure the consequences.” It is a life Jesus has called us to. To love each other, our neighbors, and even our enemies.