So far in 2024, there have already been 50 attacks on Catholic churches.
ipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, and arson are just a few of the many ways people have attacked churches.
Since 2020, at least 342 attacks, with some estimates indicating over 400, have occurred against Catholic churches in the U.S. According to the Family Research Council, “acts of hostility” against all churches doubled from 2022 to 2023. The number of hostile acts in 2023 was eight times higher than in 2018.
The phrase “TRANS PWR” was sprayed on St. Joseph Catholic church in Louisville in March of last year.
In today’s world, we often scorn the past as a time of violence and see ourselves as more advanced, civilized, and peaceful. As U.S. citizens, we have long viewed ourselves as the people who bear the torch of freedom. Freedom to speak our minds, bear arms, and worship as we please. Under these ideals, the U.S. has become a melting pot of people with different beliefs from across the world. Yet, its status as a land of religious refuge has not made it immune from persecution.
Christianity is, perhaps surprisingly, the most persecuted religion in the world. In America, violence against Christian, especially Catholic, churches have seen a sharp increase in recent years. (READ MORE: Moms for America Designated a ‘Hate Group’ by Southern Poverty Law Center)
Major civil unrest began in May 2020 during the height of the pandemic after the deathof George Floyd. Riots and protests sprung up across the U.S. and around the world. The situation quickly spiraled out of control as what began as protests morphed into general mayhem. People took theopportunity to loot businesses and burn buildings before turning their attention to the churches. (READ MORE: Pro-Palestinian Protestors Light the American Flag on Fire in Philadelphia)
Attacks on Catholic churches have continued to rise, tripling in number from 2020 to 2022. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the threat against the churches became so serious that the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to the United States Council of Catholic Bishops stating that if the Supreme Court overturned Roe, there would be “crediblethreats to the safety of Catholic churches, clergy.
Read the rest:
No comments:
Post a Comment