Passing the Persecution Envy Torch

I've written more than once about the strange phenomenon called Persecution Envy:

"Persecution Envy (not to be confused with Jihad Envy) is a mutant strain of Christian Reality Denial Disease (CRDD). It causes some of the most fortunate, prosperous and free (aka blessed) people in the world to imagine that they are being discriminated against, persecuted and oppressed."

Now it seems the torch is being passed to the next generation.  Behold, The Thaw:



There is so much wrong here.  I thought about debunking the many false claims that video makes but a blog isn't really the best forum for that.  I could try an point out all the misinformation, half truths and blatant lies in that video but I think it may be more productive to talk about the deeper issue at play here.  It seems to me that these well off, well fed, un-imprisoned kids with the freedom to discuss their beliefs in a public forum are suffering from a severe lack of empathy.

I may be just a simple seminary dropout but I seem to remember the guy Christianity is named for saying something along the lines of, "Do to others as you would have them do to you."  Which is pretty much a statement about empathy is it not? So then I don't think I would be unreasonable to expect Christians to have some empathy.  And yet, we all just saw that video.

They make a lot of false claims in that video:  that they're not allowed to pray or read the Bible or talk about Jesus in school.  Even I - a filthy foreigner from the 3rd world - knows that is just blatantly false.  They can do all those things.  What's forbidden is for the school to tell you what to pray and who to pray to.  This is a pretty reasonable rule, unless of course you are completely devoid of empathy, like these kids (and the adults who made them this way).  Instead of being grateful for the protection of such a common sense rule, they seem to be deeply offended that they are not allowed to impose their beliefs on everyone else.  But what if the shoe was on the other foot?

What if school prayer was brought back, except it's Catholic prayers to the Virgin Mary, and you're a Baptist and you believe that's idolatry?  What if Scripture reading was mandatory but the Scripture in question was the Book of Mormon?  What if the God in your history books was Allah?  Does that still sound like something you would want, entitled young Christian?  No of course it isn't! You'd be feeling very oppressed and persecuted indeed and you would be right!! You would be oppressed, that really would be religious persecution!

So why would you want to do that to others then?  Shouldn't you rather offer them the freedom you would like offered to you?  No one is taking your freedom, please stop campaigning to take the freedom from everyone else.  Come on, it's the Golden Rule!  How can you hate it?

So, just one more time:

Are you free to do business? Are you free to take part in your country’s political system? Are you free to share your opinion in the press? Are your children welcomed in public schools? Are you able to work? Are you free to go to the church of your choice? Are you able to freely purchase and read a Bible? Do you have free access to Christian radio and television broadcasts? If you answered “yes” to these questions then you are most certainly not being persecuted. If you answered no you may want to consider moving.

Does your government ever raid your church? Are you forced by law to meet in secret? Are you in any danger of being shipped off to a concentration/internment/”re-education” camp for your religious beliefs? Are you forbidden to vote or run for office due to your religious beliefs? Are you legally forbidden from raising complaints about government policies? If you answered “no” to these questions then you are definitely not being persecuted.