Top Ten Instances of Christian Bashing in America, 2008

Righting First Amendment Wrongs

The following content was received in an email from the Christian Anti Defamation Commission (CADC). The CADC prepared and published a Top Ten list of the most egregious acts of Christian Bashing in American in 2008. They are reproduced below.
Following the CADC list are three stories which could be included on the list as well.

Every day in America serious Christians face increasing hostility at work, school, and in the culture because they stand for their faith and values.

"It is time for the Christian bashing to stop and for Christians to no longer be treated like second-class citizens," said Dr. Gary Cass, Chairman and CEO of CADC. "Anti-Christian bigotry is real and growing. Those who engage in it should be exposed and called to account."

INSTANCE #10: Jack Black Musical Video

In a short video posted on FunnyorDie.com entitled, "Prop 8 The Musical," an all star cast of Hollywood celebrities perform a low budget musical farce that defames Christ, mocks Christians and distorts the teaching of the Bible. Jack Black played the lead role of Jesus.

INSTANCE #9: Bill Maher Gratuitously Attacks Pope

Bill Maher, host of the HBO program Real Time, made light of the Pope during his recent visit and the tragic sexual abuse scandal. Maher said, "Now I know what you're thinking, Bill. You can't be saying that the Catholic Church is no better than this creepy (radical Mormon polygamist) Texas cult. For one thing, alter boys can't even get pregnant. But really, what tripped up the little cult on the prairie was that they only abused hundreds of kids, not thousands all over the world. Cults get raided; religions get parades... If you have a few hundred followers and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you Pope."

INSTANCE #8: ESPN Anchor Dana Jacobson's "F--- Jesus" Remark

Speaking at an ESPN corporate event in Atlantic City, N.J., to honor ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, Dana Jacobson let go with a steam of vulgar remarks; "F--- Notre Dame," "F--- Touchdown Jesus" and finally "F--- Jesus." Jacobson was suspended for a few days for the incident.

INSTANCE #7: Minnesota University Professor Desecrates Communion

A Biology Professor from the University of Minnesota, Paul Zachary Myers, recently desecrated a consecrated communion wafer from a Catholic Mass. Meyer's has also asked people to steal the Eucharist for him in order that he might desecrate it and display it on his blog.

INSTANCE #6: Religious the Movie

Bill Maher released a very shallow, pseudo-intellectual documentary entitled Religious. The movie did not cover any new intellectual ground. It simply raised the old attacks on the faith. Maher studiously avoided being fair and did not allow for legitimate Christian answers from any leading Christian intellectuals.

INSTANCE #5: Chaplains Fired for Praying in Jesus' Name

Chaplains for the State of Virginia are being denied their right to pray in Jesus' name. Six chaplains were fired for continuing to pray in Jesus' name. Earlier this year in Virginia, Rev. Hashmel Turner, a city councilman in Fredericksburg, was told by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that his prayers during city council meetings that ended in Jesus' name will continue to be banned.

INSTANCE #4: Colorado Law Criminalizes the Bible

SB200, a Colorado state bill recently signed into law, criminalizes the Bible. Section 8 of the bill entitled "Publishing of discriminative matter forbidden" makes publishing the Bible illegal because it contains anti-homosexual passages. This is part of a larger effort to criminalize the expression of certain opinions and beliefs.

INSTANCE #3: Barack Obama Defames Christianity

According to research into President Elect Obama's own statements about faith, and an examination of Obama's position on moral issues, CADC has determined that by any biblical and historic Christian standard, Barack Obama is not a Christian, although he claims he is a "devout Christian."

INSTANCE #2: Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin Is Attacked

Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin, came under sharp attack by some in the mainstream media because she self-identifies as a Christian. The Washington Post published a cartoon by Pat Oliphant mocking Palin because she has a background as a Pentecostal/Charismatic Christian. A suspicious arson fire at Sarah Palin's home church recently caused over $1,000,000 in damage.

And finally, the #1 Christian Bashing Instance in America for 2008...

INSTANCE #1: Radical Homosexuals Assault Prop 8 Marriage Supporters in California

During and after the November campaign stories flooded in of pro-Prop 8 signs being taken, people verbally and physically assaulted, church property and private automobiles vandalized, and person's jobs and pastor's lives threatened simply for exercising their right to campaign and vote in support of traditional marriage.

BONUS INSTANCE: Senator Grassley's Abuse of Power

US Senator Grassley, a member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, has demanded the financial records of a number of very prominent conservative, evangelical broadcast ministries. The demand was based on Grassley's concern that these ministries are not spending their contributions properly. Grassley has admitted his concerns were in part driven by media accounts.

I could easily substitute or add several stories to the above list. I have written on this blog about each of these stories. So, to the top five or so above instances, I would add these three Christian bashing stories of my own:

* A Marked Black Woman

Crystal Dixon was fired from her Human Resource management position at the University of Toledo in Ohio for her personal views regarding homosexuality which she expressed as a response to an editorial in her local newspaper. She is in the process of suing the school for violating her civil and religious rights. Apparently political correctness regarding homosexuality trumps even that of a black woman's free speech and free religious expression rights.

* Getting the Wrong Picture

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Photographer Elaine Huguenin owner of a photography business in Arizona refused to take the job of photographing a same-sex civil union of two lesbians. The state human rights agency fined her business over $6,000. She and her husband are appealing the decision.

* Firing Teacher John Freshwater for Keeping a Bible on His Desk

Middle school science teacher and multiple "Teacher of the Year" award winner John Freshwater is facing termination because he refused to remove his Bible from the top of his classroom desk. Other charges were trumped up to strengthen the dismissal, but the bottom line this man's active Christian faith got him in trouble with school officials, who operate under the mistaken notion that there is a separation of church and state, which cannot be found in the founding documents of this nation.