In recent months, the West has witnessed a troubling rise in anti-Christian violence, a trend we can no longer afford to ignore.

Attacks we once believed were isolated incidents overseas are now occurring frequently in our own neighborhoods, challenging America’s foundational identity of coexistence and religious freedom.

Europe has experienced a disturbing increase in anti-Christian sentiment, highlighted by laws aimed at limiting religious expression. In the United Kingdom, individuals have faced arrest simply for silently praying near abortion facilities, accused of violating restrictive “buffer zone” laws. Across the European continent, public citation of biblical teachings has led to accusations of hate speech, as laws increasingly criminalize traditional religious expression. This legal hostility has created an environment where anti-Christian incidents have become normalized. On June 30, nearly 200 protesters stormed a church in France’s Basque region, desecrating the altar in a brazen act of contempt for Christianity.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, violence erupted on May 19, when gunmen attacked a parish festival in San Bartolo de Berrios, Guanajuato, killing seven young people, some merely teenagers. Mexican bishops have pleaded with the world not to become desensitized to such horrors, reminding us that apathy only enables further violence.

But the threat isn’t confined to Europe or Mexico; it is now present in the United States, a country whose identity has long been shaped by the belief that we are “one nation under God.”

America has traditionally been viewed as a beacon of religious coexistence and liberty, setting a global standard for freedom. However, this vision is disturbingly under threat.

On June 22, an armed attacker entered CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, and was stopped only by the courageous response of a church security guard. Just days later, a man brutally crucified a pastor, and it was later discovered he had a manifesto of more planned victims — all Christian pastors.

The U.S. Department of Justice recently confirmed a nearly 100% spike in attacks on places of worship between 2021 and 2023, a staggering increase that should set off alarms everywhere. Yet despite churches being torched, sacred symbols vandalized, and pastors threatened, public reaction remains frustratingly muted. It seems easier and disturbingly common to dismiss anti-Christian hostility as isolated events rather than confront a deeper, more troubling truth: There is a rising tide of animosity toward Christianity woven into our everyday culture.

Why aren’t we paying closer attention? Perhaps because hostility toward Christianity has become increasingly mainstream, subtly encouraged in entertainment, popular media and digital conversations. From edgy television specials to celebrities openly mocking religious imagery, such as Canadian singer The Weeknd’s provocative portrayal of red-clad nuns, anti-Christian sentiment has been transformed into cultural currency. When our screens normalize mockery of faith, it’s no surprise society barely blinks at escalating violence against it. To truly address this crisis, we must recognize the connection between casual ridicule and concrete acts of hate.

This trend is glaring online. In late 2023, a wave of influencers on TikTok began reading aloud Osama bin Laden’s so-called “Letter to America” and expressing agreement with its anti-Western, anti-Christian views. Videos of young Americans crying and praising the letter went viral and were algorithmically boosted, revealing how quickly extremist and anti-Christian ideas can gain mainstream sympathy. This content is not only widespread but embedded into the online mainstream, showcasing how rapidly social media can normalize hostility toward Christianity.

Popular talk-show hosts routinely portray Christianity as oppressive or outdated, reinforcing negative stereotypes and making hostility socially acceptable. Influencers frequently suggest that Christian beliefs are inherently intolerant, further weaving anti-Christian sentiment into everyday conversations. When mainstream voices perpetuate the idea that Christianity is harmful or oppressive, hostility inevitably grows. This is why the jump from casual mockery to acts of vandalism or violence is not accidental but connected: A culture that dehumanizes Christians in words and images creates fertile ground for real attacks.

If we look abroad, specifically to China, we find powerful lessons in resilience. Chinese Christians endure severe persecution under a government intent on controlling religious practice through surveillance, imprisonment, and church demolitions. Yet despite these relentless efforts to suppress Christianity, the faith continues to grow at a remarkable pace. In fact, experts project that China is on track to become the largest Christian country in the world within a few decades — a development the Communist Party has not been able to stop. Underground house churches multiply even as authorities raid them, confiscate Bibles, and arrest pastors. This extraordinary growth is driven by the unwavering courage and sacrificial commitment of believers who refuse to abandon their faith in the face of constant danger. Their perseverance serves as an inspiring example for Western Christians, demonstrating that adversity cannot only deepen personal conviction but also forge stronger, more resilient communities of faith.

In America, our challenge is different, but no less serious. As violence and hostility escalate, it has become clear there are renewed efforts to erase Christianity from public life, to push believers out of the public square, and to target our places of worship in an attempt to intimidate Christians into silence and discourage them from gathering altogether. But we must not be dismayed. Silence cannot be our answer. Now more than ever, we are called to respond not with fear or retreat but with a bolder, more unapologetic expression of our faith.

Remember: The Church has always thrived when it refuses to bow to intimidation.

May we draw strength from our persecuted brothers and sisters overseas, who show us that adversity does not extinguish faith — it refines and strengthens it.