by Jorge Gomez • 4 min read
Hostility and violence against churches in America is at an all-time high, according to a recent Family Research Council report. They documented more than 430 incidents in 2023—more than double the number in 2022. That’s an 800% increase in incidents since 2018 and an average of 39 attacks every month.
America’s churches aren’t just witnessing hostility and violence at a higher rate than ever before. The report suggests the attacks are increasingly more violent and more personal.
Close to 400 were acts of vandalism and arson, which often left church properties defaced and causing thousands of dollars of damage in many cases. Gun-related crimes, assault, interruption of church services and bomb threats comprised a smaller share of the attacks. Here’s a breakdown:
Those numbers are bad. But it’s likely that the problem is much worse. As FRC notes, “many acts of hostility against churches are likely not reported to authorities and/or are not featured in the news or other online sources…Thus, the number of acts of hostility is undoubtedly much higher than the number reflected in this report.”
These findings also correlate with a similar report titled “The Intensifying Intolerance Toward Christians in the West,” documenting a sharp rise in religious freedom violations. The 2024 data shows that persecution of Christians by Western governments rose by 60% last year. And over the past four years, most violations in the Western world actually took place in the United States.
These trends are alarming—and they betray everything that religious freedom in America is about. Attacks, threats and terror against houses of worship have no place in our country. We’re founded on the principle that people of all faiths should be able to worship peacefully. No American should ever have to worry about their safety at their house of worship. Sadly, it seems that we’re getting further away from that founding principle.
It’s almost impossible to separate these trends from the broader cultural and legal fight that’s being waged on religious freedom. We shouldn’t be surprised to hear about rising violence on churches, especially when so many institutions in our society don’t appear to value the free exercise of religion.
Whether it’s government, woke corporate America, higher education, the media or political activist groups, they’ve all shown a particular disdain for religious Americans. And to some extent, they’ve all had a hand in trying to strip away the legal and constitutional protections that guard people of faith.
“There is a common connection between the growing religious persecution abroad and the rapidly increasing hostility toward churches here at home: our government’s policies,” according to FRC President Tony Perkins. “The indifference abroad to the fundamental freedom of religion is rivaled only by the increasing antagonism toward the moral absolutes taught by Bible-believing churches here in the U.S., which is fomenting this environment of hostility toward churches.”
At First Liberty, we often warn Americans that no nation is immune to tyranny. We constantly say that we need to heed the warning signs. Religious persecution and violence aren’t just happening in totalitarian regimes far away. The stats show that some of the worst offenders are America’s neighbors.
And now, the numbers clearly show that religious persecution is increasing on our shores.
This reminds us why protecting and restoring religious freedom is so important. There’s a reason why it’s the First Freedom in the Bill of Rights, the very first that appears in the First Amendment. History shows that chaos, violence and tyranny result when this fundamental freedom isn’t protected.
This is not a time for indifference. As Americans, we can’t afford to bury our heads in the sand. We need to stand up for our First Freedom. We need to make sure America remains a safe haven where people of all faiths are free to live and worship in peace.
Leaving the Church Defenseless?
His Tabernacle Family Church, led by Pastor Micheal Spencer, recently got a huge win in court for their First and Second Amendment rights.
The congregation challenged a New York law that prohibited firearms at places of worship. The hypocrisy of this law allowed most secular establishments, like Home Depot or a local diner, to decide for if patrons can defend themselves. But houses of worship couldn’t.
In December, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of His Tabernacle Family Church. The Court rejected the State of New York’s unconstitutional attempt to make all houses of worship in New York gun-free zones.
Pastor Micheal discusses why this wasn’t just a win that protected his flock, but also the rights and freedoms of countless Americans. Watch below:
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