Anti-christian Sentiment Information
Anti-Christian sentiment is an opposition to some or all Christians, the Christian religion, or the practice of Christianity. Christophobia or Christianophobia are also names for "every form of discrimination and intolerance against Christians" according to Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE).[1]
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Anti-Christian expressions
Vandalism
The vandalism or defacement of Christian symbols or property is one form of the expression of anti-Christian sentiment. If the defaced or vandalized object is considered holy by Christians, such as the Bible, the Cross, or an image of Christ or a saint, the case becomes that of desecration. Such destruction may also be illegal if it violates property rights or hate crime laws. Arson directed at Christian meeting places or churches is often considered a hate crime.[2] However, churches may also be targeted for reasons unrelated to anti-Christian sentiment, especially racism(against the congregants).[3]
An aggravating factor in the burning of a church in Minnedosa, Manitoba was that two of the arsonists were fans of National Socialist black metal music with anti-Christian themes, according to the Crown.[4] Vandals stole a wooden statue of Virgin Mary, from the Saint Albert the Great Parish of Calgary, Canada in August 2008 detached her hands, tried to incinerate it, and threw into a ditch along the nearby 22x Highway.[5] In 2010, vandals daubed graffiti and attempted to burn down the White Church of Baildon, West Yorkshire, marking the church with the sign of the pentagram and scrawling anti-Christian graffiti upon it.[6][7]
Music
Some fans of black metal and witch house music declare open hatred of Christianity. Headliners of the black metal genre have claimed responsibility for inspiring (if not necessarily perpetrating) over fifty arsons directed at Christian churches in Norway from 1992 to 1996.[8] The most notable church was Norway's Fantoft Stave Church, which the police believed was destroyed by the one-man band Burzum, Varg Vikernes, also known as "Count Grishnackh".[8]
Examples of anti-Christian sentiment in politics and culture
United Kingdom
Mark Pritchard, the Member of Parliament representing the English constituency of The Wrekin, instigated a debate in the House of Commons on 5 December 2007 on the issue of Anti-Christian sentiment, describing the phenomenon as 'Christianophobia'.[9] Introducing the debate, he said it was about "how anti-Christian sentiment is increasing, not decreasing; why many Christians feel they are not getting a fair hearing when it comes to Christianity in the public square; and what many people of all faiths and no faith see as the increasing marginalisation of Britain’s Christian history, heritage and traditions through the actions of Whitehall Departments, Government agencies, local authorities, the charity commissioners, or other sectors of society."[10] One example where anti-Christian sentiment was evident was when a church building was wrecked by squatters which included the adding of anti-Christian graffiti to the walls.[11]
Norway
On 6 June 1992, the Fantoft Stave Church, a wooden structure originally built in 1150 in Fortun, when the Vikings converted to Christianity, and moved to Bergen in 1883, was burnt down.[12] At first the fire was attributed to lightning and electrical failure. In January 1993 Varg Vikernes, also known as "Count Grishnackh", was interviewed by a local journalist in his apartment decorated with 'Nazi paraphernalia, weapons and Satanic symbols'. According to Vikernes, black metal fans had declared war on Christianity and Norwegian society and was responsible for eight church burnings as part of an ongoing terror campaign. He used a photo of the charred remnants of the church taken soon after the fire on his band Burzum's album entitled Aske (Norwegian for ashes). Following his statement the Norwegian authorities began to clamp down on black metal fanatics.[13]
In 1994 Vikernes was found guilty of murder, arson and possession of illegal weapons (including explosives) and given the maximum sentence under Norwegian law of 21 years in prison.[13] He was released in 2009.[14]
The following is a partial list of Norwegian Christian church arsons in 1992 by anti-Christian groups reported by English-language media sources:
- May 23: Storetveit Church in Bergen.[15]
- June 6: Fantoft Stave Church in Bergen.[16] Varg Vikernes was suspected of the crime, but denied this;[13] he was not convicted.[16]
- August 1: Revheim Church in Stavanger.[16]
- August 21: Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo.[17]
- September 1: Ormøya Church in Oslo.[17]
- September 13: Skjold Church in Vindafjord.[17] Varg Vikernes and Samoth were convicted for this.
- October: Hauketo Church in Oslo.[17]
- December 24: Åsane Church in Bergen.[18] Varg Vikernes and musician Jørn Inge Tunsberg were convicted for this.[19]
- December 25: a Methodist church in Sarpsborg.[18] A firefighter was killed while fighting this fire.[18]
Sweden
On 7 February 1993, the Lundby New Church in Gothenburg, Sweden was burnt down.[20]
Israel
There have been a few instances of graffiti and vandalism of churches in Israel, in particular in Jerusalem, that are attributed to a minority of extremist Haredi (ultra-Orthodox). There have been some instances of Christian clergy in Israel being spat at by Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) yeshiva students.[21] The Anti-Defamation League has called on the chief Rabbis to speak out against the interfaith assaults.[22] Father Goosan, Chief Dragoman of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, stated that, "I know there are fanatical Haredi groups that don't represent the general public but it's still enraging. It all begins with education. It's the responsibility of these men's yeshiva heads to teach them not to behave this way".[23] In January 2010, Christian leaders, Israeli Foreign ministry staff, representatives of the Jerusalem municipality and the Haredi community met to discuss inter-faith tolerance. The Haredi Community Tribunal of Justice published a statement condemning harassment of Christians, stating that it was a "desecration of God's name." Several events have been planned in 2010 by the Orthodox Yedidya congregation to show solidarity with Christians and improve relations between the Haredi and Christian communities of Jerusalem.[24]
See also
- Anti-Catholicism
- Anti-clericalism
- Anti-Mormonism
- Anti-Protestantism
- Antireligion
- Antitheism
- Christmas controversy
- Civil and political rights
- International Christian Concern, a Christian human rights NGO whose mission is to help persecuted Christians
- Persecution of Christians
- Religious persecution
- Religious segregation
- Religious intolerance
References
- ^ "Bishops condemn Christianphobia" Religious Intelligence; October 1, 2008
- ^ Time Magazine
- ^ Washington Post article
- ^ CBC: Minnedosa Fire, June 28, 2006
- ^ "2 arrested in Virgin Mary statue theft". CBC News. August 15, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/08/15/calgary-stolen-mary-statue-arrests.html.
- ^ Church is ‘focus of Satanic attack’
- ^ Shock at 'satanic' attack on historic church
- ^ a b Grude, Torstein (Director) (January 1, 1998). Satan rir Media (motion picture). Norway: Grude, Torstein. http://home.no/metalra/reviews/videos/satan_rides_the_media.html.
- ^ Christianophobia warning from MP BBC News 4 December 2007
- ^ Christianophobia markpritchard.com. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- ^ Anger as squatters wreck church BBC News, 31 May 2007
- ^ In Cod We Trust, By Eric Dregni. p.185
- ^ a b c In the face of death
- ^ "Ute av fengsel" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet.no. May 22, 2009. http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/05/22/nyheter/black_metal/varg_vikernes/6354526/. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ Lords of Chaos (1998): Hellhammer interview
- ^ a b c Lords of Chaos (1998): 78
- ^ a b c d Lords of Chaos (1998): 79
- ^ a b c Satan rides the Media (1998)
- ^ Satan rides the Media
- ^ Lords of Chaos (1998): 113, 269
- ^ Barkat, Amiram (2009-06-27). "Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=487412&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=487412.
- ^ "ADL Calls On Chief Rabbis to Speak Out Against Interfaith Assaults In Old City". 2004-10-17. http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/4576_62.htm.
- ^ Oz Rosenberg (2011-11-15). "Ultra-Orthodox spitting attacks on Old City clergymen becoming daily". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/ultra-orthodox-spitting-attacks-on-old-city-clergymen-becoming-daily-1.393669.
- ^ Ahren, Rachel (2010-03-05). "Capital Anglos mobilize against practice of spitting at Christians". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1154366.html.
Further reading
- Michael Moynihan, Didrik Søderlind. Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground, ISBN 0-922915-48-2
External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anti-Christianity |
- US Commission on International Religious Freedom
- National Alliance Against Christian Discrimination
- Website about Christianophobia What is Christianophobia, cases of Christianophobia in Europe
- News article on Bjorn Atldax Anti-Christian logo jeans
- News article about Christianophobia.
- News article about the Vatican's reaction to a "Seven Wonders of the World" contest that 'excluded' Christian monuments
- Protecting persecuted Christians - Christians throughout the world are victims of abuse, violence and discrimination
- Anti-Christian: a "Socially Acceptable Prejudice"
- http://www.licc.org.uk/engaging-with-culture/connecting-with-culture/religion/the-excommunication-of-rocco-buttiglione--173
- http://www.IntoleranceAgainstChristians.eu Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe
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Categories:
- Anti-Christianity
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Religion and society
- Religion and violence
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