homeFaith

Evangelicals in America feel alienated in their own country

No longer considered a dominant force in the population and public life, American evangelicals are starting to feel alienated in their own country.

"There's nobody hated more in this nation than Christians," declared Pastor Richie Clendenen as he addressed a flock of faithful gathered at the Christian Fellowship Church on Sunday, June 5.

Worshippers attend a prayer in an evangelical church in Leon March 11, 2012. | Reuters/Edgard Garrido

He added, "Welcome to America's most wanted: You."

According to the Associated Press (AP), the pastor was preaching about how the America of today is becoming more and more what the Bible was warning Christians about — that they will be persecuted for their beliefs.

"The church as an institution, as a public entity — we are moving more and more in conflict with the culture and with other agendas," former pastor at Christian Fellowship, David Parish, told AP.

Parish noted that the American culture only laughs at and considers nonsense the so-called biblical morality that Christians practice and advocate.

"When was the last time you saw an evangelical or conservative Christian character portrayed positively on TV?" raised the evangelical director at Lifeway Research, Ed Stetzer, who also feels that evangelicals are only made a fun of in their own country.

The religious conservatives now find themselves a minority in the population. According to the Pew Research Center, there are now only about 25 percent of Americans who identify themselves as evangelicals — only a couple notches above those who identify themselves with no religious affiliation or "nones."

Rev. Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist public policy agency, has acknowledged that the religious body's influence is currently feeling some decline. This was made apparent when the Southern Baptist Convention saw a 200,000 drop in population in 2014, reducing them to their smallest count in two decades.

On a similar note, the U.S. Supreme Court is filled with only Jews and Roman Catholics.