Religious freedom

From Conservapedia
(Redirected from Religious tolerance)
Jump to: navigation, search

Religious freedom is the right to espouse the religion of one's choice, or none.[1] Religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution of the United States and is commonplace in democratic countries. However, in many states and countries, secular and atheistic policies, particularly in the field of education, form in effect a restriction on religious liberties. Examples include the ban on classroom prayer in the United States, and opposition to the teaching of any alternatives to the discredited Theory of Evolution in many western nations. These restrictions on religious freedom are supported by liberals.[2]

The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom reported in May 2017 that religious freedom around the world was "worsening in both the depth and breadth of violations."[3] A November 2018 report by Aid to the Church in Need came to a similar conclusion.[4]

Even more so than in the West, religious freedom is seen as a grave danger by Communist regimes—very few religious freedoms are given in China, and under Communist rule religion was banned outright in Albania—and by strict Islamic regimes such as those in Iran and (particularly) Saudi Arabia.

Ann Coulter said,

  • "For as long as I can remember, liberals have been running around in a state of indignation, shouting that the government is being taken over by a dangerous band of religious fanatics who want to abolish the First Amendment, establish a national religion, force their bizarre sexual morality on children in public schools, rewrite the nation's laws to enforce their personal moral preferences, and punish anyone who dissents from their views. Unfortunately it's all true. That's precisely what liberals are trying to do."[5]

Hyung Jin Moon said,

  • "If we don’t stand up for our own religious rights, nobody will."[6]

United States: Religious Freedom Act of 1993

According to Congress.gov: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 - Prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States or any State (the government) from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except that the government may burden a person's exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person: (1) furthers a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest."[7]

See also: 9 Things You Should Know About the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, The Gospel Coalition

Atheist, lawsuits and restrictions to religious freedom

See also: Atheist lawsuits and restrictions to religious freedom and Atheist lawsuits

Atheist organizations in the Western World are litigious. They often use ligitation to restrict the degree of religious freedom in a society.

The Freedom From Atheism Foundation has a webpage on their website entitled "Ongoing Lawsuits".[8] The American Atheists has a webpage on their website entitled "Legal sucesses".[9] The Center for Inquiry engaged in lawsuits related to faith based initiatives concerning prison ministry.[10][11][12][13]

In June 2014, given the focus of atheist organizations on lawsuits, Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the Washington Post that atheist organizations generally focus on church/state separation and creationism issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.[14] Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do offer significant help to poor African-Americans.[14] See also: Atheism and charity and Western atheism and race

Atheist lawsuits against other atheists

See: Atheist lawsuits against other atheists

Examples of restrictions on religious freedom in the West

See also: Christian persecution and Homosexuality and religious liberty

Despite the fact that many people, particularly left-wingers, consider the West to be the "free world" due to leftist policies, Christians and others who espouse conservative or unpopular views (which interestingly were considered mainstream only a few generations prior) have experienced increasing levels of persecution in Western countries, whether socially or legally. Increasingly, it is considered "dangerous" or "evil" to hold legitimate biblical Christian or conservative views that (despite the fact they are completely legitimate and sincerely held) contradict the leftist "consensus" or to pass them on to the next generation. Even Christians who faced persecution in the third world noted the increasing hostility toward Christianity in the West.[15]

Due to their belief in the "Idea of Progress", left-wingers and even establishment "conservatives" believe that humanity is advancing and improving. Since they consider theologically conservative and orthodox Christianity to be "outdated," "archaic," or "narrow-minded," they believe that wiping out biblical Christian beliefs will only enhance progress and remove an obstacle to the betterment of humanity. Thus, despite the total lack of evidence, biblical Christian beliefs thought in love are increasingly considered "hate speech" or a "hate crime." Left-wing organizations such as Americans United for Separation of Church and State have fought against religious freedom for Christians in the United States.[16] Having a winsome attitude when dealing with liberals does little-to-nothing to persuade them to respect religious liberty for Christians.[17] Because Christianity is "exclusionary" – including, but not limited to, its claim that faith in Jesus is the only way to Heaven – globalists oppose it for being antithetical to the universal values required to "govern the Earth."[18]

This is a very non-exhaustive list of restrictions on religious freedom that Christians have experienced in the supposedly "free world" since the turn of the century:

General examples
  • Any biblical Christian in the West who voices or acts upon their sincerely-held, biblically-based beliefs for biblical creation or biblical marriage will (at least) receive harsh scorn from others (and many of those "others" view themselves as "tolerant" of people with opposing views).
  • Homeschooling is illegal in much of the supposedly "free West", forcibly removing children from their parents and subjecting them to be indoctrinated by the leftist governments or private schools that do not support biblical Christianity.
United States
  • Numerous Christians, whether business owners or other people, such as Kim Davis or Roy Moore, have been persecuted in various ways (lawsuits, loss of business, arrest, etc.) for holding on to their sincerely-held beliefs and refusing to bow down to the homosexual agenda.[19] The number of religious freedom lawsuits against people of faith significantly increased in the early 21st century.[20] See also: Homosexuality and religious liberty
  • In a government report released in 2016, Martin R. Castro, the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, stated that "The phrases “religious liberty” and “religious freedom” will stand for nothing except hypocrisy so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance."[21][22][23][24]
  • In 2014, the mayor of Houston, a leftist and the first openly-homosexual mayor of the city, briefly issued subpoenas on pastors, ordering them to turn over sermons concerning homosexuality.[25][26][27]
  • The Obama Administration and media's attitude toward a notable incident regarding homeschooling raised concerns over the future of the freedom to homeschool in the U.S. In 2008, a Christian homeschooling family traveled to the U.S. and applied for asylum in order to exercise their right to homeschool their children and give them a religious education.[28] Very few mainstream media agencies reported this notable incident.[28] The Obama Administration opposed the granting of asylum and sought to deport the family.[29][30] The administration argued in court that homeschooling was not a fundamental right and that the U.S. government could legally ban it and that the family's religious liberty was not being violated because not all homeschoolers are religious and because not all Christians want to homeschool (thus "suggesting that religious freedom is only the freedom to conform to a religious group, not the freedom to have individual religious convictions"[31]).[30][31] While the Department of Homeland Security ultimately chose not to deport the family,[32] the Obama Administration's legal reasoning had a major potential impact on religious freedom, as it could be used in the future to ban homeschooling in the U.S., hinder parents from being able to give their children a religious education, and assert that government – not parents – has the final authority over children.[31]
  • In February 2018, a judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, took away the custody of a 17-year-old gender-confused daughter from her parents because they would not allow her to undergo a sex change operation due to their religious beliefs.[33]
  • In October 2017, Wayne State University, a public institution, de-recognized InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as the student group required its members to be Christians.[34]
  • The City of Phoenix enforced a law requiring Christians to serve at homosexual "weddings" even if against their wishes, and threatened a $2,500 fine and six-month jail sentence for every single day disobeying the law.[35]
  • In 2019, the State of California attempted to evict an elderly woman from a veterans' home because she led Bible studies.[36]
  • The New York City government confiscated a homeschooling couple's children for "educational neglect" despite the charge being unsubstantiated.[37]
  • In 2019, several states moved to end religious exemptions to mandatory vaccine requirements.[38]
  • In 2019, the California legislature passed a resolution attacking religious freedom.[39]
  • In 2019, Virginia's government prosecuted a real estate agent for displaying "Jesus loves you" and John 3:16 in her email signature.[40]
  • Beto O'Rourke, echoing the preferences of left-wingers, called for revoking tax-exempt status for any religious organization that believed marriage to be between a man and a woman.[41]
  • Left-wing federal judges have blocked regulations intended to protect religious freedom.[42]
United Kingdom
See also: Persecution of Christians by homosexuals in UK
  • In 2010, a Christian street preacher was arrested for causing "harassment, alarm or distress" by calling homosexuality a sinful practice according to biblical teachings.[43] In 2015, another street preacher was fined for calling homosexuality an abomination.[44]
  • A pastor in Northern Ireland was charged and tried for making comments (in 2014) in one of his sermons against Islam that were considered "grossly offensive." Although he was found not guilty (in 2016), he should have never been tried in the first place, as Christians should be able to freely express and advocate their biblically-based theological positions.[45][46][47]
  • In 2014, the UK government banned the teaching of creationism in every school that receives government funding.[48] In 2016, a teacher at an Anglican school in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire was harshly criticized for stating on Twitter (in response to another teacher) that "Evolution is not a fact. That’s why it’s called a theory! There’s more evidence that the Bible is true."[49] In 2018, the UK Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills gave a Christian school its lowest ranking possible for quality of learning because it taught creationism and integrated its biblical values into its curriculum (aka. giving its students a Christian education, as a Christian school).[50][51] These are only a few of many examples of social persecution in the West, regarding numerous subjects, including creation science, the pseudoscientific theory of evolution, and homosexuality.
  • In early 2017, two Christian street preachers in Bristol were convicted for quoting the King James Bible in public because they supposedly used "threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person . . . and the offence was religiously aggravated."[52]
  • In November 2017, Tim Farron, a Christian and the former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party who resigned due to the incompatibility of his faith and his position, admitted that social persecution of Christianity is a real thing and that the culture sees it as dangerous.[53]
  • An NHS doctor with 26 years of experience was fired in 2018 because he insisted on identifying patients by their biological gender rather than whatever the patients claimed to be.[54]
  • Speaking at a Pink News event, the UK House Speaker John Bercow stated that LGBT "rights" must supersede religious freedom.[55]
  • In 2018, Scotland became the first "country" to require "LGBT+" education in schools, with no exemptions or opt-outs.[56][57]
  • In February 2019, the UK Department of Education announced that public school children starting at the age of five would be required to learn about homosexual and transgender relationships, with parents being unable to withdraw their children from such classes.[58]
  • The U.K. Department of Education mandated the registration of all homeschooled children to "protect" them from "dangerous influences" such as religious parents.[59]
  • The UK government denied asylum for persecuted Christians – while accepting many Muslims – for reasons such as Christianity somehow not being a "peaceful religion" and because they requested asylum while also believing in Jesus as Savior.[60][61]
  • Between 2016 and 2019, Scotland had an extreme law that assigned every child a state guardian – a law strongly opposed by Christian organizations and which undermined the family.[62][63]
  • A British court explicitly stated that Christian values are contradictory to "incompatible with human dignity."[64]
  • In 2019, an English pastor was fired from his second job at a public school because he tweeted against homosexual "marriage."[65]
European Union
  • In January 2019, the European Court of Human Rights ruled it did not violate parental rights for a government to storm a family's house and confiscate its children to force them to attend a public school.[66]
  • According to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe in 2019, Christian persecution on the continent is increasing, in the form of government attacks as well as non-government vandalism and desecration of churches, cemeteries, and Christian symbols.[67]
France
  • In 2016, the French Senate passed a bill making it illegal to post pro-life information on the internet.[68] In February 2017, both houses of the French parliament passed the bill, with the National Assembly's more severe and broad wording ultimately being adopted.[69] As of March 2017, the bill was being reviewed by France's Constitutional Council.[70] Regardless, this law would effectively criminalize the freedom of speech (at least on the internet) of those who support the true human right to life for unborn human beings,[68] and it illustrates the opposition to equal rights in the country.[71] France is already spiritually dead.
  • In February 2019, French MP and Secretary of Equality Marlène Schiappa compared supporters of traditional marriage to members of Islamic terrorists.[72][73]
  • In October 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would seek to ban homeschooling in France.[74]
Germany
  • Germany's government – like the governments of numerous other European countries – strongly opposes homeschooling, and homeschooling has been illegal in the country since the Third Reich enacted a law on this matter in 1938.[75] The German government bans homeschooling because it argues it must "counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies," something which nullifies religious freedom and parental control.[31] In 2013, for example, German authorities confiscated four homeschooled children from a Christian family who homeschooled in order to give their children a Christian education – the German government did this simply because the parents were not sending their children to the government school.[76] In 2008, a German homeschooling family traveled to the U.S. and applied for asylum,[28] something which they were guaranteed in 2014.[32] In January 2019, the European Court of Human Rights ruled it did not violate parental rights for a government to storm a family's house and confiscate its children to force them to attend a public school.[66]
  • A 2018 brochure supported by the German Federal Ministry for Family called for re-educating children from "right-wing" families who held conservative and Christians views on gender theory, "sexual diversity," and the "sexualization" of children, among other issues such as immigration.[77][78]
  • In 2019, a German court fined the parents of a young student for preventing him from going to school that day to avoid forcing him to attend a field trip to a local mosque.[79][80]
Sweden
  • In 2017, a Swedish local government unit forced a Christian preschool to ban prayer to God under the country's Education Act, but the preschoolers were subsequently instructed to thank the sun and the rain before meals.[81][82][83] Also in 2017, the Prime Minister of Sweden stated in an interview that Swedish state church priests should "marry" homosexual couples regardless of what they think of it, and that they should leave their positions if they don't do it.[84] In 2017, the Swedish Labour Court of Appeal ruled that a pro-life midwife can be forced to perform abortions even if she objects.[85] As of August 2017, the case is being appealed in the European Court of Human Rights.[86]
  • In Sweden, the government is allowed to confiscate children from their parents for trivial reasons – such as when one of two parents in a household saw their mental state deteriorate – and send the children to a household with completely different values, such as sending Christian children to a Muslin household.[87][88]
  • Sweden has also denied asylum for persecuted Christians despite accepting large numbers of Muslims not facing persecution.[89]
Finland
  • In 2019, a Finnish legislator and former minister can under criminal investigation for promoting her biblically-based view that marriage is between a man and a woman.[90]
Spain
  • The Spanish government rescinded the non-profit status of a pro-family organization because of its opposition to transgender ideology.[91]
Belgium
  • On January 1, 2019, Belgium's government banned kosher and halal animal slaughtering methods, important rituals in Judaism and Islam.[92]
  • The Belgian establishment, including the media, strongly called for removing the religious freedom of private, Christian organizations to refuse euthanasia for their patients.[93]
Netherlands
  • After 250 Dutch Christians signed the Nashville Statement, which affirmed traditional Christian sexual morality, the Public Prosecution Service reviewed the statement to see if it and the Dutch signers violated Dutch law.[94]
Switzerland
  • In 2018, the Swiss National Council voted to criminalize speech that it called "homophobia" and "transphobia."[95]
  • A Swiss federal court ruled that no right exists for parents to homeschool their children.[96][97]
Canada
  • The Canadian government is adopting an increasingly statist ideology which does not respect religious liberty for Christians.[98]
  • In 2017, a local Canadian school district, the Battle River School Division, ordered a Christian school to stop teaching "offensive" passages from the Bible, something that would alter the Christian message and omit key portions of the Bible from being taught.[99][100][101]
  • In 2017, the Canadian government chose to ban employers who oppose abortion or homosexual "marriage" from being able to receive summer job grants for students,[102][103][104] and in March 2018, the Canadian House of Commons voted 207–93 against reversing the requirement that employers sign an attestation affirming their support for such issues.[105] Although the government made some changes to the policy in December 2018, it continued to violate freedom of religion for pro-life people.[106]
  • In January 2018, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau indicated that pro-life speech is not protected speech. When asked on where the Canadian government limits free speech, Trudeau mentioned abortion, stating that "an organization that has the explicit purpose of restricting women’s rights by removing rights to abortion, the right for women to control their own bodies, is not in line with where we are as a government and quite frankly where we are as a society."[107][108] Trudeau stated in August 2018 that it is not enough simply to "tolerate" homosexuality, but that "acceptance" of it is necessary.[109]
  • The Canadian state of Ontario enacted a bill in 2017 that banned pro-life speech around abortion clinics.[110]
  • In June 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against an explicitly Christian law school, saying that is was "proportionate and reasonable" for some Canadian law societies to deny accreditation to the school's graduates because the school opposed homosexuality due to its Christian values.[111]
  • In 2018, a Canadian man was sentenced to two years in prison for committing "Wilful [sic] Promotion of Hatred against an identifiable group" – aka. passing out pamphlets at a 2016 "gay pride" parade that shared the Christian message that homosexuality is a sin and that repenting of all sin leads to "the free gift of eternal life."[112]
  • The New Democratic Party government of Alberta heavily promoted the homosexual agenda in the state's education system, such as forcing Christian schools to create Gay Straight Alliance Clubs even if only one student wanted one, and threatened to defund religious schools if they do not remove religious content from their curriculum.[113] The government of Alberta has persecuted Christian schools in other ways.[114][115]
  • In December 2018, Facebook took down a pro-life video of the pro-life group Choice42 because it was somehow "discriminating," and it placed restrictions on what videos the group could create.[116]
  • In April 2019, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled that a father would be arrested if he calls his daughter a girl or uses her original name.[117][118]
  • An appeals court in Ontario ruled that Christian doctors can be forced against their conscience to participate in abortion and euthanasia.[119]
  • In July 2019, a man in Toronto was arrested for offending onlookers for criticizing homosexual "marriage."[120]
Australia
  • In July 2017, the Queensland Department of Education and Training issued an unofficial policy banning Christmas cards, any reference to Jesus, or anything else that might be seen as Christian evangelizing by primary school students.[121]
New Zealand
  • In 2017, Family First, a socially conservative organization that supports marriage being defined as between a man and a woman, had its status as a charitable organization taken away by the Charities Registration Board due to its stance on marriage.[122]
South Africa
  • In March 2019, a South African court forced the Dutch Reformed Church to recognize same-sex "marriage" and drop its former opposition to it.[123]
Argentina
  • In 2019, a doctor went on trial for "obstetrical violence" because he conscientiously objected to performing an abortion.[124]
Brazil
  • The Brazilian Supreme Court banned "homophobia" – criminalizing the very opposition to homosexuality as expressed in words or nonviolent actions rather than simply violent actions.[125]

See also

External links

Religious freedom collection of articles:

References

  1. Kan, Janita (November 5, 2019). Religious Freedom Is a Fundamental Right That Needs Protection Amid Growing Conflict: Becket Attorney. The Epoch Times. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  2. Multiple references: See also:
  3. Williams, Thomas D., PhD (May 16, 2017). Report: International Religious Freedom Worsening in both ‘Depth and Breadth’. Breitbart News. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  4. Byas, Steve (November 26, 2018). Religious Liberty Declining in the World. The New American. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  5. http://www.conservativebookclub.com/products/SearchResults.asp?ProdCat=RELIS&ProdCatName=Religious+Issues
  6. http://iunificationist.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/staying-strong-in-joy/#more-978
  7. H.R.1308 - Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993
  8. Ongoing Lawsuits - Legal - Freedom From Religion Foundation
  9. Legal sucesses - American Atheists
  10. Postal, Leslie (April 20, 2011). Bill asks voters to OK taxpayer funding of religious institutions. Orlando Sentinel.
  11. Mazzei, Patricia (April 27, 2011). Blaine amendment repeal passes Florida house. Tampa Bay Times.
  12. Center for Inquiry will not appeal adverse decision in Florida lawsuit. CFI (February 8, 2016).
  13. Bettis, Kara (February 23, 2016). Atheists drop suit to block Christian prison ministry funding. New Boston Post. Retrieved on May 16, 2016.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
  15. Richardson, Valerie (July 12, 2019). Pastor formerly imprisoned in Turkey 'astounded' by mounting hostility to Christian faith in U.S. The Washington Times. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  16. Williams, Thomas D. (February 22, 2018). Anti-Christian Group Declares War on Religious Freedom in Trump’s America. Breitbart News. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
    See also:
  17. Walter, Andrew T. (November 13, 2018). Cultural winsomeness will not be enough for Christians. Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  18. Duke, Selwyn (December 1, 2019). Intellectual Dark Web Professor Says Christianity Contrary to Values Needed to “Govern” Earth. The New American. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  19. Van Maren, Jonathan (November 21, 2016). No Christian persecution in the US? Try telling that to these Christians. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  20. Swoyer, Alex (January 3, 2020). Losing our Religion: Challenges to faith increase in courts. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  21. Showalter, Brandon (September 9, 2016). Religious Freedom Is 'Code Word' for Bigotry, Christian Supremacy, US Civil Rights Commissioner Says. The Christian Post. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  22. Kellner, Mark A. (September 8, 2016). ‘Religious freedom,’ ‘liberty’ just ‘code words’ for intolerance, U.S. Civil Rights chairman says. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  23. Chairman of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights calls the phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and Christian supremacy. Religion News Service. September 8, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  24. Carter, Joe (September 13, 2016). U.S. Civil Rights Commission: ‘Religious Freedom’ Is Code Word for Racism, Homophobia, and ‘Christian Supremacy’. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  25. Starnes, Todd (October 14, 2014). City of Houston demands pastors turn over sermons. Fox News. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  26. Starnes, Todd (October 29, 2014). Houston mayor drops bid to subpoena pastors' sermons. Fox News. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  27. Hallowell, Billy (August 3, 2015). Houston Gov’t Subpoenaed Pastors’ Sermons. Now, They’re Fighting Back. The Blaze. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 Huston, Warner Todd (February 1, 2010). Homeschooling German Family Awarded Political Asylum in U.S., Where is U.S. Media? Breitbart News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  29. Berry, Susan (April 23, 2017). German Homeschooling Family Seeks to Stop Obama Admin Deportation Order. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  30. 30.0 30.1 Berry, Susan (March 29, 2017). Obama Admin Opposes Asylum for German Homeschooling Family. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Looy, Mark (April 29, 2013). Homeschooled and Now Without a Home to School In? Answers in Genesis. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  32. 32.0 32.1 Berry, Susan (March 4, 2014). Homeland Security Will Not Deport German Christian Homeschoolers the Romeikes. Breitbart News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  33. Multiple references:
  34. Parke, Caleb (March 7, 2018). Christian group sues Michigan university after it is kicked off campus. Fox News. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
    After a lawsuit threat, the university allowed back the Christian group:
  35. Duke, Selwyn (December 4, 2018). Americans Can Now be Jailed for Not Servicing Same-sex “Weddings”. The New American. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  36. Tennant, Michael (March 11, 2019). Elderly Woman Threatened With Eviction From Veterans’ Home for Leading Bible Studies. The New American. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  37. Svab, Petr (April 21, 2019). Homeschooling Parents’ Children Taken by Government, Citing ‘Educational Neglect’. The Epoch Times. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  38. DiRienzo, Rob (May 10, 2019). More states push for tossing religious exemptions for vaccinations. Fox News. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  39. Cai, Cynthia (September 12, 2019). California Legislature Pass Resolution Attacking Religious Liberty. The Epoch Times. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  40. Newman, Alex (September 15, 2019). Virginia Persecutes Christian Realtor Over “Jesus Loves You”. The New American. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  41. Multiple references: See also:
  42. Multiple references:
  43. Blake, Heidi (May 2, 2010). Christian preacher arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin. The Telegraph. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  44. Tufft, Ben (March 29, 2015). Street preacher quoting from the Bible fined for calling homosexuality an 'abomination'. The Independent. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  45. Turpin, Simon (January 8, 2016). Northern Ireland Pastor Not Guilty of Criticising Islam. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  46. Weatherbe, Steve (March 2, 2017). Christian street preachers arrested, fined for ‘challenging Muslims,’ ‘homophobia’. LifeSite News. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  47. Berrien, Hank (August 3, 2017). These British Pastors Were Just Arrested For ‘Challenging Muslims’. The Daily Wire. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  48. Sevcik, JC (June 18, 2014). Teaching creationism as scientifically valid now banned in all UK public schools. UPI. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  49. Turpin, Simon (February 4, 2016). Teacher Ridiculed for Saying Evolution Is Not a Fact. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  50. Burgess, Kaya (February 16, 2018). Primary pupils taught creationism in science lessons at Kings Kids Christian School. The Times. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  51. Kumar, Anugrah (February 18, 2018). UK School Punished for Teaching Creation, Bible; Kids Saying Other Faiths Follow 'False Gods'. The Christian Post. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  52. Turpin, Simon (March 6, 2017). The Loss of Free Speech in the UK and How We Should React as Christians. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  53. Williams, Thomas D. (November 29, 2017). Liberal Democrat Tim Farron Warns That Christians Now Deemed as ‘Dangerous’ and Unsuitable for Politics. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  54. Williams, Thomas D. (July 10, 2018). Christian Doctor Fired in UK for Suggesting Gender Is Biological. Breitbart News. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  55. Freiburger, Calvin (July 6, 2018). UK House speaker: LGBT rights ‘has to trump’ religious liberty. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  56. Chasmar, Jessica (November 9, 2018). Scotland becomes first country to require LGBT+ education. The Washington Times. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  57. Cummings McLean, Dorothy (November 14, 2018). Scotland pushes LGBT agenda into Catholic schools. Bishops hope ‘impact…will be positive for all’. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  58. Tennant, Michael (February 27, 2019). U.K. Schools to Indoctrinate Kids as Young as Five in LGBT Agenda. The New American. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
    See also:
  59. Newman, Alex (April 9, 2019). U.K. Mandates Registration of All Homeschool Children. The New American (from FreedomProject Media). Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  60. Llorente, Elizabeth (March 21, 2019). UK denies asylum to Iranian convert to Christianity, saying the religion is not 'peaceful'. Fox News. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  61. Duke, Selwyn (March 23, 2019). UK Official Mocks Man’s Christianity; Says it’s NOT a Religion of Peace. The New American. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  62. Montgomery, Jack (September 20, 2019). Scottish Govt Drops ‘Stalinist’ Law Assigning Every Child a ‘Named Person’ State Guardian. Breitbart News. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  63. Scottish gov’t scraps plan to assign every child a state employee overseer. LifeSiteNews (from the Christian Institute). September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  64. Freiburger, Calvin (October 3, 2019). British court declares Biblical understanding of sex ‘incompatible with human dignity’. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  65. Tennant, Michael (December 7, 2019). Pastor in England Sues After Forced Out of Second Job Over Anti-LGBT Pride Tweet. The New American. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  66. 66.0 66.1 Multiple references:
  67. Williams, Thomas D. (November 19, 2019). Observatory Releases Report on Christian Persecution in Europe. Breitbart News. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  68. 68.0 68.1 McMorris, Bill (December 7, 2016). French Senate Passes Pro-Life Website Ban. The Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  69. Multiple references:
  70. Hurd, Dale (March 11, 2017). Strangling the Pro-Life Movement: What in the World Is Going on in France?. CBN News. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  71. Morrison, Robert (April 4, 2017). France Reneges On Equal Rights For All By Banning Pro-Life Websites. The Federalist. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  72. Tomlinson, Chris (February 23, 2019). Macron MP Compares Traditional Marriage Activists to Islamic Terrorists. Breitbart News. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  73. Smits, Jeanne (March 1, 2019). French politician compares gay ‘marriage’ opponents to Muslim radical terrorists. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  74. Smits, Jeanne (October 2, 2020). France moves to ban homeschooling in 2021. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  75. International Homeschooling on Shaky Ground. Answers in Genesis. October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  76. Multiple references:
  77. Hickson, Maike (December 14, 2018). Kids from ‘right-wing’ families must be re-educated: German govt.-backed brochure. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  78. Newman, Alex (December 21, 2018). German Government to Re-Educate Kids of “Right-Wing” Parents. The New American. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  79. Tomlinson, Chris (April 13, 2019). German Parents Fined for Not Sending Son on Mosque Trip. Breitbart News. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  80. Newman, Alex (April 23, 2019). German Parents Fined for Not Sending Child to Mosque. The New American (from FreedomProject Media). Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  81. Chretien, Claire (June 28, 2017). Gov’t bans prayer to God; Christian preschool forced to thank ‘sun and rain’ for meals instead. LifeSite News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  82. Hale, Virginia (June 26, 2017). Christian Preschoolers Banned from Saying ‘Amen’, Talking About the Bible. Breitbart News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  83. Preschoolers in Sweden Banned from Saying 'Amen,' Mentioning the Bible. CBN News. June 29, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  84. Multiple references:
  85. Chretien, Claire (April 12, 2017). Pro-life midwife can be forced to do abortions, court rules. LifeSite News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  86. Chretien, Claire (April 21, 2017). Pro-life midwife ordered to do abortions or lose her job takes case to European human rights court. LifeSite News. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  87. Duke, Selwyn (April 11, 2019). Christian Father in Sweden Removes Daughters From Muslim Foster Home, Flees to Poland. The New American. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  88. Tomlinson, Chris (April 6, 2019). Christian Dad Flees Sweden with Daughters Placed in Muslim Foster Care, Claims Asylum in Poland. Breitbart News. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  89. Freiburger, Calvin (May 31, 2019). Sweden joins United Kingdom in denying refuge to persecuted Christians. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  90. Kirkwood, R. Cort (September 5, 2019). Top Finnish Pol in Trouble for Posting “Homophobic” Bible Quote and Comment on Facebook. The New American. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  91. Barillas, Martin M. (February 22, 2019). Spanish government punishes pro-family group over ‘transgender’ ideology. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  92. Birnbaum, Emily (January 6, 2019). Belgium bans kosher and halal animal slaughtering methods. The Hill. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  93. Smits, Jeanne (May 13, 2019). Religious care home refuses euthanasia in Belgium, causing popular uproar. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  94. Smith, Samuel (January 7, 2019). 250 Dutch Christians sign Nashville Statement; prosecutors to decide if declaration breaks law. The Christian Post. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  95. Freiburger, Calvin (October 9, 2018). Switzerland votes overwhelmingly to jail citizens for ‘homophobia,’ ‘transphobia’. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  96. Federal court rules against homeschooling. Swissinfo. September 16, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  97. Barillas, Martin M. (September 18, 2019). Switzerland’s supreme court rules parents have no right to homeschool their kids. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  98. Schutten, André (March 14, 2018). What’s next? The growth of Statism in Canada. Reformed Perspective. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  99. Canadian District Bans Christian School from Teaching 'Offensive' Parts of Bible. CBN News. June 22, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  100. Haskins, Justin (June 24, 2017). Canadian Christian school under attack for teaching ‘offensive’ Bible verses. The Blaze. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  101. Foley, Avery (August 6, 2017). Canada Forces Government Speech and Bans Bible Verses. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  102. Laurence, Lianne (December 14, 2017). BREAKING: Canada won’t fund student summer jobs unless employers support abortion. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  103. Cannolly, Amanda (December 15, 2017). Canada Summer Jobs program will no longer fund anti-abortion, anti-gay groups. Global News. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  104. Duke, Selwyn (January 23, 2018). Canadian Government: Christian Students Need Not Apply. The New American. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  105. Mainwaring, Doug (March 19, 2018). Canadian Parliament votes down motion against pro-abortion oath for gov’t funding. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  106. Freiburger, Calvin (December 6, 2018). Trudeau govt. modifies pro-abortion summer jobs attestation, but pro-life concerns remain. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  107. Richardson, Bradford (January 13, 2018). Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau scolds pro-lifers as ‘not in line’ with society. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  108. Laurence, Lianne (January 13, 2018). Trudeau: Believe what you want, but ‘we draw the line’ if you try to restrict abortion. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  109. Risdon, James (August 22, 2018). Justin Trudeau: homosexuality is no longer about ‘tolerance,’ but ‘acceptance’. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  110. Laurence, Lianne (February 21, 2018). 70-year-old man first to be arrested under Ontario’s new ban on pro-life speech. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  111. Multiple references: See also:
  112. Multiple references:
  113. Multiple references:
  114. Newman, Alex (November 15, 2018). Government Threatens to Shut Down Christian Schools. The New American. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  115. Alberta gov’t again threatens to defund schools that don’t remove religious content from policies. LifeSiteNews (from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms). November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  116. Freiburger, Calvin (December 5, 2018). Facebook cracks down on pro-life viral video creator, says ad violates ‘discrimination’ policy. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  117. O'Neil, Tyler (May 1, 2019). Orwellian Attack on Parental Rights: Court Warns Father He'll Be Arrested if He Calls His Daughter a Girl. PJ Media. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  118. Brown, Michael (May 4, 2019). The Canadian Government Is Now a Dangerous Big Brother. Townhall. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  119. Laurence, Lianne (May 15, 2019). Ontario appeals court rules Christian doctors must participate in abortion, euthanasia. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  120. Westoll, Nick (June 4, 2019). Man arrested after allegedly shouting derogatory comments in Church-Wellesley Village. Global News. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  121. Multiple references:
  122. Ham, Ken (September 12, 2017). New Zealand Group Supporting Traditional Marriage Loses Charity Status. Answers in Genesis. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  123. Multiple references:
  124. Smits, Jeanne (May 13, 2019). Argentine doctor on trial for refusing to commit abortion on viable baby. LifeSiteNews. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  125. Brazil Supreme Court rules homophobia a crime. Reuters. June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.