Christianophobia

Not a common word in your vocabulary? Mine either, but this article from the Christian Post shows a scientific study of people who hate Christians and Christianity. Though truly their hate is for the Lord Jesus. (John 15:18)

Sociologists: 'Christianophobia,' Anti-Christian Hostility Infects Powerful Elite Subculture (Interview)

A small, but elite group of Americans demonstrate signs of anti-Christian hostility, sociologists David Williamson and George Yancey claim in their new book, So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is There Christianophobia in the United States?

Later—

CP: Why did you, and co-author David Williamson, want to research and write about anti-Christian hostility?

Yancey: There is a lot of literature on hostility toward many different groups but just about none on hostility toward Christians. Yet when we collected qualitative data from cultural progressive activists we quickly saw some of the unnecessary vitriol and fears within many of our respondents. We also saw the social status of those who exhibited this hatred and many of them would be in positions that allowed them to at least subtly act on their anger and fears. That motivated us to take a more systematic look at Christianophobia and speculate on how this phenomenon influences certain social aspects in…

This is important as we see a continual hatred for God is our society.

The Bible speaks of this:

1. Foretold (Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9, and John 15:18)
   
2. These hate Jesus, because He tells them the truth and exposes their evil deeds. (John 7:7, John 3:20)
   
3. Christians are hated by these, because we have our faith in Jesus (John 15:19) and try to live godly lives (2 Timothy 3:12).
   
4. We are not to be surprised. (1 John 3:13)
   
5. We need to be firm and not deny Christ (Matthew 10:39). He will give us the strength we need (Jude 1:24-25).
   
6. Jesus was treated with hate by the elite and others, so also we can expect it. At least we know Jesus understands when we suffer. (Matthew 10:25).
   
7. We are NOT to hate but pray for them and show them love. (Luke 6:27). Nevertheless we are to hate evil and know that God will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and at some time He will deliver us, even though that deliverance might be to heaven itself (Psalm 97:10).
   
8. We are NOT to wish or pray for them to die but to pray that they repent. (Compare Proverbs 6:16-19. God will punish).
   

Matthew Henry in a comment on John 15:18 writes:

The world's enmity against the followers of Christ: it hateth them. Note, Whom Christ blesseth the world curseth. The favourites and heirs of heaven have never been the darlings of this world, since the old enmity was put between the seed of the woman and of the serpent. Why did Cain hate Abel, but because his works were righteous? Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing; Joseph's brethren hated him because his father loved him; Saul hated David because the Lord was with him; Ahab hated Micaiah because of his prophecies; such are the causeless causes of the world's hatred.

 

And we need to live godly lives. Matthew Henry again:

 

Because they do not belong to it (John 5:19): "If you were of the world, of its spirit, and in its interests, if you were carnal and worldly, the world would love you as its own; but, because you are called out of the world, it hates you, and ever will." Note, 1. We are not to wonder if those that are devoted to the world are caressed by it as its friends; most men bless the covetous, Psalm 10:3; Psalm 49:18.

 

Concerning Hebrew 13:506, Matthew Henry writes:

 

God hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, (Hebrews 13:5-6). This was said to Joshua (Joshua 1:5), but belongs to all the faithful servants of God. Old-Testament promises may be applied to New-Testament saints. This promise contains the sum and substance of all the promises. I will never, no, never leave thee, nor ever forsake thee. Here are no fewer than five negatives heaped together, to confirm the promise; the true believer shall have the gracious presence of God with him in life, at death, and forever.

 

This has always been the lot of true believers. Let us pray for one another and help one another. We need fellowship from our fellow believers (Malachi 3:16 and Psalm 94:19),