Christians are being targeted for standing for their beliefs

Christians across our nation are experiencing increasing hardship, targeting, and persecution because of the stand they take for biblical principles.

In Oregon, a small bakery was forced to shut down because their biblical beliefs did not allow them make a cake for a lesbian couple.

In Indiana, a small-town pizzeria owned by a Christian family closed its doors after receiving death and firebombing threats after the owner said in a television interview that he would not want to cater a gay wedding because it would conflict with his faith.

In New Mexico, the state Supreme Court ruled that a photographer could not refuse to shoot gay ceremonies—even though Elane Photography owner Elaine Huguenin said that she would happily photograph gay customers, but her faith forbid her from doing so in a context that seemed to endorse same-sex marriage.

In Washington state, a florist was sued for discrimination by the government because she could not in good conscience create custom arrangements for a same-sex ceremony.

“I believe we’re going to see persecution in this country,” Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham said. “We’ve already seen many laws that have been passed that restrict our freedom as Christians. I believe it’s going to get worse. We do have a problem in this country and we are losing our religious freedom and we’re losing it a little bit day by day.”

The bakery in Oregon was run by Aaron and Melissa Klein, They had to shut down their store in 2013 after Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman filed a civil rights complaint against them. They recently were fined $135,000 by administrative judge Alan McCullough, who ruled that the funds will go to Cryer and Bowman for “emotional, mental, and physical suffering.”

Samaritan’s Purse has established a fund to help people who face financial distress and are punished for their sincerely held religious beliefs, convictions, and conscience.

“They have taken a stand for the Word of God, and they should not have to stand alone,” Graham said. “Please pray for our nation. When our judges are punishing Christians for practicing what they believe, that’s persecution, plain and simple.”