Christian Persecution 2019 a Scourge of ‘Mammoth Proportions’

June 2019 is an “especially menacing time” for Christians both on the domestic and international fronts, writes Christian persecution expert John L. Allen in a report Sunday.

The U.S. Catholic Church is facing “one of the most serious potential violations of religious freedom in its history in the form of SB 360 in California,” writes Allen, author of the 2013 bestseller The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution, since the bill would compel priests to reveal information learned while hearing confessions as evidence against possible sex offenders.

“The bill passed the California senate in late May by a 30-2 vote and is expected to be considered by the State Assembly in September,” Allen notes.

On the international scene, “the scope of anti-Christian hostility is staggering,” Allen continues, with the number of Christians facing “harassment, physical assault, arrest and imprisonment, torture, and even death” on a daily basis estimated at around 200 million.

Board of Peace demands Netanyahu cease Gaza airstrikes as Israel refuses to comply with peace plan

Denmark’s military conscription ‘expanded and strengthened’ as tensions mount with DC and Moscow

Growing Number of Conservatives Turn on DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin Over Soft ‘Immigration Reform’ Rhetoric

FIRST ON FOX: Trump to open direct line with military families in ground-up readiness push

Outrage over noncitizens allegedly voting in elections ignites probe into Garden State Dems

To Secure AG Job, Blanche Kills off Anti-Weaponization Fund Designed to Compensate Victims of Gov’t Witch Hunts, Like Most J6ers

Nancy Guthrie ransom notes release follows Unabomber ‘precedent’ that cracked case, expert says

SEE IT: Dashcam shows Florida trooper chasing alleged street takeover suspect at 140 mph

Chris ‘Fredo’ Cuomo Tries Playing Tough Guy for Anthony Fauci, Gets Nuked By Social Media

WNBA Head Coach Protests Sophie Cunningham with ‘Trans Kids’ Shirt During Game

Trump can declare Iran victory now and withdraw troops, former counterterror official argues

Races to watch in Michigan as establishment Democrats face off against challenges on their left flank

Top Trump ally warns super PAC bankrolled by Dem billionaire is meddling in his GOP primary

Trump v. Smithsonian: A timeline of how the White House fight over ‘woke’ history unfolded

First showdown in race for Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat puts GOP hopefuls to the test

Christians in North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and a host of other countries live under a constant threat of active persecution, as documented by Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog group.

Even in Latin America, the world’s largest “Catholic” region, the number of Catholic clergy and personnel killed each year frequently tops the list of continents.

While the defense of religious freedom should apply equally to all creeds, Allen asserts, anti-Christian persecution deserves particular focus “given the wall of silence that still too often surrounds the subject.”

“Just as one didn’t have to be Jewish to sympathize with the plight of dissident Jews in the Soviet Union, and didn’t have to be black to be outraged by apartheid in South Africa, similarly today one shouldn’t have to be Christian to recognize anti-Christian persecution as a human rights scourge of mammoth proportions,” Allen writes.

Saturday marked the beginning of the U.S. bishops’ yearly “Religious Freedom Week,” which runs this year from June 22-29.