I recently finished reading Jesus Freaks, a book promoted by the former Christian band dc Talk and written by Voice of the Martyrs. The book recounts stories of Christian martyrs over the past 20 centuries. Voice of the Martyrs, which supports persecuted Christians around the world, describes its mission as serving believers in “the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ.” Their free newsletter is well worth reading—it is eye-opening.

The book notes that there are more Christian martyrs annually today than there were in 100 A.D., when the Roman Empire was actively persecuting Christians. This increase is partly due to the larger global population but also to ongoing persecution in communist and Muslim-majority countries—and, more recently, growing hostility toward Christians in Western nations, including the United States.

On Wednesday, August 27, a shooting occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church and school in Minnesota. The attacker, a biological male who identified as female, targeted the Catholic community because of its faith. While many media outlets downplayed or omitted these details, evidence makes the motive clear.

The shooter left disturbing messages on his weapons—statements such as “for the children,” “kill Donald Trump,” “f*** everything that you stand for,” and “where is your God?” He also kept a journal filled with extremist and hateful remarks, combining far-left politics, antisemitism, and violent fantasies. Among his writings were praise for school shooters, threats against political leaders, and celebrations of violence against children and Jews.

Out of respect for victims and to avoid giving notoriety, I will not name the shooter. FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

This young man was clearly unstable and severely mentally ill. Yet our culture increasingly insists that rejecting one’s biological sex is healthy, while in many states (including Delaware) it is illegal for counselors to help individuals reconcile gender struggles with their biological identity. His crisis went unaddressed until it culminated in tragedy.

Reading Jesus Freaks reminded me that Christian martyrdom is not only a distant or foreign reality—it is happening in our own country. The two children who died in Minnesota are Christian martyrs. The 18 wounded, those present in the church, and their families are part of the persecuted church.

This was not an isolated case. I found five other U.S. shootings specifically motivated by anti-Christian hatred that have occurred in recent years.

The problem is even larger abroad. In Europe, 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes were documented in 35 countries in 2023 alone. These included vandalism (62%), arson (10%), and violent assaults (7%).

Despite this, the EU has appointed coordinators to combat antisemitism (2015) and anti-Muslim hatred (2018), but none to address growing Christianophobia.

Religious persecution is not confined to other parts of the world. It is increasingly present here in the West. We should be praying for believers around the world—and recognizing that hostility toward Christians is also rising in the United States.

Much of this violence is fueled by rhetoric. When media figures and politicians routinely label opponents “Nazis,” “fascists,” “racists,” “bigots,” or “transphobes,” unstable individuals may conclude that violence is justified. If you are told long enough that your opponents are “Hitler,” it can seem logical—even virtuous—to stop them at any cost.

This is more than theoretical. A 2024 Axios poll reported that 41% of young voters viewed the killing of a healthcare CEO in New York as “acceptable” or “somewhat acceptable.” Another 2024 survey found that 32% of college students believe violence is at least sometimes acceptable to silence campus speakers. Research by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) shows that liberal students, especially those identifying as “extremely liberal,” are most likely to hold this view.

These trends are deeply troubling. Prayer is urgently needed. So too is practical action—such as improving church and school security. Contrary to the mainstream narrative, licensed gun carriers have often been the ones to stop shooters and save lives.

Finally, while I have focused on anti-Christian violence, persecution of Jewish people is also rising and remains a grave concern. Both point to the broader rejection of faith in a personal creator God that characterizes much of today’s extreme ideology.