Study: Growing Number of Americans Say Christians Complain Too Much about Persecution

A growing number of Americans believe that Christians complain too much about domestic persecution, according to a recent study conducted by LifeWay Research. The study found that while a growing number of Christians and non-Christians believe religious intolerance is on the rise in the U.S., many find that Christians excessively protest their treatment. 

LifeWay reports that 71 percent of evangelicals and 70 percent of regular churchgoers agree that religious freedom is declining in the U.S. Forty-six percent of non-religious people believe religious liberty was on the decline, according to Christian Today.

At the same time, some Christians and non-Christians agreed that the religious community is too sensitive to persecution. Thirty-eight percent of Christians (over one-third) and 59 percent of non-Christians held this view. 

LifeWay Research executive director Ed Stetzer said, “Christians are particularly sensitive to what they see as intolerance towards their faith, but they share a common concern with people of other faiths – that religious liberty in general is declining. And this perception is growing rapidly."

He continued, "Most people now believe Christians are facing intolerance, however, a surprisingly large minority perceives Christians to be complainers. Both of those facts will matter as Christians profess and contend for their beliefs without sounding false alarms around faux controversies. It won't be easy to strike that balance."

Publication date: March 31, 2016