It’s true that conservative Christians in the United States can fall into a narrative of martyrdom that doesn’t fit their actual position, true that the presidency of Donald Trump attests to their continued power (and their vulnerability to its corruptions!). But if the equation of traditional Christianity with privilege has some relevance to the actual Euro-American situation, when applied globally it’s a gross category error. There is a fear that any special focus on Christians will vindicate the jihadist narrative of a clash of civilizations. At bottom all these failures illustrate the unusual and difficult position of traditional Christianity in Europe and the United States. But those difficulties and dilemmas are also a luxury relative to what our fellow Christians face.

Source: New York Times April 23, 2019 09:56 UTC