Fox News entertainer and political pundit Bill O’Reilly ad nauseam opines that religion, especially Christianity, is under attack in this country by secular progressives. On the contrary; religions are thriving, including Christianity.
There are more than 325,000 churches, mosques and temples in the United States today and this figure does not include weekend congregations, rental halls and other venues.
The fact is, we are saturated with religion – just look around. It’s on TV, the radio, in the movies, in newspapers and even in the halls of Congress, where we continually hear congressmen “God blessing” everything and everybody after each speech.
Without question, there is ample opportunity for believers to chant, pray, gyrate, genuflect, speak in tongues, ring bells, sprinkle yourself with water or test your faith handling poisonous snakes.
Whatever it takes to presumably attract the attention of your god, all are free in this country to pursue their religious beliefs, including Mr. O’Reilly. The only attack on religion and Christianity is in Mr. O’Reilly’s imagination – he has become the Don Quixote of his own TV show, “The O’Reilly Factor.”
I suspect his contrived and manufactured contention that religion is under assault by secularists has far more to do with ginning up ratings by firing up his viewer base – that is to say the Elmer Fudds of the world, then out of concern that Christianity is going down the tubes.
If Bill O’Reilly thinks religion and Christians are under attack in the country, try being an atheist.
Borden Applegate
Jackson