Conversation on sin: Top religion stories of 1998

Christian Century, Jan 6, 1999

The brutal slaying on October 12 of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, had a significant impact on the national consciousness, evoking considerable commentary and prompting rallies in unexpected places--as well as one on the steps of the capitol in Washington at which several members of Congress spoke. Shepard's death seemed to put a damper, at least briefly, on the antigay rhetoric of the Religious Right--except for extremists like Topeka minister Fred Phelps. Phelps and his cohorts picketed Shepard's funeral in Casper, carrying signs with such slogans as "Matt in Hell" and "No Tears for Queers" (Phelps also picketed Gregory Dell's church in Chicago). Some observers maintained that the murder of Shepard had a subtle influence on the November 3 elections. But whether it brings about federal hate-crime legislation remains to be seen.

Religious persecution

Efforts by Christian activists and human rights groups to draw attention to religious persecution culminated in a legislative victory: the International Religious Freedom Act, a bill approved by Congress in October and backed by virtually all evangelical and mainline Christian groups and by the American Jewish Committee. The bill calls on the State Department to review each country's record on religious liberty and requires the president to take action against offending nations, possibly including sanctions.

Though the debate in Congress drew attention to the ways people are tortured, imprisoned or discriminated against for their faith in places such as the Sudan, Pakistan, China and Indonesia, it also revealed that taking action against religious persecution is diplomatically and politically complex. For one thing, acts of religious persecution are usually entangled with racial, ethnic, economic and political conflicts. In the Sudan, for example, where chemical and biological warfare is being used against Christians by the fundamentalist Islamic regime, the Khartoum government is seeking both to subdue political resistance and to exploit the oil reserves in the southern part of the country, where most Christians live.

Further complicating matters is the fact that the Christian minority in some countries (Egypt is an example) is not eager for American support. By linking Christians to the U.S. and the West (and to U.S. foreign-policy aims), such support may exacerbate existing tensions and further isolate the Christian community.

Finally, it is often difficult to get reliable or balanced information on the plight of Christians. Religious life in China, for example, often cited for its tight restrictions, varies greatly from province to province. A three-person U.S. religious delegation to China came back expressing guarded optimism about the future of religion there, but was promptly criticized by some Americans and some expatriate Chinese for having been duped by Chinese officials. Meanwhile, some Chinese say that their religious freedom has never been greater than it is now. Clearly, the effective implementation of the Religious Freedom Act will require judicious diplomacy and savvy politics.