I’m not a prophet. I’m highly skeptical of anyone who claims they know what the future holds. I have a horrible track record of predicting what is to come.

• In 2010 I bought stock in a natural gas ETF because “there is no way the price could go lower.” (It was at $75 per share, now it’s at $8.)
• I thought Netflix would never be popular.
• I once told a friend on the school board, “Just do the right thing and no one will care a month from now.” A few months later he was voted out of office and some are still mad about the decision he made.

I’m not a futurist. (See: Don’t Tell Me Every Religion Is the Same)

But I think I know how Christian persecution will come to America.

Some would object by saying persecution is already here. While I agree there have been cases in which Christians have been targeted for their religion, I’m unaware of any true cases of serious persecution. But it’s coming and here is how I think it will happen.

As Christians fail to protect the rights of people of other faiths and actually participate in the discrimination and persecution of other religions, it will be a short time before those same actions begin to happen to Christians.

Others will do to Christians what Christians do to others.

It’s a scary time in America and around the world. With the rise of Islamic terrorism, few people know the right steps to ensure our safety. Some make suggestions which seem grossly naive as though they just hope the problems go away. While others take a more hard-lined approach which seems at odds with America’s founding and contrary to our desire to let each person worship as they choose.

No one knows what to do, but many are attempting to judge an entire religion by the actions of a few. Clearly Islam has a problem. Some are hijacking the faith and using it for their own gain. It’s a problem which Muslims around the world must vocally confront and denounce.

Yet as a Christian, I’m concerned with the number of Christians who quickly associate all of Islam with Islamic terrorists. I’m deeply concerned with the reactions of many Christians who want to persecute Muslims for their faith. (See: A Christian Response to an Atheist Billboard)

Not only is this contrary to the American ideals, it is a frightening precedent. When Christians blame all Muslims for the actions of a few Muslims, we are hastening the day that others blame all Christians for the actions of a few Christians.

Many secularists already see religion as the key force of evil in the world. Some (who do not value the First Amendment) will look for any reason to limit the role of religion in society. If Christians fail to discern the difference between Islam and Radical Islam, if we fail to fight for the rights of those who worship differently than us, and if we actually persecute others for their religious beliefs, we will face the same result.

As Christians restrict the religious practice of Muslims, secularists will begin to restrict the religious practice of Christians. And we will not have a logical argument to stop it. We must choose a better way.

We must protect the freedoms of those who worship differently than us.

We must discern the difference between the basic tenets of a faith and the actions of a few who misinterpret that faith for their own personal gain.

We must refuse the simplistic thinking that the action of one person who is different than us defines everyone who is different than us.

We must seek every opportunity to extend love to others.

Not only is this the right thing to do for others; it’s the best action we can take for ourselves. If we use the actions of Islamic terrorists to score cheap points against the whole of Islam, we can expect others to do the same against us.

A dramatic shift is happening within America regarding religious practice. Many who promote tolerance are very intolerant to someone actually practicing their faith. Many Christians are rightfully nervous that their religious practices could soon come under attack. Yet we often fail to see how our actions toward others could quicken the limitations to our own religious practice.

There is a war on terror taking place in the world today and I recognize we face difficult decisions on how to confront the threat. (See: Why I Can’t Say America’s Going to Hell in a Handbasket)

At the same time, there is an attack on religion and many Christians are unknowingly fighting for the wrong side. As they fight against Islam, they are actually fueling the future fight against Christianity.