Our nation is still grieving the loss of two children who were killed and seventeen others who were wounded while praying inside a church in Minneapolis, Minnesota recently. The shooter, identified as 23-year-old “Robin” Westman (born Robert Paul Westman), a former student at the school, opened fire through the church’s stained glass windows before taking his own life. Westman, who legally changed his name from Robert to Robin in 2020 at the age of 17 and identified as transgender, posted a disturbing manifesto on YouTube containing demonic content and even a call to assassinate President Trump.
Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron said the massacre should be recognized for what it was: a deliberate act of anti-Christian violence.
Sadly, this will be added to a long and growing list of hostility and violence against Christian churches in America which has reached an all time high. According to the Family Research Council, there were more than 430 incidents in 2023 alone-more than double the number in 2022. There has been an 800% increase in incidents since 2018 for an average of 39 attacks every month. There were 415 reported attacks against churches in 2024. Regretfully, the numbers could be even higher as many incidents go unreported.
But it is not only churches that have come under attack. Across the country, Christian hospitals, adoption agencies, and crisis pregnancy centers, have also been targeted, forcing many to close permanently.
These trends are alarming and they betray everything that religious freedom in American is about. Attacks, threats and terror against people of faith have no place in out country. We are founded on the principal that people of all faiths should be able to worship peacefully. It seems that we are getting further and further away from that founding principal.
More and more our government, woke corporate America, higher education, the media and political activists groups have openly shown contempt for religious Americans. This public disdain has encouraged unstable non-believers to commit horrible acts of cruelty against people of faith.
Remember, America was built as a haven for faith. It was founded on the moral principles of the Christian religion. This is the one nation on earth that we as American Christians can and should call our own. Let’s reclaim that legacy by standing together and demanding fair treatment in the public square.
Protecting and restoring religious freedom is extremely important. There is a reason that it’s the First Freedom in the Bill of Rights and the first that appears in the First Amendment. History shows that chaos, violence and tyranny is the consequence when this fundamental freedom isn’t protected.
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.” (James 3:16 Amplified)
Inconceivably, right after the recent shooting, many liberal politicians and media talking heads tried to deflect the blame from the trans-shooter and instead attacked Christians for praying.
Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, taunted those calling for prayer for the victims implying that if prayers actually worked the students would not have been shot in the first place considering that they themselves were in church at a prayer service.
MSNBC host Jen Psaki fell back on the Democratic mantra of “spare me your thoughts and prayers” following the shooting. Psaki, who served as former President Biden’s press secretary, posted on social media, “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayer does not end school shootings and prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with these thoughts and prayers.”
Can you imagine what rejoicing there would be by satan and his minions if people were to follow Psaki’s and the others who opposed praying during a time of need. What a victory that would be for the dark side.
Their mockery reveals a profound spiritual blindness — dismissing the very source of hope that has healed countless broken hearts. Liberals fundamentally misunderstand the purpose and power of prayer. As Christians, we know prayer isn’t a magic shield against all evil. The Bible teaches that suffering and sin will persist until Christ’s return (Romans 8:22-23). Yet, we pray fervently for comfort, healing, and peace for those shattered by tragedy, trusting that the Holy Spirit brings solace beyond human understanding.
Consider the power of prayer as described in Scripture: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
We must accept that bad things do happen to good people. This is a reality because of the Fall, because Satan’s place in this world and because of actions of ourselves and others. But we must remain committed to God because His faithfulness is better than anything we could possibly gain from falling away.
So do not listen to the haters and stop praying. Continue to pray for the victims and the families of the horrible shooting in Minneapolis. Pray for the demonically confused shooter and all of the trans community who have been deceived into thinking that they can change their God appointed sex by having their bodies mutilated and by consuming unsafe drugs. Lastly, we should pray for all of those lost souls who mock our faith and our prayers and those who would use violence against us.
I realize that praying for those who hate us may be a hard assignment but always remember that God created us all and He loves the saint and the sinner equally and wants none to perish.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)