Intolerance and discrimination manifests itself also as social exclusion and marginalisation of Christians. Stereotyping by biased media coverage is a familiar tool of furthering marginalisation. The following excursus to the New York Times of Feb. 26th, 09, is just one example.
Between 15 and 24 February 2009 two churches in the Oxford area were broken into and highly symbolic religious items were desecrated. Local police officers thought the two incidents were linked and were possibly religiously motivated attacks to make a point against the Church of England. In both incidents safes containing communion bread at the churches were forced open, but nothing was stolen in either case. It is estimated that there was £3,000 worth of damage at St James the Great, in West Hanney, and in St Nicholas Church, in East Challow.
Burning of Bibles reported in Israel; mockery of Christians on TV; Catholic bishops speak of a "low profile" form of Christ[ian]ophobia.
67% of French Catholic parents say that public schools do not respect the freedom of conscience of their children.
For the third time in less than a year, the cemetery of Saint-Laurent-des-Autels was vandalized on Sunday, February 14th, 2009. This time, tags were found on graves and on the door of the church. In the cemetery, one could see swastikas on trees.
A five-year-old girl was reprimanded for talking about her faith at school and her mother, Jennie Cain, who worked part-time at her daughter’s school, was investigated for professional misconduct and faced disciplinary action. The school has settled out of court.
On the 7th and 12th of February 2009, two youths vandalized the Soz Kitapevi bookshop of the Turkish Bible Society in the city of Adana. The aggressors are suspected to be Muslim militants.
BBC repeats the screening of a drama depicting pro life campaigners as murderous terrorists.
A Christian foster carer has been struck off because she allowed a Muslim child in her care to convert to Christianity.
The film producing company Link TV placed a video online which mocks Catholicism. The short silent video shows a weird priest descreting the Eucharist, a most sacred item for Catholics.