We've all heard the argument. Conservative Christian politicians are constantly accusing the Democratic Party, the Supreme Court, lobbyists, the media and anyone else who supports "non-traditional" ideas of family and marriage of infringing upon their freedom to practice their religion (in this case, Christianity). With the recent legalization of same-sex marriage, conservative Christians have gone on the defensive with a renewed vigor. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), one of the 17 (17!) Republicans running for president, recently gave a speech in which he remarked to the audience that “there is a liberal fascism that is dedicated to going after believing Christians who follow the biblical teaching on marriage.” (Cruz also said that there is "no room for Christians in today's Democratic Party," when, in fact, all but 30 Democrats serving in either house of Congress identify as Christians.)

Here's the thing, though. Christians in the United States are not being persecuted for their beliefs. In fact, Christians enjoy a tremendous amount of privilege in this country — especially the white, male Christians who are the most vocal proponents of this argument. As Paul Waldman wrote in "The American Prospect,"

"The problem is that these folks don’t seem to have much of a grasp on what second-class citizenship actually looks like. Last time I checked, nobody was forbidden to vote because they’re a Christian, or not allowed to eat in their choice of restaurants, or forced to use separate water fountains, or even be forbidden by the state to marry the person of their choice. That’s what second-class citizenship is. Having somebody on television call your views retrograde may not be fun, but it doesn’t make you a second-class citizen.”

The Supreme Court allowing same-sex couples the right to marry does not force those who disagree with same-sex marriage to actively participate in the process. It does not give same-sex couples an advantage over the rest of us. It merely grants them a right that should have been granted long ago, one that they were unjustly denied for hundreds of years. The legalization of same-sex marriage does not force churches or religious institutions to recognize these marriages as covenants with God. Though Christians see marriage as a covenant between two people and God, it's important to remember that, outside of religion, marriage is a legal contract. The argument that conservative Christians in America are being persecuted for their beliefs is so ridiculous, in part, because it seems highly unlikely that victims of religious persecution would be permitted to make these claims without suffering some sort of punishment at the hands of their so-called persecutors.

This "narrative of persecution," carefully crafted over decades by conservative Christian politicians as an attempt by those in power to retain it, is deeply offensive to those groups and individuals who are actively persecuted in this country. It's a slap in the face to racial minorities, to religious minorities (especially Muslim Americans), to women and, most of all, to the LGBTQ+ community — all of whom face almost daily adversity because of who they are or what they believe. (And if you truly don't believe that racism or sexism or other kinds of discrimination exist in this country, or if you think white privilege doesn't exist, then you have a much larger problem on your hands, one of blatant denial.)

The narrative of persecution villainizes an already-marginalized group (the LGBTQ+ community) and puts those individuals at risk of even further discrimination and prejudice, all based on a misguided, yet calculated, assertion by powerful right-wing politicians. Where are these cries of persecution when innocent people are being assaulted and murdered by police? Where are the voices of these "persecuted" individuals when a person is treated with less respect or offered less opportunity due to his or her race, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity? Does it not violate Christian belief to think that a queer person is somehow "lesser" than a straight person? Furthermore, the narrative of persecution by right-wing, Christian Americans is an insult to Christians in the 50+ countries where practicing Christianity is illegal, and where Christians are actively persecuted.

So here's my message to you, conservative Christians: Stop with the narrative of persecution. Nobody deserves to be attacked for their religious beliefs, but neither are you entitled to express those beliefs in the form of oppression of an entire group of people. It's perfectly legal and OK for you not to agree with homosexuality or not to support same-sex marriage, but as the saying goes, "If you don't like gay marriage, don't get gay-married." Popular opinion is rapidly becoming more progressive and accepting of non-traditional ideas of family, and I would suggest that you adapt your beliefs to modern society instead of trying to force modern society to conform to an antiquated set of beliefs. Jesus advocated loving people despite their so-called sins. Even though you might have the best of intentions, loving someone doesn't mean trying to change a fundamental part of them. Love is seeing someone's flaws and choosing to accept them and believe them deserving of your love despite those flaws. Instead of decrying your own persecution, why not use your platform of privilege to make the voices of actual oppressed people heard?

Here is my disclaimer that probably goes without saying, but that I'm going to make clear nonetheless: This is in no way an indictment of all Christians, or of Christianity as a religion. I know plenty of practicing Christians who do not buy into the narrative of persecution. My aim is simply to draw attention to the damaging effects that come with the spread of this false narrative.