Anti-Christian sentiment

Anti-Christian sentiment is an opposition to some or all Christians, the Christian religion, or the practice of Christianity. Christophobia or Christianophobia are also according to Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) names for "every form of discrimination and intolerance against Christians".

Vandalism
The vandalism or defacement of Christian symbols or property is one form of the expression of anti-Christian sentiment. If the defaced or vandalized object is considered holy by Christians, such as the Bible, the Cross, or an image of Christ or a saint, the case becomes that of desecration. Such destruction may also be illegal if it violates property rights or hate crime laws. Arson directed at Christian meeting places or churches is often considered a hate crime. However, churches may also be targeted for reasons unrelated to anti-Christian sentiment, especially racism. An aggravating factor in the burning of a church in Minnedosa, Manitoba was that two of the arsonists were fans of National Socialist black metal music with anti-Christian themes, according to the Crown. Vandals stole a wooden statue of Virgin Mary, from the Saint Albert the Great Parish of Calgary, Canada in August 2008 detached her hands, tried to incinerate it, and threw into a ditch along the near by 22x Highway. In 2010, vandals daubed graffiti and attempted to burn down the White Church of Baildon, Yorkshire, marking the church with the sign of the pentagram and scrawling anti-Christian graffiti upon it.

Music
Some elements of the black metal and death metal scene declare open hatred of Christianity. Headliners of the black metal scene have claimed responsibility for inspiring (if not necessarily perpetrating) over fifty arsons directed at Christian churches in Norway from 1992 to 1996. The most notable church was Norway's Fantoft stave church, which the police believed was destroyed by the one-man band Burzum, Varg Vikernes, aka "Count Grishnackh". The current, Valor Kand-led (and heavily metal-influenced) incarnation of goth band Christian Death has an album called Born Again Anti-Christian.

United Kingdom
Mark Pritchard, the Member of Parliament representing the English constituency of The Wrekin, instigated a debate in the House of Commons on 5 December 2007 on the issue of Anti-Christian sentiment, describing the phenomenon as 'Christianophobia'. Introducing the debate, he said it was about "how anti-Christian sentiment is increasing, not decreasing; why many Christians feel they are not getting a fair hearing when it comes to Christianity in the public square; and what many people of all faiths and no faith see as the increasing marginalisation of Britain’s Christian history, heritage and traditions through the actions of Whitehall Departments, Government agencies, local authorities, the charity commissioners, or other sectors of society." One example where anti-Christian sentiment was evident was when a church building was wrecked by squatters which included the adding of anti-Christian graffiti to the walls.

Norway
6 June 1992. The Fantoft stave church, a wooden structure originally built in 1150 in Fortun, when the Vikings converted to Christianity, and moved to Bergen in 1883, burned down. At first the fire was attributed to lightning and electrical failure. In January 1993 Varg Vikernes, aka Count Grishnackh, was interviewed by a local journalist in his apartment decorated with 'Nazi paraphernalia, weapons and Satanic symbols'. Vikernes claimed that the black metal scene had declared war on Christianity and Norwegian society and was responsible for eight church burnings as part of an ongoing terror campaign. He used a photo of the charred remnants of the church taken soon after the fire on his band Burzum's album entitled Aske (Norwegian for ashes). Following his statement the Norwegian authorities began to clamp down on the black metal scene.

In 1994 Vikernes was found guilty of murder, arson and possession of illegal weapons (including explosives) and given the maximum sentence under Norwegian law of 21 years in prison. He was released in 2009.

Partial list of Christian church arsons in Norway by anti-Christian groups reported by English-language media sources:

1992:
 * May 23: Storetveit Church in Bergen
 * June 6: Fantoft stave church in Bergen – Varg Vikernes was suspected of the crime, but denied this; he was not convicted.
 * August 1: Revheim Church in Stavanger
 * August 21: Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo
 * September 1: Ormøya Church in Oslo
 * September 13: Skjold Church in Vindafjord – Varg Vikernes and Samoth were convicted for this.
 * October: Hauketo Church in Oslo
 * December 24: Åsane Church in Bergen – Varg Vikernes and Jørn Inge Tunsberg were convicted for this.
 * December 25: a Methodist church in Sarpsborg – a firefighter was killed while fighting this fire.

Sweden
1993:
 * February 7: Lundby New Church in Gothenburg, Sweden burnt down

Israel
Israeli liberal journalist Isak Letz has chronicled numerous instances of Orthodox Jewish groups becoming increasingly active in their opposition to Jews converting to Christianity, including violent acts against converts. These attacks often go unpunished by Israeli authorities. In general, Christian missionaries limit proselytism in Israel due to Christian Zionist beliefs, and many believe reports of proselytism made by Orthodox Jewish groups are exaggerated as a pretext to attack Christians in the region.

A frequent complaint of Christian clergy in Israel is being spat at by Jews, often haredi yeshiva students. Even Christian ceremonial processions have been alleged to have been spat at, with one incident near the Holy Sepulchre causing a fracas which led to the destruction of the Armenian Archbishop's 17th-century cross. The Anti-Defamation League has called on the chief Rabbis to speak out against the interfaith assaults. One Christian complained that the spitting was "almost a daily experience."

In January 2010, Christian leaders, Israeli Foreign ministry staff, representatives of the Jerusalem municipality and the Haredi community met to discuss the problem. The Haredi Community Tribunal of Justice published a statement condemning the practice, stating that it was a "desecration of God's name." Several events have been planned in 2010 by the liberal Orthodox Yedidya congregation to show solidarity with Christians and improve relations between the Haredi and Christian communities of Jerusalem. Andrea Katz, who has organized the events, said that "Jews might not have learned yet what it means to be the majority in a country".

In May 2008, hundreds of New Testaments were burned in Or Yehuda, Israel after having been collected by the Deputy Mayor who described the material as "Messianic propaganda" and claimed the books were burned by three Yeshiva students. In May 2009 a Russian orthodox church in Northern Israel was showered with stones thrown by yeshiva students, injuring many of the congregation.

In 2009 a church in Israel was vandalised. Messages such as “We killed Jesus” and “Christians out” were written on it, as well as "Fuck off" which was adorned with a Star of David. Churchmen at the site also stated that the church doors are urinated on almost every day.