Rachael Tearney on the urgent need to defend faith and freedom in the modern world.
Christian persecution is often thought of as a relic of the Roman world, yet this week, X, the world’s leading news provider, has reported shocking evidence that human barbarism remains intent on crushing Christianity in our time.
Syrian Christians are being murdered by the new Syrian state, their lives taken after their heroic profession of faith.
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” The origins of this phrase may be uncertain, but its meaning is crystal clear—never more so than now. Many of us have drifted, rudderless, on the legacy of the Christian devotion of our forefathers. We have not merely lapsed in our faith; we have ignored it, ridiculed it, abandoned it, and allowed social justice movements to take its place.
My first column for this paper, a year ago, celebrated the resurgence of Christianity—how attendance at churches and cathedrals was rising. This remains true, yet the reality is that we have come perilously close to losing Christendom to dark forces. These forces—Secularists, Modernists, and Intellectuals—persuaded us that evil did not exist.
Now, we see it plainly. No longer lurking in the shadows, it challenges our civilisation openly, emboldened by our faithlessness. Christian capitalist democracies have been, and still are, the most successful and peaceful societies the world has ever known. But they were not created by accident. They were forged through careful thought, philosophical understanding, prayer, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The images of persecuted Christians have left many horrified, with reports suggesting as many as 7,000 have lost their lives. Many others have fled to a Russian airbase, where they are receiving aid and shelter. Western leaders, so far, have done little to intervene. We have perfected the handwashing techniques of Pontius Pilate—our apathy at the ballot box and the altar has left us surrounded by encroaching darkness.
In past generations, faith was woven into the fabric of life. The reality of death was ever-present. My own great-grandmother had nine children; three did not survive. When life was so closely intertwined with death, spiritual contemplation was inevitable. But today, our wealth, health, and security have allowed us to pretend that the material world is all that matters.
This illusion has left a void—a vacuum that is now consuming our society, driven by greed, pride, and an insatiable lust for power. Corruption runs deep within our institutions, and no amount of tabloid anti-sleaze campaigns will be enough to heal the West. What is required is courage, determination, and a reassessment of our moral and spiritual priorities.
In the face of such evil, it is easy to feel helpless. But we possess the greatest weapon: prayer. Faith and prayer are God’s gifts to humanity—a direct channel to the power of good, accessible to all. History reminds us of this truth. During the Second World War, King George VI called for a National Day of Prayer on 26th May 1940, seeking divine intervention for the success of the Dunkirk evacuation. There were others. Prayer shaped history then—it must do so again now.
Faith forges courage. If we want the West to remain free, safe, peaceful, and prosperous, we must remember what built it: faith. And we must wield that faith now in the fight for justice and peace.
Follow Rachael at @WritesRachael
Main Image: For illustration purposes only. Image created using AI.
