It’s happened again. Another believer in the public eye has been hauled over the coals for something they said. This time one of the Duggar girls made a statement about our national shame surrounding the atrocity of abortion ending her thoughts with, “EVERY LIFE IS PRECIOUS.” Instantly, the opposition revealed itself.

In a fairly regular cycle, some Christian celebrity comes under fire for their perspective, words, or actions. As soon as the reports hit the media, the columnists from Slate, Salon, and the rest are offering their condemnations.

For a while, it seemed like Tim Tebow couldn’t smile at the camera without taking heat for his public faith. In fact, one of the most benign commercials ever produced featuring him and his mother was routinely bashed because of its anti-abortion stance. (I offered my thoughts about his situation back in 2011.)

While being interviewed in 2012, Dan Cathy (Chick-fil-A) clearly stated his personal and corporate support of the traditional family – marriage between one man and one woman. Suddenly, the boycotts and lawsuits from various groups hit the scene. Some colleges booted their stores off campus, and a California high school principal forbade the football booster club from selling their chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. (See here and here.)

Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson openly identified homosexuality as a sin according to Scripture and the howling dogs in the media were on full alert. The pervasive calls for tolerance were suddenly replaced with cries for censorship. (How ironic!) Never mind that Phil also identified adultery, idolatry, drunkenness, and extortion as sin when he referenced 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Never mind that he also said, “…the Robertson family really believes strongly that if the human race loved each other and they loved God, we would just be better off. We ought to just be repentant, turn to God, and let’s get on with it, and everything will turn around.”

What is being overlooked in all of this is that these views and statements are really nothing new. For centuries everyday Americans – Christian and unbelievers alike – have understood that the Bible recognizes marriage as only between a man and a woman, homosexuality as sin, and abortion as murder. In fact, the great majority supported those views and lived accordingly. God’s Word has not changed. Our society has.

The truth is that this goes much further than even the founding of our nation. For millennia civilizations have for supported these truths. Even pagan societies recognized the internal witness of conscience that God placed within us and acknowledged some sense of right and wrong. Wise King Solomon told us that “there is no new thing under the sun.” Declaring biblical truth in words and actions is only radical today because of its rarity.

Perhaps instead of being shocked every time someone is attacked for their biblical perspective we should remember the words of Jesus Christ.

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. John 15:19

Maybe we should also embrace the fact that there are spiritual benefits attached to this type of treatment.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Matthew 5:11  

Perhaps we should be asking why it doesn’t happen more often. Why doesn’t it happen in our own lives more regularly? Why aren’t we personally feeling the heat from the world around us? If we are living out our faith as Scripture calls us to do the results should be evident. If our Christian walk is genuine others should notice, and some will oppose.

Finally, if you are discouraged because your personal faith or witness has been rejected recently, remember this promise:

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4