France is the leader in Europe in terms of hatred of Christianity

The Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe has identified France as one of the most intolerant countries in the European Union. It is noted that out of 2,444 cases of intolerance towards Christians in 35 European countries, 1,000 incidents occurred in France. This is reported by the CREDO portal.

“In 2023, 2444 such incidents were recorded, including 232 directly related to individuals: harassment, threats and physical violence. The largest number of cases of anti-Christian hatred – almost 1000 – were recorded in France, where cases included the desecration of religious buildings, criminal arson and the destruction of churches, often accompanied by anti-Christian slogans. The United Kingdom was in second place with more than 700 incidents; Germany was in third place, where there was an impressive increase in their number by 105% – from 135 in 2022 to 277 in 2023,” – the report says.

It is also reported that in addition to physical violence and vandalism, the report emphasizes the growing discrimination against Christians in the professional and public environment. The pressure exerted on them contributes to the growth of self-censorship among believers who are afraid to openly demonstrate their faith. At the same time, several European governments have imposed restrictions on religious freedom, going so far as to ban religious processions or punish people for peacefully expressing their Christian beliefs.

Earlier we reported that over the past two years of the war in Ukraine, the number of people who consider themselves atheists has doubled. If before the full-scale invasion, 7% of respondents considered themselves atheists, now this figure has increased to 14%, and among young people aged 18-24 – almost 39%.