It’s not only true that Christians and Jews are facing a new wave of marginalization and persecution in America today, it’s also true that those precious freedoms are also under assault. That’s why you see Christian bakers, photographers, videographers, florists and caterers being fined, driven out of business and prosecuted for adhering to their faith by declining to participate in same-sex weddings.

I looked it up, as Bill Maher suggested, and there are not 3,000 churches in America. There are more than 300,000. So taking anything Bill Maher says at face value is dangerous.

But there might as well be only 3,000, or even fewer, for the influence they wield in the political culture.

How many of those more than 300,000 churches are really providing the salt and light in their communities for which they were charged by their Lord and Savior? (Matthew 5:13-16)

I would say those bakers, photographers, videographers, florists and caterers have done more for that cause than most of the churches.

There’s one more thing Bill Maher should know about Christian persecution and “winning,” as he puts it.

The church saw its greatest growth and success during its most intense period of persecution – in the first century. It saw its worst failures when it tolerated and even took part in persecution.

After the death and Resurrection of Jesus, a handful of disciples, facing almost unimaginable persecution, literally turned the world upside down. All but one of Jesus’ apostles met gruesome deaths. Their followers were crucified, and their bodies were used as burning torches to light the streets of Rome. They were dragged into the Colosseum to face hungry lions for the entertainment of the city.

Persecution couldn’t stop the spread of Christianity – not the genuine form of faith of the early believers.

And it won’t stop the faith of the genuine believers today – much as Bill Maher might wish it would.