Many find it difficult to define the origin of the Christian persecution complex . According to Elizabeth Castelli , some set the starting point in the middle of the 20th century , following a series of court rulings that declared public places to be out of bounds for religious activity ( e.g. morning prayer in schools ) . However , it became apparent in the United States in the 1990s with the adoption of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 as the official foreign policy . A few years later , the September 11 attacks boosted its development . This complex " mobilizes the language of religious persecution to shut down political debate and critique by characterizing any position not in alignment with this politicized version of Christianity as an example of anti-religious bigotry and persecution . Moreover , it routinely deploys the archetypal figure of the martyr as a source of unquestioned religious and political authority "
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Christian persecution complex