Pastor crucified in bed as anti-Christian hate turns deadly



Just down the road from my house, a pastor was crucified in his bed — crown of thorns and all.

That’s not the start of a horror movie. It’s the real story of Pastor William Schonemann of New River Bible Chapel in Arizona. His murder in May received almost no media coverage until last week, when the suspect not only confessed to the killing but admitted he had plans to assassinate four more pastors in Arizona — and others across the country.

As a pastor who lives not far from where this happened, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was I on his list?

If the killer had cited Christian teachings while attacking a Planned Parenthood activist or drag performer, Los Angeles would be on fire and the Palestinian flag would fly from city hall.

The motive? The suspect claimed to be on a divine mission to “purify Israel” of anyone who teaches that Jesus is the Son of God. His logic was as deranged as it was deadly: You can’t kill the Son of God — so Jesus isn’t the Son of God. Therefore, anyone who says otherwise must die. He targeted pastors who preach that God forgives repentant sinners through Christ.

In other words, he hunted Christians.

This wasn’t an isolated attack. Just last week, a deacon in Michigan stopped a would-be shooter from opening fire inside a church. Whether through violence or through the daily pressure campaign of soft totalitarianism from elected leftists — who impose radical gender and social ideology — Christians face growing persecution in America.

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  Getty Images

So here’s the question: Will these attacks on Christians be prosecuted as hate crimes?

U.S. law defines a hate crime as violence motivated by bias against a protected class. Religion qualifies. A man confesses to murdering a pastor because he preached the gospel. That’s not just homicide — it’s a textbook hate crime.

Crickets instead of courage

So where’s the outrage?

The answer is simple. We’ve allowed a media and university culture to take root that treats Christianity not just as wrong — but as evil. Christians, they insist, stand in the way of liberation, especially sexual liberation. The man who murdered Pastor Schonemann didn’t need a gender studies degree to absorb the worldview pushed by most public universities and entertainment platforms.

LGBTQ centers, DEI bureaucracies, and entire academic departments teach students that Christianity is repressive, outdated, and harmful. Professors tell them Christians cannot be victims of oppression because Christians are the majority. We must be decolonized, dismantled, or disappeared.

Curriculum has consequences.

Most people never enroll in Gender Studies 401, but they absorb the ideology from those who do. Graduates of these programs run media outlets, direct Netflix specials, and draft corporate policy. So when Amazon Prime pushes queer identity as liberation, the implied message is clear: Christian morality is the enemy. And when that message gets repeated often enough, unstable people act on it.

A chilling double standard

Now imagine the reverse. Had the victim belonged to a different religion — particularly one deemed “marginalized” or “indigenous” — CNN would run wall-to-wall coverage. MSNBC hosts would cry on air about America’s hatred. The Justice Department would announce investigations before the body cooled.

If the killer had cited Christian teachings while attacking a Planned Parenthood activist or drag performer, Los Angeles would be on fire and the Palestinian flag would fly from city hall.

But Pastor Schonemann preached Christ crucified. And so, the outrage is muted.

Time to act

Calling out this double standard matters, but it’s not enough. Pointing fingers at leftist hypocrisy only gets us so far. It’s time for action.

First, Christians must expose the incoherence of the ideologies used to justify this persecution. These movements promise justice but cannot define it. They claim to liberate, yet they demand conformity and submission. As a philosophy professor, I’ve challenged my own university’s faculty to debate these ideas. So far, silence. But shining light on the hollowness of their worldview creates space for the truth — and for grace.

Second, Christians must stop funding the institutions that despise us. Public universities are not neutral. They’ve become temples of anti-Christian dogma. Professors hide behind “academic freedom,” but the Constitution does not require taxpayers to bankroll propaganda. We must say: “No more. I won’t pay you to teach my child to hate the truth.”

After the murder, Pastor Schonemann’s son noted that the media seemed more interested in the killer than in his father’s life and witness. He’s right. And when the media finally does speak, don’t be surprised if it’s to ask: “Why do Christians deserve this?”

Universities are not neutral

Years ago, I sat on a panel at Harvard Law School. It was just before the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. One panelist — an Ivy League professor of some renown — smiled and said, “Christians like to be persecuted, so let them be.” The audience applauded. No one flinched.

It’s time for Christian parents to wake up. The age of the “neutral” university has ended. Our children are not just being taught to tolerate different views — they are being indoctrinated to hate what is true, good, and beautiful. They are told in no uncertain terms: Christianity is the problem.

Until we demand equal protection under the law — and stop funding our own cultural executioners — the attacks will continue.

The killer in Arizona refused dialogue. He chose violence to silence the truth. Ask yourself: How different is that from the message preached by DEI activists and gender ideologues who say we must either conform or disappear?

They’ve told us exactly what they believe. It’s time we take them at their word.

'Blown to bits': Suicide bomber targets Christian church in jihadist-controlled Syria



Multitudes of Syrian Christians gathered for mass Sunday evening inside the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus — and dozens of them never returned home.

Their prayers were interrupted by a jihadist who opened fire on the faithful, then detonated an explosive vest, killing at least 25 Christians and wounding 63 others. The explosion reportedly caused extensive damage to the structure of the church.

This terrorist attack — yet another reminder of the unrelenting persecution of Christians worldwide — was supposedly executed by a member of ISIS.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa — the Islamic terrorist also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who rose through the ranks of the Islamic State of Iraq before founding an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra — condemned the attack and expressed condolences, reported the state-owned network Alikhbaria Syria.

Al-Sharaa called the attack a "heinous crime" that serves as a reminder of the importance of solidarity and unity of the regime and people in the face of security threats.

Christian persecution watchdogs have warned in recent months that the al-Sharaa regime cannot be trusted. After all, the regime is largely composed of and led by elements of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, an Al-Qaeda spinoff terrorist organization linked in its formative years to the late leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and whose current leader was until recently a specially designated global terrorist who fought against American forces in Iraq.

Jeff King of International Christian Concern, for instance, noted after the reported massacre of Syrian Christians by regime-aligned jihadists in March that the government is "Al-Qaeda and ISIS in a new guise."

Despite his personal history with ISIS and Al-Qaeda, it is nevertheless in al-Sharaa's interest to respond forcefully to the attack, not only to remain on good terms with President Donald Trump — who vowed to "protect persecuted Christians" ahead of the 2024 election and whose administration lifted U.S. sanctions last month — but to counter the internal threat to his rule. After all, ISIS now regards the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-led regime as illegitimate.

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  Photo by Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images

Al Jazeera reported that ISIS has repeatedly attacked government forces in recent months, labeling the government an "apostate regime."

Mazhar al-Wais, the Syrian minister of justice, called the bombing a "cowardly crime targeting the unity of Syrians," suggesting that al-Sharaa's regime would not tolerate terrorism.

A senior U.S. official told Blaze News, "This is just another reminder that global jihadists see innocent unarmed Christians as legitimate targets."

"The new government in Damascus will be measured in large part by its willingness to protect minorities and neutralize groups like ISIS," added the official.

Ever distrustful of the regime, the Syrian Network for Human Rights insisted Sunday that "protecting the crime scene at Mar Elias Church is a necessary first step toward establishing the truth and achieving accountability."

'People were praying safely under the eyes of God.'

The watchdog group suggested that extra to securing the site's perimeter and preventing unauthorized entry and tampering with evidence, it is essential that Syrian authorities "regulate the movement of personnel and media to ensure that only authorized forensic teams are allowed to work on site" and to "implement accurate documentation procedures."

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch said in the immediate wake of the attack, "The treacherous hand of evil struck this evening claiming our lives, along with the lives of our loved ones who fell today as martyrs during the evening Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Prophet Elias in Dweilaa, Damascus."

Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I asked Patriarch John X, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, to convey his heartfelt condolences and support to the families of the victims, and prayed to "the All-Good God to rest the souls of the innocent victims of the attack."

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 US President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) along with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) on May 14, 2025. Photo by Bandar Al-Jaloud/Saudi Royal Court/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Witnesses indicated that when the suicide bomber entered the church and began firing, parishioners heroically charged him, reported the Associated Press. Once confronted, the masked terrorist detonated his vest.

"People were praying safely under the eyes of God," said Fr. Fadi Ghattas, who was present when at least 20 Christians were killed by the explosion. "There were 350 people praying at the church."

Issam Nasr, a witness who was praying inside the church, said he observed some victims get "blown to bits."

"We have never held a knife in our lives," said Nasr, underscoring the defenseless nature of the Christians targeted in Damascus. "All we ever carried were our prayers."

According to International Christian Concern, parish priest Fr. Youhanna Shehata assisted in carrying the remains of over 20 victims out of the church in the wake of the attack.

Blaze News reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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Trump FBI launches investigation into leftist violence against Christians in Seattle

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Rev. Reginald Avant of the Madrona Grace Presbyterian Church similarly issued a condemnation, not of the violent anti-Christian radicals but rather the Christians they attacked, stating, "We condemn these actions of hate by a misguided group of believers who targeted the LGBTQI community. Instead, we stand with the LGBTQI community on the right side for justice and love."

Other "faith leader" comments shared by the mayor's office suggested the Mayday organizers weren't real Christians; that they committed a "hateful" attack on vulnerable non-straights; and that they were bigots.

First Amendment rally

In the wake of Harrell's demonization of conservative Christians, demonstrators showed up to Seattle City Hall on Tuesday to "stand against the religious bigotry of Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council."

Whereas demonstrators stressed the importance of free speech, radical leftists once again turned to violence, prompting Seattle Police to make eight arrests, including one arrest of a leftist who allegedly assaulted an officer.

Organizers for the protest said in a statement obtained by KCPQ-TV, "Under Mayor Harrell's leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the first amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded."

In addition to attention from the White House and the FBI, Democratic city officials might also have to deal with a legal battle as the Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom indicated that it is "evaluating legal action" against Mayor Harrell and city officials.

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Trump admin condemns butchery of Syrian Christians, Alawites reportedly by regime-aligned jihadists



The Trump administration is demanding accountability in Syria following reports that the terrorists now running the war-ravaged nation and their allies have resumed their slaughter of non-Sunni Muslims, Christians, and other minorities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Sunday, "The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days."

"The United States stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families," continued Rubio.

Rubio added in his Sunday statement, "Syria's interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria's minority communities accountable."

'We should take the opportunity to celebrate it, and pay tribute to those who brought it about.'

Turkish-backed Islamic militants toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime in December — an act former President Joe Biden called "a fundamental act of justice." The group was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has long brutalized Christians and which was effectively spun off from Al-Qaeda, another terrorist organization that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated in 2012 was "on our side in Syria."

Before becoming Syria's president in late January, the specially designated global terrorist leader of HTS, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, suggested that the regime change that the Obama CIA and the Pentagon helped with was a "victory for all Syrians" and that there might be relative tolerance, including for non-Sunni Muslims and other minorities.

The terrorist fooled various American officials and media personalities.

The Washington Post's foreign policy columnist, for instance, wrote, "Syria is free. The rebels won. The people liberated themselves from tyranny." Trump critic Bill Kristol wrote, "The fall of a brutal dictator is rare enough that we should take the opportunity to celebrate it, and pay tribute to those who brought it about." Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur (Ohio) expressed hope in December that under the new terrorist leadership, Syria would "be a tolerant society accepting of people from all religious confessions."

Recent mass killings and public executions have proven the Jolani regime's commitment to tolerance wanting and the nation's collective victory to have been short-lived.

'He has removed the mask, revealing his true face: a jihadist terrorist from the Al-Qaeda school.'

On Thursday, Assad loyalists who refused to surrender their weapons launched an attack on Syrian security forces near the port city of Latakia in the western region largely populated by Alawites, adherents to an offshoot of Shia Islam, and Christians. The gunmen, who were apparently Alawites, seized control of Assad's hometown, Qardaha, reported the Associated Press.

The Jolani regime dispatched tens of thousands of security forces and auxiliary fighters to the coastal region to launch a counteroffensive, killing hundreds of Assad loyalists.

According to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, security forces also killed at least 973 civilians in 39 massacres and undertook "executions based on regional and sectarian affiliation." Women and children were reportedly among the butchered civilians.

British parliamentarian Andrew Rosindell likened the violence to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel and noted that "from the footage I have seen, Alawite Muslims, Christians, Druze, and other minorities are being hunted down, tortured, and murdered in cold blood," reported GB News.

"This comes as a part of the unprecedented escalation of retaliatory actions and genocide which started on March 7 in four Syrian provinces," stated the Syrian Observatory. "The bloody actions, which are still ongoing, coincide with setting fire to civilian houses and forcible displacements, while no international authorities have interfered or taken any actions so far to put an end to those massacres."

Reuters, which was unable to independently verify the watchdog group's death tolls, reported that regime officials have acknowledged the murder of civilians but blamed unorganized civilians and fighters, claiming they were trying to help security forces or take advantage of the chaos.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz tweeted, "al-Julani took off his galabiya, put on a suit, and presented a moderate facade. Now, he has removed the mask, revealing his true face: a jihadist terrorist from the Al-Qaeda school, committing atrocities against the Alawite civilian population."

While the Jolani regime has suggested it was not directly responsible for the recent massacres, the European organization Christian Solidarity suggested that Damascus called last week for volunteers to mobilize while Sunni mosques across the country called for a jihad in the coastal region.

Numerous residents in the coastal region told Reuters that thousands of Christians and Alwaites have fled in recent days, fearing for their lives. Some of those seeking to avoid executions at the hand of Sunni terrorists have apparently taken refuge at a Russian air base in Hmeimim.

Ahead of the 2024 election, President Donald Trump vowed to "protect persecuted Christians."

Vice President JD Vance echoed the president in October, writing, "The United States should fight against the persecution of Christians all over the world, and it will when President Trump is back in the White House."

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