Suppose You Lost Your Religious Freedom… What Would You Do?

Would You Give Up, Die for Your Faith or Go Underground?

Suppose you live in a future time when Americans have lost their religious freedom. Also, suppose you’re a Christian. What would you do?

Christianity is the dominant religion in the U.S., but that may not always be the case. The U.S. is standing on a slippery slope. Many right-wing Christians want to establish a state religion that controls every aspect of American life, and they’re working toward that goal at the ballot box.

If they have their way, right-wing Christians will control every level of government and every aspect of society including faith, education, homelife, and the laws of the land.

But this effort could backfire. Suppose Christianity becomes a minority faith by mid-century, as many experts predict it will. Islam is positioned to become America’s new majority religion by around 2050, and its leaders could institute Islamic laws. Or perhaps the so-called “nones,” i.e., Americans who have no particular faith, could become the majority.

Now, suppose these presumed leaders outlawed Christianity. What would you – as a Christian – or your Christian descendants do? Would you abandon your faith? Die for Christ? Flee the country? Or take your Christian faith underground?

What If You Lost Your Religious Freedom?

The world is a dangerous place for millions of Christians. Some live in countries that have a state religion and ban Christianity. Others live in areas that prohibit all religions. Devout Christians in those areas have few options, and it isn’t difficult to find examples of groups that have chosen to take their faith underground.

Open Doors, a Christian ministry that helps persecuted Christians worldwide, points to these anti-Christian nations:

• In Afghanistan, where 99.8 percent of the population is Muslim, small groups of Christians meet in extreme secrecy. Many don’t even tell their families what they are doing for fear their families will contact authorities.
• Iran is another country where an extreme form of Islam rules. Any Christians caught practicing their faith face swift and brutal execution. And if the Taliban doesn’t catch them, their family or members of the community may discover their secret and report them.
• China isn’t much better. It has officially sanctioned certain churches and allows them to meet openly. However, the government’s approval is conditional. The church’s teachings must conform with communist ideology, and that’s problematic given that communism rejects any and all religions.

In each of these countries – Afghanistan, Iran and China – Christians are aware of the dangers. Yet, many willingly risk their lives by going underground to worship Jesus. Now ask yourself whether your faith could withstand the dangers these people face every day.

Imagine how you might react if you lost your religious freedom.

Christians Fighting Unrelenting Violence

The violence against Christians is relentless in parts of Africa and most of the Middle East. Christians’ homes and churches are burned to the ground, families are torn apart and many Christians are killed.

Another Christian ministry — Global Christian Relief — says Nigeria is the most dangerous country for Christians. “In January 2025, Baptist Press noted that Nigeria led the world in verified killings and abductions related to persecution,” the organization said. Extremist groups such as Boko Haram are often to blame.

Islamic extremists in Nigeria kill thousands of Christians each year, and in Afghanistan, which is nearly 100 percent Muslim, being openly Christian is extremely dangerous. In Asia, the most dangerous country for Christians is North Korea. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un suppresses religious freedom with brutal efficiency, using labor camps, torture and executions to punish Christians for even having a Bible.

The Most Dangerous Nations for Christians

Although some sources say North Korea is the worst country in the world for Christians, others point to Nigeria or Somalia. The Open Doors organization, which assists Christians throughout the world, recently issued its 2025 World Watch List’s top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians:

1. 1. North Korea
   2. Somalia
   3. Yemen
   4. Libya
   5. Sudan
   6. Eritrea
   7. Nigeria
   8. Pakistan
   9. Iran
   10. Afghanistan

Regardless of which country tops the list, these 10 nations deny Christians the most basic legal and human rights, according to the Christian ministry Open Doors. India is not on the World Watch List, but Christians in that country face increasing attacks from Hindu nationalists.

These extremists often target Protestant churches, vandalizing church property and assaulting pastors. In one case, several women were arrested for the “forced conversion” of other women attending an event with them.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is closing churches, conducting surveillance of religious groups, removing Christian symbols such as crosses, and detaining pastors. In Pakistan, blasphemy laws are frequently misused to persecute Christians by denying them food, jobs and homes.

Christianity Grows Despite the Danger

More than 380 million Christians live in countries that target them because of their beliefs. That’s 1 in 7 Christians worldwide, 1 in 5 in Africa and 2 in 5 in Asia, per Christianity Today. Yet, you may be surprised by what has happened.

Many non-Christians have converted to the faith. And some Christians have chosen a dangerous path by taking their faith underground and worshipping in house churches. Just as first and second-century Christians often met in secret, many modern Christians worship quietly in private homes.

Iran is a good example. More than 99 percent of Iranians are Muslim, and anyone who leaves the faith faces a long prison term or death. But that hasn’t prevented an increasing number of Iranians from discovering Christ through visions, dreams and Christians in underground churches.

In India, Hindu nationalists are increasingly targeting Protestant churches, vandalizing church property and assaulting pastors. In one case, several women were arrested for the “forced conversion” of other women attending an event with them.

In China, the government is closing churches, conducting surveillance of religious groups, removing Christian symbols, and detaining pastors because of their faith.

In Pakistan, blasphemy laws are frequently misused in order to persecute Christians. Christians also have difficulties trouble obtaining food, jobs and homes. Christians in several Latin American countries face violence at the hands of governments, drug cartels and organized crime.

What If You Lost Your Religious Freedom?

Despite these obstacles, many Christians around the world find ways to keep the faith. What would you do if you lost your religious freedom? Would your faith be strong enough to survive? Would you give up, die for your faith or go underground? Or would you do something else?

It’s something to ponder.