For Christians, the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday represents the fulfillment of God’s plan for redemption and offers believers the promise of eternal life. On that most sacred day, Christians celebrate the victory of light over darkness, life over death, and the triumph of God’s love for humanity.

On Good Friday, the day on which Christians recognize that Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, President Biden issued a 635-word proclamation in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility, which was celebrated on Easter Sunday, March 31st. By contrast, Biden issued a six-sentence statement in recognition of Easter.

This denigration of Easter coincided with a White House directive forbidding children from featuring any religious symbols in an Easter egg art contest. “Religious symbols” and “overtly religious themes” were forbidden in the same manner as material that “promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm.”

Given this hostility to religion – especially Christianity – at the highest levels of our government, we shouldn’t be shocked that hostility against churches has accelerated in recent years.

Between January 2018 and November 2023, more than 900 documented acts of hostility – including vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, and bomb threats – have been identified, more than 400 in 2023 alone. That’s more than double the number in 2022 and more than eight times the number in 2018. This trend is ominous and disturbing.

Not to be outdone by Biden’s ill-timed proclamation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Hoke-ul) issued a proclamation declaring March 31, Easter Sunday, to be Transgender Visibility Day and ordered state landmarks including One World Trade Center in New York City and Niagara Falls to be illuminated in the colors of the transgender flag.

We now have 30 days, weeks or months that recognize different elements of sexual identity, yet many of our children can’t read or do math at the most basic levels. Our president, vice president, many members of Congress and governors support federal and state legislation that overrides conscience and religious beliefs in matters relating to sexual identity and abortion.

This hostility toward religion can only be overcome if we teach and restore the founding principles of our nation. We can also let politicians know that on Easter Sunday and every day of the year we expect our core beliefs to be honored and respected by those whom we place in positions of authority.