Father Patrick Flanagan told Newsmax it is tragic but sometimes necessary for the United States to use military force to stop the persecution of Christians, reacting Thursday to U.S. airstrikes targeting Islamic State forces blamed for attacks on Christian communities.
Flanagan, chair of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Saint John's University, addressed the announcement by President Donald Trump that U.S. forces launched strikes against Islamic State affiliates accused of killing and terrorizing Christians.
"It's always sad to hear that we have to respond with violence, but the reality is that it has to be stopped somehow," Flanagan told "Rob Schmitt Tonight" and guest host T.W. Shannon. "And no one seems to be wanting to take the risk and raising the concern and actually addressing the concern."
The U.S. military said the strikes targeted Islamic State terrorists operating in parts of Africa, including Nigeria, where extremist groups such as ISIS-West Africa Province have been linked to massacres, church burnings, kidnappings, and forced displacement of Christian populations.
International watchdog groups have repeatedly warned that Nigeria is among the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians.
Flanagan rejected the idea that Christian persecution should be accepted as inevitable.
"Everyone seems to think that the persecution of Christians is something that is part of history and part of God's plan," he said. "It's so far from God's providence."
Flanagan also reacted to an ABC News report Wednesday citing data from Luminate showing that streaming of Christian and gospel music has surged over the past 18 months, even as overall music streaming has declined.
Flanagan said he sees the trend firsthand among his students.
"I see it right here at Saint John's University with my students," he said. "Students are tired of the nonsense of narratives that are not endearing, that are not eternal."
He said Christian music offers something increasingly rare in modern culture.
"What this music offers is a sense of peace, a sense of solace, as well as the scriptures themselves that offer a sense of objective truth that can lead them to eternity," Flanagan said.
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