As reported by El Colombiano on 14 April 2017, social networks went viral on Good Friday when a man dressed in pyjamas
protested at the Catholic celebration of the Stations of the Cross in a suburb of Bogota. The young man demanded his right as a non-Catholic to sleep undisturbed by the religious procession outside.
In the same context, Las2orillas reported on 13 April 2017 that a new trend called
"theophobia" is becoming apparent in the Colombian media. This trend is more than just hatred of God, it is a hatred of all those of religious faith and particularly Evangelicals. The article listed a number of pastors and others who had been "burned at the stake" by reporters for their views as Christians and warned that such intellectual and legal warfare could turn into physical persecution before long.
Rossana Ramirez working for World Watch Research, explains: "This new trend is a clear example of an increasingly aggressive secularism in the country. A point has now been reached where the toleration of people of religious faith is transforming into open hatred. This can lead to Christians staying silent for fear of being criticized and ridiculed, and limits the free expression of their faith. But the mere fact that this situation has already gained a name like "˜theophobia" tells us a lot about the unsettling situation Colombian Christians find themselves in. It is worrying to see that such situations are accepted by society without much objection; such indifference could result in the acceptance of more serious actions against Christians in the future."
