Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern (ICC), warned that Christians in America are like frogs in a boiling pot of water and seem blissfully unaware of their slowly changing environment.

“Too many people are not aware politically, and they’re so used to thinking of how things were that they can’t figure out where these bubbles are coming from, not realizing they’re being cooked,” King said in a recent interview with the Christian Post.

The ICC president noted that this growing persecution and censorship of Christians is on display in a recent court case involving a Texas teacher, Staci Barber.

Barber, along with two other teachers, were allegedly reprimanded by their school principal for participating in a “See You At the Pole,” an international prayer event where students, teachers, and parents gather at the flagpoles of schools around the world to pray. These events typically take place before the start of the school day.

The principal allegedly told the teachers that the Katy Independent School District, located near Houston, does not allow teachers to participate in religious exercises, such as prayer, in front of students, even outside of school hours.

However, according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), this is not supported by the US Constitution and ACLJ is helping Barber sue the school board.

King went on to suggest that these types of actions are typical of many regimes, that similarly guarantee religious freedoms in their constitution, but are increasingly turning against Christians.

King specifically cited what is happening in India.

“They have religious freedom in their constitution, but it doesn’t matter,” King said. “It’s what happens in practice. And so when pastors are often attacked in the streets or in the churches, guess who gets arrested? It’s the pastor. What happens is you keep your head down. So this is what we’re seeing in the States.”

Though the pastors may eventually see justice, the dragged-out judicial process becomes the punishment.

“People learn that you do not stick your head up, and you start being quiet because the process is the punishment,” King added.

King added this is particularly true in Europe, where governments have weaponized so-called anti-hate laws.

Such as the case involving a Finnish Christian politician, MP Päivi Räsänen

Despite losing two lower court decisions, a Finnish prosecutor is continuing his persecution of Räsänen, for what the prosecutor deemed as a hateful text that Räsänen posted and a pamphlet she helped publish years ago. Both provided a Biblical perspective on sexuality.

After losing the first court case, the prosecutor took the case to the Finish Court of Appeals, which, unanimously, sided with Räsänen. The prosecutor then appealed the decision to the Finish Supreme Court, CBN reports.

Finland, like most European countries, guarantees freedom of religion. However, the legal process and multiple court cases become the punishment. Fortunately, Räsänen is being defended by a legal non-profit, Alliance Defending Freedom.

Many are expressing legitimate concerns about what may happen to Finnish Christians if Räsänen loses the Supreme Court case.

“It would start the time of persecution of Christians in Finland if I would be convicted. Many lawyers agree with me, and then it would have … ramifications to other European countries,” Räsänen said in previous interviews.