SILVER SPRING, Maryland – New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas says that many Christians in the United States have adopted an "American version of Christianity" and lack a true understanding about what it means to be faithful to God's word under the threat of persecution.

Metaxas, the author of several books including the recent title If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty, gave a one-hour keynote speech to kick off The Bridge, an annual 3-day conference focusing on the persecuted church hosted by collaboration of groups led by the persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern.

As Metaxas has authored biographies of historical, influential philanthropists like William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his address focused on how Bonhoeffer played an instrumental role in awakening the German church to stand up to the atrocities committed against the Jews by the Nazis and he compared some of the similarities between the German church during the Holocaust to today's church in America.

Metaxas said that Bonhoeffer realized that the role of the church in a functioning society is to be the "conscience of the state" and challenge the state every time it persecutes the people and creates injustices.

Eric Metaxas: American Church Lacks Faith That Only Comes From Being Persecuted

I would say it is the same in most western countries and not a uniquely American thing.