Christian used to be the majority in Lebanon, but in the past 30 years so many Christians have emigrated that they now make up only about 35% of the population.

Recently we did a story of one family’s journey to escape Lebanon soon after the recent war started. The father is a native of Lebanon who moved to the U.S. and became a citizen several years ago.

When we interviewed him, we asked him why so many Christians have left Lebanon. He said one reason is because of their love for their children. They want to give their kids a better future, away from the fighting that flows from the racial and religious hatreds. And many Lebanese are tired of working hard to build a good life for their families, only to see it destroyed every few years by war.

Shiite Muslims are now the majority population in Lebanon. He says, quite frankly, that Shiites, in general, don’t have the same concerns for their families that Christians do. One reason, he says, is because Shia tradition allows them to marry several wives and have many children.

But he says that ultimately the outflow of Christians is ultimately hurting Lebanon. The remaining Christian community is losing political power, military power, and even ownership of the land. He fears that in the future Lebanon will come more under the grip of radical Islam.