- This is a rare display of force,

one normally seen only in third world

totalitarian countries.

25,000 National Guard troopsin the nation's capital

on a massive securitymission, protecting Joe Biden

and those attending hisswearing-in ceremony.

Yet this was not a firstfor an American inaugural.

In 1861, the US Cavalry stationedsharpshooters on rooftops

and troops along the inaugural route

to protect an unpopularPresident-Elect Abraham Lincoln

as his carriage traveleddown Pennsylvania Avenue

to the Capitol.

Five weeks later, the first shots

of the Civil War rangout over Fort Sumter.

160 years later, some people believe

a divided America is on theprecipice of a second civil war.

But the senior editor of"The American Conservative,"

author Rod Dreher, believesthe country may be on the brink

of what he calls aFather Kolakovic moment.

In his book, "Live Not by Lies,"

Dreher tells of an anti-Nazi priest

who taught at Slovakia'sCatholic University

during the Second World War.

Father Stjepan Kolakovicwarned his students

about coming persecution.

- He told his students, "The good news is

the Germans are going to lose this war.

The bad news is the communists

are going to be ruling this country

when the war is over.

The first thing they're going to do

is come after the church.

We have got to be ready for it."

- [Gary] Kolakovic organizedstudent prayer groups

to prepare for suffering.

Dreher says they became the backbone

of Eastern Europe's underground church.

- I firmly believe

that we are in a similarmoment here in America now.

Christians of all kinds,Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox,

have got to take advantage of this moment

of liberty we have toget our networks in place

to prepare for persecution.

- [Gary] And unlike Sovietand Eastern Bloc communism,

Dreher describes whatmay be coming to America

as soft totalitarianism.

- It's not gonna havegulags and secret police,

the things that the Soviets had.

Rather, this is somethingthat's going to be done

mostly by big tech limitingaccess to the economy

and keeping it so thatonly those who conform

with what the regime wants canparticipate in the economy.

- [Gary] Social media's speech censorship

and Amazon's recent shutdown of servers

for the popular conservativewebsite, Parler,

may provide a clue asto what may lie ahead.

- It's going to come frombig business and big tech,

who will be using their freedomin our free market society

to marginalize and oppress deplorables,

which include political conservatives

and religious conservatives.

- [Gary] Dreher andsome civil libertarians

predict members of Congressmay use recent events

as an excuse to revive domesticanti-terrorism legislation.

They fear the effort

could potentially targetinnocent Americans.

- We're going to see peopledesignated as terrorists,

people who have no interestin terrorism at all,

who do not support violence,but who simply question

the way things are done in this country,

and they do so from the right.

I believe that Christians,conservative Christians,

are going to be targeted too

and there will be no discrimination

between us peacefulconservative Christians

and those who want violence.

- [Gary] And Dreher believeswhile the COVID-19 pandemic

is a serious issue, it is also pushing

an already dependent American society

toward a willingness of being controlled.

- It has kept, put us ina position and a mindset

of fear and control and wherewe can be open to being told

what to do by the government,and I think that this has been

a dry run, if you will,for greater control.

- [Gary] One that covers nearlyevery aspect of your life,

courtesy of big government,big tech, and big media.

It's already happening in China,

where the communistgovernment has implemented

a social credit system thatforces citizens to conform

to what the government wants.

Those deemed to be good communists

are rewarded with fullaccess to the economy,

travel, higher education, and good jobs.

- I think we are going tosee an informal version

of that happen right here in America

and the hammer is going tocome down on conservatives

and traditional Christians.

- [Gary] Todd Nettleton hosts

The Voice of the Martyrs Radio.

- Maybe it will affect your employment.

Maybe it will affect youropportunities for promotions

or advancement in your job.

- [Gary] Dreher says AmericanChristians need to prepare.

- We in the American churchknow nothing about suffering.

We've had it good for a long time.

The people who grew up under communism

and I talked to in mybook, "Live Not by Lies,"

they know what it's liketo suffer for the faith.

We have to start learningfrom their experience

and be prepared to be steadfast

and to suffer without hating our enemy.

- Christ said, "The world hates me.

If you follow me, theworld will hate you too."

We haven't, as American Christians,

really experienced that very much.

That may be changing andwe may be seeing the day

where it really does cost someone

to follow Jesus Christ boldly,

even right here in the United States.

- [Gary] Gary Lane, CBN News.