Claiming to be persecuted seems to be central to both Christianity and social conservatism. It makes them feel special. Christians  were persecuted by the Romans, who regarded them as a dangerous Middle Eastern cult. They weren't far wrong, as there are good reasons to believe it was Christians, not Nero, who burned Rome. But once Constantine had his conversion and Christianity became the state religion, they began vigorously persecuting other religions. Though Christians have exercised a sometimes belligerent domination in the west for centuries, they still see themselves as persecuted when their impulse to force everyone else to follow their dogmas is frustrated in some way.