In my last post about Christianity I made a lot of inappropriate, unfair comments about the religion and those who identify as Christian. This is unacceptable and will not happen again. I hope that everyone considering posting on this will feel completely safe in posting their beliefs and feelings on the matter without the fear of being personally attacked or that their views will be dismissed or disrespected. While the things I posted are my personal beliefs, simply stating them is not conducive to an educational and productive discourse on the topic. I would like to open up and start this discourse; partially because I think it really needs to be examined and partially to redeem myself from the emotional outburst which was my last post on the matter.
I’d like to start by affirming everyone’s personal, individual experiences with Christianity. Christianity, on the personal and even community level, can be a religion of love, understanding, peace, hope, faith, and so much more. These experiences are real and need to be acknowledged, but they do not negate the larger systems and structures of religion as a social institution.
I’d also like to set a parameter of this discussion as limiting it to discussing contemporary Christianity and theism within the United States. Christian and theist privilege in the (very recent) past was not hidden, subtle, or illegal – it was institutionalized and very much out in the open. Yes, even in the land of so-called religious freedom we have a history of laws on the books which are openly discriminatory of non-theists (atheists).
Before reading any further, I would like to ask all Christians reading this – do you feel like you have and experience privilege as a Christian? To non-Christian/non-theists do you ever feel discriminated against (dare I say – oppressed?) for not being Christian? Hold that thought in your mind, and please continue.
Some facts:
-“The majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians (76%) while non-Christian religions (including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and others) collectively make up about 4% of the adult population.[3] Another 15% of the adult population identified as having no religious affiliation.” (Wikipedia)
-“In a 2006 nationwide poll, University of Minnesota researchers found that despite an increasing acceptance of religious diversity, atheists were generally distrusted by other Americans, who rated them below Muslims, recent immigrants and other minority groups in "sharing their vision of American society". They also associated atheists with undesirable attributes such as criminal behavior, rampant materialism, and cultural elitism.[22] “; “48% would not want their child to marry an atheist. In both studies, percentages of disapproval of atheists were above those for Muslims, African-Americans and homosexuals” (Wikipedia)
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“The concept of “nonconscious ideology” was created to describe those ideologies whose implicit, unreflective, and uncritical acceptance help maintain their dominance in society. Sexism and racism are nonconscious ideologies in which the inferiority of one group is reinforced through a multitude of assumptions and interactions that occur outside our conscious consideration. The same is true with Christian Privilege: Christians are continuously told that they are special and deserve privileges.” (about.com)
I don’t know about anyone else (and this certainly is not an irrefutable fact or anything) but I would agree with this assertion. I’m not saying that every individual Christian feels they are superior to people of other faiths or non-theists but I do think that our language and cultural messaging reflect a Christian-normative society. How many of you are familiar with the idiom of someone being “a good Christian” in the sense that we are then supposed to trust them – think of what goes through your head when you hear that and then think of what goes through your head when you hear that someone is a “a good Muslim”. What about “a good atheist”?
The central issue of this whole Ft. Hood tragedy seems to be the religious affiliation of the shooter (a Muslim) – do you think that would be the case if he was a Protestant?
In the article “White Privilege and Male Privilege” the author Peggy McIntosh listed all the ways she could think of that she was privileged for being White. I found this similar list of Christian privileges online (strangely enough, at about.com) “
• Many stores take the Christian sabbath into account
• Most Christians don’t have to work on their holiest days
• Christians can assume they will see TV specials and hear music related to their holidays
• Christians can erect Christian holiday displays without fearing vandalism
• Christians expect to be greeted with references to their holidays (Merry Christmas)
• Christians can ignore and be ignorant of other religions’ holidays
• School events will probably address Christian holidays
• When traveling, Christians can assume they'll find churches of their denomination
• It’s easy for Christians to find a religious site to marry
• Christians easily find Christian movies, radio programs, and TV shows
• When someone talks about or thanks God, Christians can assume it’s their god
• Christians will find Bibles in their hotel rooms
• Christians have many Christian charities to donate to or get assistance from
• Christians needn’t worry about finding foods to meet religious dietary requirements
• Christians can assume that they won’t be discriminated against because of their religion
• Christians can assume that their opinion won’t be ignored because of their religion
• Christians need not worry about moving to a place where Christians aren’t welcome
• Christians rarely encounter groups that exclude Christians
• Christians don’t worry about revealing their religion to parents, friends
• Christians can discriminate in ways not otherwise allowed & avoid members of other religions
• Christian children will see other Christians in lessons about history
• Christian children will participate in events relating to Christian holy days
• Christian children will find or easily start school clubs dedicated to Christianity
• Christian athletes are encouraged by Christian coaches
• Christian children might avoid being exposed to foreign religions
• Public school space is often shared with Christian churches
• Christians can easily find private schools that cater to their religion
• Christians can wear Christian clothing or jewelry without fear
• Christians can promote their religion on cars or houses without fear of vandalism
• Christians don’t have to educate their kids about persecution for their own protection
• Christians can ignore the language and customs of other religions without censure
• Christians need not worry if their religion will hinder their professional ambitions
• Christians don’t have to worry about hate groups dedicated to wiping out Christianity
• Many communities have names with Christian origins
• Christians can assume that most neighbors & coworkers are Christian
• Christians have directories of Christian-owned businesses
• Christian businesses can hire all Christians without trying
• Christians can criticize Christianity & Christian Privilege with more authority than non-Christians and without their motives being questioned
• Christians can assume that almost anywhere they go and anything they do, they’ll feel normal
• Christians aren’t expected to speak for all Christians or everyone in a denomination
• Whatever Christians do, they need not worry that it will reflect poorly on Christianity
• Christians easily shop for items related to Christianity, even in specialty Christian stores
• Successful Christians aren’t told that they are greedy because of their religion
• The word “Christian” is treated as a label representing the best human attributes
• Where relevant, laws take the Christian sabbath (Sunday) into account
• Laws & regulations come with built-in exemptions for Christians & Christian beliefs.
• Christians can assume that most politicians are Christians who represent Christian interests
• Christians can criticize the government or society without being labeled cultural outsiders
• Christians can assume that politicians won’t attack their religion
• Christians assume that government prayers will be Christian in nature (they usually are)”
I’m curious as to people’s (especially Christians) feelings about this list. Would you agree with them? Are there some you would not? Why? Again, be careful not to only consider your individual experiences, but Christianity as a whole within the US.
While freedom of religion was the major impetus of migration to this country by the people who founded it, and has been a law almost since the beginning of the US – do you all think that we live in a country where everyone feels safe to practice their religious beliefs? I do not.
“In 2007, the Nation’s law enforcement agencies reported that there were 9,535 victims of hate crimes”
“17.1 percent were victimized because of a bias against a religious belief.” (the second largest category, 1,477 total offenses due to a bias against a religious belief)
“Of the 1,628 victims of an anti-religious hate crime:
• 69.2 percent were victims of an offender’s anti-Jewish bias.
• 8.7 percent were victims of an anti-Islamic bias.
• 4.3 percent were victims of an anti-Catholic bias.
• 4.1 percent were victims of an anti-Protestant bias.
• 0.5 percent were victims of an anti-Atheist/Agnostic bias.
• 9.1 percent were victims of a bias against other religions (anti-other religion).
• 4.1 percent were victims of a bias against groups of individuals of varying religions (anti-multiple religions, group).” (FBI)
The FBI provides data on the Race of hate crime offenders, but not on their religion. I was really surprised at these numbers - to find that such a significant portion of hate crime victims were of Christian sects, also at the extreme rate of anti-Jewish hate crimes, but mostly at how low anti-Islamic hate crime rates are. I’m leaving the realm of facts and entering the realm of speculations here – but I wonder how much the high rates of anti-Judeo-Christian hate crimes and the low rates of anti-Islamic hate crimes have to do with how well-connected Judeo-Christian citizens are to legal resources as opposed to Muslim citizens. I’d also be very curious to see what religious affiliation the offenders of anti-Catholic or anti-Protestant hate crimes had – whether it is Muslims or other Christians committing these anti-Christian hate crimes.
Of course, I characterize the anti-Christian hate crime rates as “low” but 8.4% is not really low when you think about the fact that Christians comprise 76% of the religious identity in this country. Muslims, who comprise about 2% of the population (Wiki), shoulder 8.7% of hate crimes due to an anti-religious bias!
Some more interesting numbers: “87% of the Senate is Christian (compared with 79.8% of the population) and 13% of the Senate is Jewish[citation needed] (compared with 1.4% of the population[citation needed]). According to the data, no Senator falls under the category "No Religion/Atheist/Agnostic" - a category embodied by 15.0% of the U.S. population according to the 2001 Census. “ (Wikipedia)
Non-theists (15% of the population) get NO representation in Congress – and whats really sick – I’m not at all surprised.
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In no way, shape, or form am I attempting to demonize people who identify as Christian; no more than our discussions of male privilege are intended to demonize men. I am simply attempting to discuss an issue which has not yet been discussed in depth in our class because, well, one of the ways through which dominance is maintained is by remaining unexamined. Until Christian privilege is examined it will remain to be “the waters in which we swim” within this country.
On a personal note you may have noticed that I really tiptoed through this post and tried not to add any of my personal beliefs. My personal belief is that in the discussion of religion – as a lifetime non-theist (I was raised in the Unitarian Universalist church – a non-creedal church – and I never developed an unwavering faith in “God”) I don’t think I’ll ever be truly able to engage in a discussion of religion and be present on all the levels a theist or at least former theist is operating on. In my experience there is absolutely no topic on Earth which can immediately evoke so much emotion, people’s defenses, and passion as religion. The truth is that I have almost no concept of faith; I have a cold, unfeeling, reason-driven mind when it comes to this and I don’t have much patience for what I consider “nonsense” – and that is something that I really, really need to work on. Partly because I don’t know everything and partly because I know that I hate it when people call my scientific beliefs nonsense. The only thing I tell myself that’s different is that I have logic to back my beliefs up, whereas religious people only have faith. Who is to say which is better – logic or faith? Not me. I would like to acknowledge the strength of anyone who has held on to their beliefs and faith even when they have come under fire from science; I would also like to acknowledge the strength of people who have moved toward logic away from faith even if it meant discrimination from their communities or even families. I wish it didn’t have to be faith vs. science so much in our society because the truth is, the truth is that no one has the truth. The issue here isn’t about what the truth is - it’s about accepting other people’s beliefs.
I would like to publically admit that I am extremely guilty of being intolerant, dismissive, and derogatory of the beliefs of theists on a regular basis. I am working on changing that.
Thanks for reading,
-Devin
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Wow Devin. I'm really impressed at how much work and insight you put into this post and this class. Thank you. I also need to admit to a concious and unconcious intolerance of the Christian religion that is based purely on my personal experiences growing up where I experienced a lot of judgment and negativity from Christians. That doesn't excuse the way I feel though. I have a lot to work on. The info you provide here is very thought provoking. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete~CompostQueen
Thank you for the time and energy you've clearly put into this post, Devin. You're absolutly correct that Christian privilege is very real in the U.S. and, certainly, needs to be addressed in all contexts where such privilege is being used in discriminatory ways against others. That said, it's crucially important that we don't conflate a critique of this strata of privilege with an attack of those peoples who may identify as Christians (not to mention all of us who also benefit from many of those privileges, even if we don't identify as Christian). You say you're not trying to demonize, yet it is difficult for individuals of any group to find solidarity with those external to their group who speak about them with such disdain. Just as men or those who are White get shut down, when they feel personally attacked by discussions of their privilege, so too do peoples of faith feel vilified, when their privileges are used to blame them.
ReplyDeleteYes, Christian privilege exists; yes, many atrocities have been committed by peoples throughout the centuries in the name of "faith"; but if your hope (in presenting these statistics) is to try to convince anyone who is connected to a Christian faith tradition that they should relinquish that identity, then that flies in the face of trying to foster understanding and solidarity amongst peoples, and blaming Christians only serves to alienate, rather than ally.
Additionally, we need to avoid synonymizing terms or presuming that your conception of religion, Devin, is others' understanding, too. "Nontheists" and "atheists" are two separate categories. "Nontheists" can often be profoundly religious, yet they do not source their sense of mystery and spirituality from external source(s) of divinity (like, Buddhists, for example). "Atheists" actively do not believe in God. Both Nontheists and Atheists can be profoundly spiritual/religious (the fact is spirituality is a manifestation of religious faith). Secularists, on the other hand, claim not to be religious.
Ironically, however, unwavering conviction and commitment to logic/reason is essentially religious in its own dogmatic ways, just as those who are driven by primarily by capitalism, worship at the altar of the "free market economy."
Additionally, for all the languaging that supports logic, reason, and rationality over all else, human animals are first driven by emotive responses, which are then justified through our minds' attempts to rationalize them. There are many causes for which people fight (i.e., ending capital punishment, stopping torture, etc.) that are not driven by reason (indeed, those on the other side of the argument often have more "reasonable" claims for their stances). Rather, humanitarian causes are often sourced from deep-seated emotional and ethical convictions, which are more driven by trust in humanity, than by logic, and for many people such convictions are connected to "faith" (whether that faith is associated with a religious conceptualization or not).
So, when you say you have "logic" to back up your arguments and religious peoples only have "faith" I'd encourage you to examine your statement, as "logic" (like "faith") has been used for centuries to support horrific atrocities, too. (Continued in next post...)
In fact, arguably all of the structurized systems of oppression that currently exist were borne of powerful, "rational" argumentation.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, my conviction that men and Whites are capable of deconstructing systems of oppression that benefit them is not based in logic - indeed, I have had far too many negative encounters with men and Whites, who still fundamentally believe that women and people of color are inferior to them, to rationally support my claim that we can transform systems to a more equitable, positive future. If I were trying to base my social justice convictions on statistics and logic, I would have to go live in a cave and despair. Rather, it has been my encounters with men and Whites, who do see the importance of deconstructing oppression, and my profound "faith" that humans are capable of changing that keeps me passionately engaged with the work I do. I do not necessarily attribute my "faith" in humanity to my Unitarian Universalist religious beliefs, but I sure have found like-minded & like-hearted people in my religious community with whom I work for greater social and ecological justice. (Incidentally, many in my faith community may identify as atheists or nontheists, while still asserting that they are religious. They are not mutually exclusive.)(
Additionally, there are myriad scientists who are also profoundly faithful, so it is a false dichotomy to say either "logic" or "faith" must win out.
That said, I'm glad you posted the list of Christian privileges, as it is important for us to help catalyze awareness in order for those who have any level of privilege to use that power for positive change. Just as we want men to ally with women to deconstruct sexist oppression and Whites to ally with peoples of color to deconstruct racist oppression, however, we must remember that attacking Christianity, as if it's one monolithic entity, will not encourage Christians to use their privilege proactively or to ally with others. Rather, it will further alienate and entrench people.
I see how important this issue is to you, Devin, and I must confess, it seems as if you'd like to convince us of your stance. I honor your feelings, and simultaneously want to ask you to consider how your feelings against Christianity serve you. For every example of the atrocities that have been perpetrated (or privileges inappropriately/discriminatorily that have been exercised) by Christians throughout history, I could provide just as many powerful examples of how Christians and peoples of all faiths for centuries have tirelessly worked for social justice because of their religious convictions. Why can't we move forward in solidarity with, rather than opposition to, each other?
I fear some of the dominant Prescott College paradigm against religion powerfully cripples us from fully realizing our potential as "change agents" in the world, because if we dismiss peoples of faith, we limit our sphere of influence, in terms of transformation.
Thanks, again, for owning your own grappling with intolerance, Devin. You rock. :) -Jordana
P.S. While I'd like to continue my contributions to this blog thread, I need to sustainably manage my time, so I'd be more-than-happy to organize a discussion group with an invited guest to further this conversation, if folks are interested in doing that. Or, if just a few of you are interested, we could go to coffee with the invited guest. :)
As a scientist who is also very spiritual I absolutely belive that faith and logic is a false dichotomy - except for people who interpret the Bible literally (fundamentalists). When someone argues against evolution, for creation they are arguing against logic and for faith. Now, I'm not trying to say that logic is better than faith, or that one is right and one is wrong or one is better and one is worse - but sometimes it really does come down to faith vs. logic. In the evolution debate - neither evolution nor creation can ever be "proven" to be true - I lean toward the scientific answer because its logical to me and that is my bias. Other people lean toward religious/spiritual answer because of their faith - a deep-seated internal knowledge because that is their bias. I would love to live in a society where people don't regard science as conflicting with religion and religion as conflicting with science. But, when a large percantage of the population believes the Earth to be about 12000 years old - and then some scientist uncovers dinosaur bones - heads are gonna clash.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you, Jordana, that what we need is moderation and temperance instead of swinging to either extreme (for they are extremes). As humans we simultaneously have the needs to understand our world, and also to be in tune to the great mystery of life, existence and the universe. For me, its about finding the balance.
No argument, here, Devin. I definitely was not making a case for a refutation of Evolution. :)
ReplyDeleteBalance, solidarity, and the challenging (yet potential-filled) work of respectful, discursive engagement with those whose worldviews differ from ours, in order to catalyze positive transformation, remain the ideals to which I'm committed. Thanks!
-Jordana
yeo devin, just checkin in to let you know i'm slowly reading this, and i really appreciate you.
ReplyDeletethose who sing pray twice,
addie
I've been pondering your comment, Jordana, that many non-Christians enjoy Christian privilege. I guess people probably do assume that I am a Christian - sort of how they probably assume I am a heterosexual as well. Hell, I assume Arabic peoples are Islamic.
ReplyDeleteThus, by my every day actions I am both recieving and reaffirming Christian privilege - by taking advantage of things that may not be as easy for Muslims or Jews.
How can I stop this? Like a manly gay guy or a lesbian femme I am not standing in solidarity with the more 'out' of my non-Christian and specifically atheist brothers.
hmmm....
Yo Devin
ReplyDeletethis was a great post! Im sorry it took me so long to get to it. Kudos on all the time, research and thought you put into this subject. I too am guilty of a low tolerance towards fundametalism, I beleive fundametalism will stop a thinking mind. but mostly I have no patientce for any institution that openly discrimanates against others, and they can always flee any consequence for this because they have the ability to wave the United States flag or a Bible in your face. (like many politicions) Of course, I DO NOT generalize all religous peoples and groups together. I have many people in my life that religion plays a major role in their beliefs and has helped strengthen them into who they are today. Also, I want to aknowlege all the charity and programs (i beleive to be benificial) that different Christian religions started up. The Morman church has created many wilderness therapy programs for youth, Anasazi, Outback, Bluesky, and Secound Nature. For the most part, I am speaking to those whom I have had lots of experiences and interaction with. I went to a private christian school for my last three years of highschool. This was a school that met every morning in the chapel, and a woman (un-liscenced preacher) would begin lecture on whatever particular scripture we were suppose to be memorizing that week. These lectures always somehow proved that homosexuality was immoral, that white/male privlege did not exist (actually i have a funny memory about how this woman went on a tangent one day about how a white middle aged male was the most discriminated person in US culture today) :) and so on.
I also lived in neghborhoods that were heavily catholic and lutheran influenced. The Christian privlege to white privalige comparison was a great way to bring these ideas home.
thanks again, tats all I have to say on the subject for now.
lema