40 Examples of Christian Privilege

[trotsky]

Found this when doing some searches to combat someone I suspect is not long for a tombstone. Quite useful to present to someone who doesn't think Christians enjoy any special privileges in our society. It comes from a diversity workshop presented by a professor at Seton Hall.

1. It is likely that state and federal holidays coincide with my religious practices, thereby having little to no impact on my job and/or education.

2. I can talk openly about my religious practices without concern for how it will be received by others.

3. I can be sure to hear music on the radio and watch specials on television that celebrate the holidays of my religion.

4. When told about the history of civilization, I am can be sure that I am shown people of my religion made it what it is.

5. I can worry about religious privilege without being perceived as “self-interested” or “self-seeking.”

6. I can have a “Jesus is Lord” bumper sticker or Icthus (Christian Fish) on my car and not worry about someone vandalizing my car because of it.

7. I can share my holiday greetings without being fully conscious of how it may impact those who do not celebrate the same holidays. Also, I can be sure that people are knowledgeable about the holidays of my religion and will greet me with the appropriate holiday greeting (e.g., Merry Christmas, Happy Easter, etc.).

8. I can probably assume that there is a universality of religious experience.

9. I can deny Christian Privilege by asserting that all religions are essentially the same.

10. I probably do not need to learn the religious or spiritual customs of others, and I am likely not penalized for not knowing them.

more...

[onager]

1. Thanks, this is useful...

Same idea as the old "Life In Anti-Christian America."

Nothing better than this kind of thing to fight the good old persecution card the Xers are always trying to play. The R/T threads are full of...uh...people playing that card.

One of the funniest threads I ever read was the one where a poster claimed that criticizing Xianity in a post amounted to persecution.

[Rob H.]

2. "...criticizing Xianity in a post amounted to persecution."

That's just as bad as a thread where a poster wrote that each side (one side being those who are religious and the other being those who aren't) has to respect the other's beliefs. Uh, no. I respect a person's right to believe whatever he wants to, but if I think that person's beliefs are laugh out loud stupid there's no way I'm going to respect them. I mean, come on, walking on water? :crazy:

[John Gauger]

5. Not all beliefs are equal.

Some are based in logic and evidence. Others are not. Those beliefs that cannot be supported by evidence or at least logic are not to be respected. While it's usually more respectful not to challenge erroneous beliefs, we most certainly have no obligation to respect them.

[MindPilot]

3. Oh, that's good.

I will keep it with my list of how the USA is not founded on xian principals.

US Constitution: Power is derived from the consent of the governed.
Christianity: Divine right of kings.

US Constitution: Representative lawmaking.
Christianity: God is the lawgiver.

US Constitution: Equality under the law.
Christianity: Some groups are God’s chosen ones.

US Constitution: Freedom of and from worship.
Christianity: "Thou shalt have no other gods..." etc.

US Constitution: No cruel or unusual punishment.
Christianity: Leviticus & Deuteronomy.

US Constitution: Right to question leaders.
Christianity: Render unto Caesar...

US Constitution: Right to keep and bear arms.
Christianity: See #3.

US Constitution: Freedom from coercion & surveillance
Christianity: God watches and judges every thought and action

US Constitution: Right to self-determination
Christianity: God’s will is your destiny

[trotsky]

4. You obviously haven't heard the revised standard version of Christianity.

In which democracy, full human rights, support for homosexuality, etc., can all be found in the bible. Just ask one of the liberal Christians who insists THEY are reading the bible correctly, and everyone else is wrong... eerily similar to his fundie brethren.

There was even someone on DU who once said that there would be no concept of social justice if it weren't for Christianity.

[onager]

6. I remember that!

:rofl:

I'll try to be brief--unusual for me, as you all know. :-)

But I'm absolutely amazed at the number of people on DU who seem to believe that. Though sometimes expressed differently, I see that idea over and over in R/T--that Xianity somehow invented the idea of social justice and has a monopoly on it. Code Of Hammurabi, anyone?

People who believe that also often seem to believe that the Bible is a pretty good guide to history.

But as I've ranted before, the Bible teaches Inverted History. The most piss-poor, insignificant, desert-dwelling, superstitious bunch of yobbos who ever lived are magically transformed into a mighty kingdom that humbled the known the world.

While the REAL power players of those times--the Babylonians, Persians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Chaldeans, Romans etc.--are relegated to bit parts as spear carriers and walk-on puppets to support the Buy-bull fairy tales about The Wondrous Kingdom Of Judea And Its Mighty Gawd.

Pfft!

Anyone who has taken even a high school history course should know better.

[Brewman_Jax]

7. That's quite a list

but here's another one: I can deflect criticism of my religion by claiming that I'm being persecuted like other minority groups.

[NMMNG]

8. That's always a laugh