40 Examples of Christian Privilege

[Pah]

From http://pirate.shu.edu/~schlosle/cpexamples.htm - only the first 10 are presented

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.

 

[Scott1]

- only the first 10 are presented

Here's hoping that the other 30 are more than childish ramblings.

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[michel]

It sounds as if Dr lewis z. Schlosser has an 'unusual' way of looking at things;

I have developed expertise in the provision of interpersonally oriented psychotherapy, the assessment and diagnosis of psychopathology, and crisis intervention. I have several research interests and use both quantitative and qualitative methods. I have been involved in a series of studies investigating the advisor-advisee relationship in graduate school. This reflects my broader interest in professional training relationships in psychology (i.e., graduate advising, clinical supervision) and their effects on relevant outcomes for students and faculty. I am also interested in religious and spiritual issues, both in terms of how they are situated within multicultural psychology and their role in counseling and psychotherapy. In that vein, I have developed and facilitated didactic-experiential workshops on Christian privilege. Finally, I am interested in the psychotherapy relationship (especially the working alliance, transference, and countertransference). I have published several research articles and has given numerous presentations at local and national conferences (which you can see by checking out the publications and presentation pages).

Err, I think I'll pass on those, thanks.

 

[Engyo]

Here's hoping that the other 30 are more than childish ramblings.

Scott -

What a wonderful display of Christian empathy (in a tone of heavy sarcasm)!

I invite you to go practice Christianity/Catholicism in a majority Muslim country for a year, and then reread the list. You will have a different response, I can practically guarantee it.

Yes, I have lived/worked overseas, as well as practicing a non-majority religion here in the USA; I know whereof I speak.

 

[Quiddity]

Pah, I am at a loss as to what point you are trying to make.

~Victor

 

[Scott1]

What a wonderful display of Christian empathy (in a tone of heavy sarcasm)!

5,000+ posts and I still have to defend myself against personal attacks.... oh well. I have NO EMPATHY for anyone resorts to such childish tactics... sorry, guess I'm a "bad" Christian..... will my lack of empathy be #41?

I invite you to go practice Christianity/Catholicism in a majority Muslim country for a year, and then reread the list. You will have a different response, I can practically guarantee it.

Quite ignorant to assume that I have not already done so.... and my father still lives in Africa.... is this a money back guarantee?

 

[blueman]

I think we as Christians should respect and seek to understand other people's religious beliefs, even if you may not agree with them philosophically.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Interesting to compare and contrast, but I don't think that individual Christians (or their faith) should be blamed for something that seems to be more of the way society is oriented toward. The majority of our Christian RF members, for example, tend to be people who question these things already and have sympathy for those that do not have these 'priviledges'.

 

[Engyo]

5,000+ posts and I still have to defend myself against personal attacks.... oh well. I have NO EMPATHY for anyone resorts to such childish tactics... sorry, guess I'm a "bad" Christian..... will my lack of empathy be #41?
Quite ignorant to assume that I have not already done so.... and my father still lives in Africa.... is this a money back guarantee?

Scott -

Apologies then. I am guilty of disobeying one of my private tenets; I held private expectations of you which were not yours. I need to work more on my attachment to my own impressions of people.

I keep forgetting that Buddhist ideals differ from Christian ones in some important ways, despite their many similarities. When I project those ideals onto Christians, I can only blame myself when they are not met.

 

[Pah]

Here's hoping that the other 30 are more than childish ramblings.

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Pah, I am at a loss as to what point you are trying to make.

~Victor

Ah,the men of priviledge speak! Who? me??

I think, Scott, the list was mild. I would have added the privilege of thinking that men and organizations of the cloth can dicatate secular law - thinking that sacrement can be used as a weapon to force secular representative voting - thinking that charity deserves a tax break when articles of faith command charity - thinking that "services" have a right to be freely or at discounted rates placed in newspapers - thinking that when national religious holidays are secularized, a hue and cry is justified - taking for granted that this nation is a Christian nation - thinking that arrogant charges of heresy are justified in a free secular environment - thinking it is okay to inject Christian religious thought into public school curriculm. - thinking it is okay to play in secular political games for a religious moral principle.

Christianity has always enjoyed special privilege and it fits right in with the white, American, wealthy male privileges. It is time to frame the public square debate as "keeping privilege" instead of feeling persecuted.

I guess, Victor, that is my point and the list was only an intoduction.

 

[Quiddity]

Ah,the men of priviledge speak! Who? me??

I think, Scott, the list was mild. I would have added the privilege of thinking that men and organizations of the cloth can dicatate secular law - thinking that sacrement can be used as a weapon to force secular representative voting - thinking that charity deserves a tax break when articles of faith command charity - thinking that "services" have a right to be freely or at discounted rates placed in newspapers - thinking that when national religious holidays are secularized, a hue and cry is justified - taking for granted that this nation is a Christian nation - thinking that arrogant charges of heresy are justified in a free secular environment - thinking it is okay to inject Christian religious thought into public school curriculm. - thinking it is okay to play in secular political games for a religious moral principle.

Christianity has always enjoyed special privilege and it fits right in with the white, American, wealthy male privileges. It is time to frame the public square debate as "keeping privilege" instead of feeling persecuted.

I guess, Victor, that is my point and the list was only an intoduction.

Free secular enviroment vs. a Free Christian enviroment? Oh boy. Words fail me...:areyoucra
I'm priveleged? wousers . Vent away Pah..vent away

~Victor

 

[Scott1]

When I project those ideals onto Christians, I can only blame myself when they are not met.

No worries, my friend... I do that sometimes myself. I guess some people believe that sterotyping and bigotry are valid forms of debate. Myself, I would never paint non-Christians with such a broad brush.... the idiots who do this in reverse claiming the lack of atheists "morality" and the like are just as wrong as the person who compiled this list.

I would rather embrace what is good and just in all of us instead of whining about things that are sooooo subjective (the "fish" on the back of my car was ripped off and a pentagram scratched into the logo... like to see the picture?).... my point is, that while I agree that "white, American, wealthy male privileges" are wrong, it is JUST AS WRONG to attack all Christians as having these "privileges" without a shred of scientific data to support it.

Threads like this only encourage hatred and bigotry towards others.... even when these "others" might be unsavory "white Christians", I do believe that we ought to show some compassion and dignity in our discussion about such issues.

.... or maybe that's just me.

 

[Valjean]

I think Pah's list is very illuminating. I fail to understand Scott's objection to it. As far as I can see the list is an observation, not a criticism. You could make a similar list of advantages for any religion on it's home turf.

 

[Quiddity]

As far as I can see the list is an observation, not a criticism.

You must have skipped this Seyorni:

"Ah,the men of priviledge speak!"

What an observation eh?

~Victor

 

[Halcyon]

You must have skipped this Seyorni:

"Ah,the men of priviledge speak!"

What an observation eh?

~Victor

I think that was just a joke Victor, plus it wasn't on the original list.

 

[Scott1]

I think Pah's list is very illuminating. I fail to understand Scott's objection to it. As far as I can see the list is an observation, not a criticism. You could make a similar list of advantages for any religion on it's home turf.

I actually think I may cry... of all people... et tu Seyorni?

If this "observation" was about ANY other group... African Americans, Jews, women, etc.... this type of non-factual garbage would be destroyed as the inflammatory drivel it is.

 

[Quiddity]

I think that was just a joke Victor, plus it wasn't on the original list.

No I don't think so. I said nothing offensive to Pah for him to joke like that. But the post still found it necessary to comment on me and Scott. Coincidence?
Read what I said.

~Victor

 

[lilithu]

I actually think I may cry... of all people... et tu Seyorni?

If this "observation" was about ANY other group... African Americans, Jews, women, etc.... this type of non-factual garbage would be destroyed as the inflammatory drivel it is.

You can add me to the list Scott. This "observation" would not have been made about African Americans, Jews, women, etc because they do not hold positions of privilege in this country. That is the point.

And pah, surely you know by now that people of privilege very rarely recognize that they hold that privilege, even when it's pointed out.

 

[Valjean]

Shanti, Shanti, Shanti! (Peace, Peace, Peace!)

There seems to be some serious misunderstanding developing on this thread, but I'm not really clear where, exactly, the rub is.

I interpreted Pah's list as asserting that if one belongs to a religion in a region where that religion reigns supreme, then one is likely to enjoy certain social, cultural and aesthetic advantages.

There is no condemnation of any particular religion, just a sociological observation.

Pah's list obtains equally in Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia or Tibet.

 

[mr.guy]

And pah, surely you know by now that people of privilege very rarely recognize that they hold that privilege, even when it's pointed out.

I beg to differ. I'm thanful that i'm a white male whose often assumed to be a christian. I doubt my ability to be half as resiliant to the crap that i'd be subject to on this continent with any deviation of one of those variables. I don't think pah's list damns christians as individuals, but speaks volumes of the environment of so-called "religious tolerance"; that is, tolerance of other christians.