Christian privilege in the USA

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_Maksutov
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Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _Maksutov »

http://churchandstate.org.uk/2016/03/30 ... privilege/


If you’re a Christian in the US, these are a bunch of unearned benefits you get that members of other faiths (or non-religious people) do not.

1. You can expect to have time off work to celebrate religious holidays.

2. Music and television programs pertaining to your religion’s holidays are readily accessible.

3. It is easy to find stores that carry items that enable you to practice your faith and celebrate religious holidays.

4. You aren’t pressured to celebrate holidays from another faith that may conflict with your religious values.

5. Holidays celebrating your faith are so widely supported you can often forget they are limited to your faith (e.g. wish someone a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Easter” without considering their faith).

6. You can worship freely, without fear of violence or threats.

7. A bumper sticker supporting your religion won’t likely lead to your car being vandalized.

8. You can practice your religious customs without being questioned, mocked, or inhibited.

9. If you are being tried in court, you can assume that the jury of “your peers” will share your faith and not hold that against you in weighing decisions.

10. When swearing an oath, you will place your hand on a religious scripture pertaining to your faith.

11. Positive references to your faith are seen dozens of times a day by everyone, regardless of their faith.

12. Politicians responsible for your governance are probably members of your faith.

13. Politicians can make decisions citing your faith without being labeled as heretics or extremists.

14. It is easy for you to find your faith accurately depicted in television, movies, books, and other media.

15. You can reasonably assume that anyone you encounter will have a decent understanding of your beliefs.

16. You will not be penalized (socially or otherwise) for not knowing other people’s religious customs.

17. Your faith is accepted/supported at your workplace.

18. You can go into any career you want without it being associated with or explained by your faith.

19. You can travel to any part of the country and know your religion will be accepted, safe, and you will have access to religious spaces to practice your faith.

20. Your faith can be an aspect of your identity without being a defining aspect (e.g., people won’t think of you as their “Christian” friend)

21. You can be polite, gentle, or peaceful, and not be considered an “exception” to those practicing your faith.

22. Fundraising to support congregations of your faith will not be investigated as potentially threatening or terrorist behavior.

23. Construction of spaces of worship will not likely be halted due to your faith.

24. You are never asked to speak on behalf of all the members of your faith.

25. You can go anywhere and assume you will be surrounded by members of your faith.

26. Without special effort, your children will have a multitude of teachers who share your faith.

27. Without special effort, your children will have a multitude of friends who share your faith.

28. It is easily accessible for you or your children to be educated from kindergarten through post-grad at institutions of your faith.

29. Disclosing your faith to an adoption agency will not likely prevent you from being able to adopt children.

30. In the event of a divorce, the judge won’t immediately grant custody of your children to your ex because of your faith.

31. Your faith is taught or offered as a course at most public institutions.

32. You can complain about your religion being under attack without it being perceived as an attack on another religion.

33. You can dismiss the idea that identifying with your faith bears certain privileges.
"God" is the original deus ex machina. --Maksutov
_subgenius
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Re: Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _subgenius »

Maksutov wrote:http://churchandstate.org.uk/2016/03/30-examples-of-christian-privilege/


If you’re a Christian in the US, these are a bunch of unearned benefits you get that members of other faiths (or non-religious people) do not.

As compared to other religious countries? like Iran where all religions are treated equally?....and i think you are trying to confuse the term benefit with entitled-to.

Maksutov wrote:1. You can expect to have time off work to celebrate religious holidays.

There is no federal or state law that says a person is entitled to work or not work on any religious holiday. In fact, it is likely a violation of the law to fire a person for taking any religious holiday - The law requires an employer or other covered entity to reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause more than a minimal burden on the operations of the employer's business
FYI - this means your so called Chrsitian privilege is actually not exclusive to Christians.

Maksutov wrote:2. Music and television programs pertaining to your religion’s holidays are readily accessible.

Because Cable and Internet TV are so narrow in scope. You should really revisit this claim which is seemingly founded in a 1950s programming schedule. What is not readily accessible is my favorite college football game due to broadcast blackout, etc.
Or were you trying to legislatively force the Schulz family to create "Snoopy comes home for Ramadan" because of the huge market demand for such a thing?

Maksutov wrote:3. It is easy to find stores that carry items that enable you to practice your faith and celebrate religious holidays.

Are you seriously condemning other religious for not having transformed their belief system into a commodity which could easily be marketed, distributed, and sold across America?

Maksutov wrote:4. You aren’t pressured to celebrate holidays from another faith that may conflict with your religious values.

This rather weak anecdote is hardly tantamount to being beheaded in the town square....and certainly does not support any notion of "privilege". Try again, because there is no way that you can deny that someone felt pressure to celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukah.

Maksutov wrote:5. Holidays celebrating your faith are so widely supported you can often forget they are limited to your faith (e.g. wish someone a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Easter” without considering their faith).

Or dare to say "good day" to someone who is not wanting to have a good day...all odd notions of how a community should ignore its culture. Nevertheless, there is no imposition in saying or not saying these phrases. In fact many pagans love to hear them.

Maksutov wrote:6. You can worship freely, without fear of violence or threats.

This equally true for just about any religion in the US. The exception exists for every religion - from Muslim, to Jewish, to Westboro Baptist. Again, this does not support a claim that privilege is exclusive to Christians.

Maksutov wrote:7. A bumper sticker supporting your religion won’t likely lead to your car being vandalized.

A rare occurrence for any bumper sticker and not exclusive as a privilege to Christianity.

Maksutov wrote:8. You can practice your religious customs without being questioned, mocked, or inhibited.

Yeah, just ask the practicing Mormons on this board - they never get questioned, mocked, or inhibited - great point! I should give the Daily Show and Bill Maher another chance

Maksutov wrote:9. If you are being tried in court, you can assume that the jury of “your peers” will share your faith and not hold that against you in weighing decisions.

This is true for everyone - regardless of their faith, or lack of.

Maksutov wrote:10. When swearing an oath, you will place your hand on a religious scripture pertaining to your faith.

But, in the US, you do not have to do this. Tradition is not the same a privilege. Perjury is equally enforced as well regardless of how you executed your oath.

Maksutov wrote:11. Positive references to your faith are seen dozens of times a day by everyone, regardless of their faith.
In some laces yes, in other places nope. For example Chinatown does not have so many Sacred Heart of Mary statues on display.

Maksutov wrote:12. Politicians responsible for your governance are probably members of your faith.

We have a representational form of government and a population that is about 77% Christian....so "probably" is not really surprise - but other faiths are certainly represented.

Maksutov wrote:13. Politicians can make decisions citing your faith without being labeled as heretics or extremists.

Are you saying that a Christian politician(s) has no experience with this same "label"? (*looks over to every anti-abortion supporter)

Maksutov wrote:14. It is easy for you to find your faith accurately depicted in television, movies, books, and other media.

well this is just a stupid claim - no rebuttal necessary

Maksutov wrote:15. You can reasonably assume that anyone you encounter will have a decent understanding of your beliefs.

Says the guy that lives Afghanistan, Italy, and countless other countries.

Maksutov wrote:16. You will not be penalized (socially or otherwise) for not knowing other people’s religious customs.

Yeah, play stupid on Halloween and see if anyone laughs at you.

Maksutov wrote:17. Your faith is accepted/supported at your workplace.

wha?

Maksutov wrote:18. You can go into any career you want without it being associated with or explained by your faith.

except Pastor / Priesthood....or a wedding cake baker.

Maksutov wrote:19. You can travel to any part of the country and know your religion will be accepted, safe, and you will have access to religious spaces to practice your faith.

Except most parts of California

Maksutov wrote:20. Your faith can be an aspect of your identity without being a defining aspect (e.g., people won’t think of you as their “Christian” friend)

Yeah this never happens (*winks at EQP) - And no one in the South every distinguishes Baptist from Methodist, etc...

Maksutov wrote:21. You can be polite, gentle, or peaceful, and not be considered an “exception” to those practicing your faith.
Yep, no one every calls Christians hypocrites....but To be honest i never hear of this consideration for any religion.

Maksutov wrote:22. Fundraising to support congregations of your faith will not be investigated as potentially threatening or terrorist behavior.

Again, Westboro Baptist

Maksutov wrote:23. Construction of spaces of worship will not likely be halted due to your faith.

I call B*S*

Maksutov wrote:24. You are never asked to speak on behalf of all the members of your faith.

cough cough - more B*S*....watch the news, in fact Bill Maher just had Ralph Reed as an interview guest and did this very thing.

Maksutov wrote:25. You can go anywhere and assume you will be surrounded by members of your faith.

again 77%

Maksutov wrote:26. Without special effort, your children will have a multitude of teachers who share your faith.

no it takes special effort

Maksutov wrote:27. Without special effort, your children will have a multitude of friends who share your faith.

don't get out much, do ya?

Maksutov wrote:28. It is easily accessible for you or your children to be educated from kindergarten through post-grad at institutions of your faith.

This is not a condition of privilege, fyi - and you ignore the rather glaring existence of denominations.

Maksutov wrote:29. Disclosing your faith to an adoption agency will not likely prevent you from being able to adopt children.

There is a federal law that prevents this...sooo....

Maksutov wrote:30. In the event of a divorce, the judge won’t immediately grant custody of your children to your ex because of your faith.

again.....not the rule

Maksutov wrote:31. Your faith is taught or offered as a course at most public institutions.

Market forces are not privilege....see also 77%

Maksutov wrote:32. You can complain about your religion being under attack without it being perceived as an attack on another religion.

Because Christians are always perceived as being Pro-Muslim - got it!

Maksutov wrote:33. You can dismiss the idea that identifying with your faith bears certain privileges.

This is true for all religions in the US
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires...seek discipline and find your liberty
I can tell if a person is judgmental just by looking at them
what is chaos to the fly is normal to the spider - morticia addams
If you're not upsetting idiots, you might be an idiot. - Ted Nugent
_EAllusion
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Re: Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _EAllusion »

Sub wrote a massive point by point post that relies almost entirely on his ignorance of what a privilege is. This is genuinely funny.

Religious accommodation in labor law does not require you to give everyone off their preferred religious holidays, incidently. This has come up in my job. That can be reasonably be argued as a hardship in many cases, especially if the expectation is to give a person off on a day that goes over and above their normal alloted vacation time. People who belong to religions where people naturally get off for their major religious holidays is a perk of being a member of that religion. As it so happens, if you live in the United States, there are a lot more opportunities to get off Christmas than there are Eid.
_EAllusion
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Re: Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _EAllusion »

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/ ... ysoff.aspx

Religious accommodations often present themselves in the form of a request for time off for religious observances that do not conform to the employer’s holiday schedule. If allowing the employee to have the religious holiday off would cause an undue hardship for the company, the accommodation is not required. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “An employer can show undue hardship if accommodating an employee’s religious practices requires more than ordinary administrative costs, diminishes efficiency in other jobs, infringes on other employees’ job rights or benefits, impairs workplace safety, causes co-workers to carry the accommodated employee’s share of potentially hazardous or burdensome work, or if the proposed accommodation conflicts with another law or regulation.”
_The CCC
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Re: Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _The CCC »

Working in a 24hr facility does have some good points. I tried to work the regular holidays. Usually quieter, and the holiday pay helps.
_huckelberry
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Re: Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _huckelberry »

.1 You can expect time off work for Christian holidays.
such as,
Sun
Jan 08, 2017
Baptism of the Jesus
Thu
Feb 02, 2017
Candlemas
Tue
Feb 14, 2017
St. Valentine's Day
Wed
Mar 01, 2017
Ash Wednesday
Fri
Mar 17, 2017
St. Patrick's Day
Sun
Mar 19, 2017
St. Joseph's Day
Sun
Apr 09, 2017
Palm Sunday
Thu
Apr 13, 2017
Maundy (Holy) Thursday
Fri
Apr 14, 2017
Good Friday
Sun
Apr 16, 2017
Easter
Mon
Apr 17, 2017
Easter Monday
Sun
Apr 23, 2017
St. George's Day
Sun
Apr 30, 2017
St. James the Great Day
Thu
May 25, 2017
Ascension of Jesus
Sun
Jun 04, 2017
Pentecost
Sun
Jun 11, 2017
Trinity Sunday
Thu
Jun 15, 2017
Corpus Christi
Thu
Jun 29, 2017
Saints Peter and Paul
Sat
Jul 15, 2017
Saint Vladimir
Tue
Aug 01, 2017
Lammas
Tue
Aug 15, 2017
The Assumption of Mary
Thu
Sep 14, 2017
Holy Cross Day
Fri
Sep 29, 2017
Michael and All Angels
Tue
Oct 31, 2017
All Hallows Eve
Wed
Nov 01, 2017
All Saints' Day
Thu
Nov 02, 2017
All Souls' Day
Sun
Nov 26, 2017
Christ the King
Thu
Nov 30, 2017
St. Andrew's Day
Sun
Dec 03, 2017
Advent - first Sunday
Wed
Dec 06, 2017
St. Nicholas Day
Sun
Dec 24, 2017
Christmas Eve
Mon
Dec 25, 2017
Christmas
Thu
Dec 28, 2017
Holy Innocents
Sun
Dec 31, 2017
Watch Night

//////////
And we only get one of these off work!! Repression!

Ok I really do not wish to bother with observing all of these holidays but a few more holidays off work couldn't hurt could it?

I am not serious here. I am puzzled by this list of obvious conveniences created by being part of the majority group in a society. So what?

If somebody is complaining that Christian liberty is being trimmed in America they are embarrassingly wrong on multiple levels , the list of advantages posted shows a few.
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Christian privilege in the USA

Post by _Jersey Girl »

That list isn't accurate in all of what it portrays about Christians and society. Maybe if I feel like it later, I'll go through it and challenge it.

One shouldn't view a list like that with a mindless head nod "Yup, yup, yup". It's always a good idea to evaluate each item.

Because it's not all true and just makes for an ammunition pile on which to base bias.
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
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