Ever notice how Christmas starts creeping up on us on the very heels of Halloween? Or is it Labor Day? Suddenly, it's everywhere. Pretty soon we'll start seeing the ads and decorations popping up on the 5th of July.
Which has led me to think a lot lately about an issue that I now know has a name: Christian Privilege. Never occurred to me to call it that, although I started noticing the phenomenon some time ago. But being raised Christian, of course, I simply failed for many years to notice, much less think that to some it may feel as if Christmas, with all it's advertisement and other trappings, would feel to them like an imposition. Not to mention all the other expressions of this single religion and it's holidays throughout the rest of the year that most of us file under the label, "Just the Way It Is.''
I don't know when I was first inspired to check my own logic on this issue. Maybe it started with that fateful Tuesday in September in 2001. I just know that awareness has slowly crept into my consciousness, and is now leaving me on the verge of a rant.
It's simply really; you just take the equation and plug in a different variable, and then notice how well the logic of your argument stands up to scrutiny. In this case, it involves those who subscribe to Christianity imagining all the events, holidays, and activities in our society that relate to Christianity are those of another religion. In other words, take the Christian religion out of the equation, and plug in another religion, like Islam or Buddhism, for example. Only then can you begin to see how marginalized other religions and belief systems are in American society and the privilege Christians enjoy to practice their religion, and just how openly we are allowed to do so. No other religion receives that level of privilege.
What really bothers me is how the Christian community translates the attempt by others to claim the same for their own belief system, or simply ask that Christianity not so dominate the stage of expression. They're just asking for their beliefs to be recognized as deserving the same square footage of that stage. It will require Christians to back up a bit. But it seems the Christian community--the very conservative, in particular--interprets this as persecution. Not only persecution of them and their faith, but the persecution predicted in "the end times" or "last days"--the days before Christ's return, the Rapture, and the battle of Armageddon. [I think I have that in the right order.]
Frankly, I think that is far from the truth. It's more like a self-fulfilling prophecy. One that makes one feel very right and very righteous, and that is therefore very appealing to the ego. A thing I think any serious Christian should be very much on guard against and ironically, Jesus warned about in his teachings. I think all serious temptations are those that appeal to and call to you from the ego. And what is more tempting than to see oneself as a martyr, without the inconvenience of being thrown to lions or otherwise tortured? And if not a martyr, at least a hero. That's certainly human, but it is a siren call that requires regular and scrupulous self-examination to avoid following it onto the rocks, with all the possible [and perhaps tragic] consequences.
They will also see the request to review this concept we are now calling "Christian Privilege" as an attempt to restrict their freedom of worship, which they will then argue is a slippery slope away from the days of the early Christian church and and the legitimate suffering and martyrdom that was taking place. They will argue that since the Christian religion is the only real and true faith, it should dominate; it is all part of how we are to help Christ in his plan to convert and reign over the whole world. To that I would say, whatever happened to winning people's hearts to Christ through the daily demonstration of love, and perhaps [gasp!] sacrifice? You know, rather than trying to convert them by simply trying to dominate like an alpha-whatever? [This, however, is a subject for a whole other post. And I will definitely go there.]
To try to address that logic and explain that everyone feels that way about their particular faith, and--well, hell, it just doesn't make dent. Neither does trying to explain that others simply wish their religions and beliefs to be shown the same respect...Again, no dent.
In all this hubbub, the message of Christ is lost. And what that is I will have much to say about in the future. But for now, suffice it say it is about love, brotherhood, and oddly enough [to some] the exact opposite of marginalization. Rather recognizing the Oneness of which we are all apart and which reveals that the things we use to create divisions amongst ourselves are nothing but superficial, trivial, time-wasting nonsense. The story of the Good Samaritan would be a very appropriate reference here. [So there it is.] It is a message of universality and inclusion, rather than one of separatism and exclusion.
And how sad that message can be lost at this time of year. Simply because some of us have to make a fuss over the use of the words "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas", when it is just a show of camaraderie, empathy and respect for our fellow human beings of a different faith. [Or none at all. They deserve some, too.] Such a small, but important, gift to give.
And it doesn't cost a damn thing. Well, aside from questioning some logic and the putting aside of a prejudice or two. But I guess for some folks, it's just more of a price than they wish to pay, even though the very teacher and savior they believe in demonstrated it with his every breath, every story, every action, and eventually, his very death.
Does anyone remember that?
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