An Example Of Christian Privilege And Persecution Complex

January 19, 2012 by Doug

screencap from a newsreport I was doing some “spring” cleaning by finally digitizing some old VHS tapes I had. These contained TV show clips and news stories I saved over the years. One of the news stories was about a controversy over a Nativity scene in Lancaster Ohio back in 1999. I wrote about it for my website back then but had no way of embedding a video clip. I watched it again and found a perfect example of Christian privilege and persecution complex in the space of a short 15 second comment from someone interviewed by the reporter. I now have a short clip I can show people who don’t know what Christian privilege is or don’t understand their expressed irrational persecution complex.
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Failed Presidential candidate Gary Bauer complains about Christian privilege

December 31, 2010 by Doug

One of the most ridiculous stories that comes up when talking about separation of church and state is the constant complaints of Christian persecution from right wingers. Gary Bauer, president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families and a failed US Presidential candidate, tries hard to claim that Christians are hurt more than Muslims in this country.

If Muslims were treated like Christians, Muslims would be mocked by late night TV talk show hosts and lampooned in crude cartoon parodies. If Christians were treated like Muslims, conspicuous Christianity would be celebrated by our elites as a sign of our diversity and open-mindedness, not disparaged as an embarrassment, a nuisance and a breach of the law.

If Christianity were treated like Islam, our students would be taught a white-washed version of Christian history, with the troubling bits miscast or omitted from textbooks and lesson plans.

If Christians Were Treated Like Muslims

As the Daily Kos points out Bauer is leaving some facts out:

It goes on and on and on. But wait, what if Christians were treated like Muslims?

Christians would be racially profiled at public places and transportation hubs. Christians wouldn’t be allowed to build churches wherever they pleased. Christians wouldn’t be allowed to wear their traditional garb without mocking and angry looks. Christians wouldn’t be allowed to say the word “Jesus” without triggering alarm bells at the NSA. Christians wouldn’t be allowed to go to church without having their property vandalized, and even being physically attacked. Christians would be the villain in every action thriller. Christians wouldn’t be able to run for office without having bigots accuse them of being in league with terrorists.

I could also go on and on and on.

You know who really gets screwed? Atheists. Discuss.

Midday open thread

Bauer and those who whine about Christian persecution are just that – cry babies over Christian privilege. It’s laughable because if there is any so-called “persecution” it pales to other countries like where majority religious dissenters actually die or are put in prison.

Like in Iraq:

A doorbell rings, a new attack on Iraqi Christians

Christian victims? Give me a break

November 4, 2006 by Doug

My heart is in the sanctity of life and marriage and values and defense against terrorism. I support what the president’s doing in Iraq, and if they’re spending too much money, then I’ll let someone else yell about that. But this president — it’s like this Mark Foley thing — that’s not going to discourage any evangelicals I know from voting. We lived through Bill Clinton, and this situation with Foley is minuscule in comparison. So, I really think it’s making a mountain out of a molehill.

Rev. Jerry Falwell on CNN’s The Situation Room 11/02/2006

Yes, Rev. Falwell, defender of the sanctity of life, marriage, and values, doesn’t seem to have a problem with child abuse.

It isn’t real surprising that Falwell said what he did. You can predict what a religious leader will say by just looking at the politics of the object he/she is discussing. I am pretty sure Falwell would put former Congressman Foley’s actions in proper context had Foley been a Democrat.

That is a big reason the current special relationship that religious conservatives and Republicans proves the point that church and state should be separate. Politics not only can corrupt a person but can corrupt your religion. I mean if your political values can allow you to think that child abuse is less of a moral problem than a blow job then you might need some remedial religion classes.

Of course hypocrisy isn’t the only problem with the mixing of religion and politics.

Last month, my local paper did their obligatory conservative-Christians-as victims election season report as if it were a new trend. Conservative Christians feel put upon because their anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-religious freedom, anti-science bigotry isn’t shared by everyone.

“The Christian majority is sick and tired of things like same-sex marriage and the (removal of the) Ten Commandments in the court- house,” he said. “Two people get upset, and the ACLU comes in. People are tired of things like one guy with a lawyer changing the entire face of a government building because of the Ten Commandments. What the hell was it hurting?”

Bob Burney, who hosts a Christian radio call-in program on WRFD (880 AM) in Columbus, hears the complaint a lot.

“It’s the clash of two worldviews,” he said. “Things have been declared to be unconstitutional that have been constitutional for 200 years,” he said. “Evangelical Christians are energized by their very strong perception that those on the left want to remove the Godly heritage that we have and move to a completely secular state.”

From “Enough was enough” Columbus Dispatch 10/09/2006

I wrote a letter to the editor about the article and it was published on October 18th:

I wanted to comment on the Oct. 9 Dispatch article “Enough was enough.” It doesn’t surprise me that conservative Christians would vote for a candidate solely on religious beliefs. We have some voters who choose a candidate simply because they recognize the name of the person on the ballot or because some relative served years before.

Unfortunately, atheists and secular humanists such as myself don’t have that luxury. Since the conservative Christians have invaded the political process, we have a de facto establishment of religion and no atheist or secular humanist candidate can pass the religious test that group has put in place. We have to vote for the whole package that a particular candidate brings into the campaign.

The New York Times reported on Oct. 8 that, since 1989, religious groups have received more than 200 special arrangements, protections or exemptions in congressional legislation, on topics from pensions to immigration to land use to exemptions from federal employment-discrimination laws.

These special arrangements also have come from winning court decisions and federal-agency rule changes. Ninety-eight percent of the special treatment goes to Christian groups. As The Times put it, “As a result of these special breaks, religious organizations of all faiths stand in a position that American businesses — and the thousands of nonprofit groups without that ‘religious’ label — can only envy.”

So forgive me if I don’t shed a tear the next time I hear the myth that conservative Christians are under siege.

Removing the 10 Commandments from public buildings promotes equality by removing the religious bigotry inherent in the Decalogue. Allowing gays to marry gives them the chance to formally share in what it means to commit to the one you love and removes the 2nd class status that comes from not being allowed.

Conservative Christians use politics to force their subjective “values” on others. Politics should be about doing the best for the most people. It should be about promoting shared values that have little to no negative impact on others.

War on Christians: same old same old

April 5, 2006 by Doug

I posted earlier about not having a transcript or article about the recent “The War on Christians and Values Voters in 2006” hosted by the religious right front group Vision America. I had an idea of what would be talked about – same old same old tired arguments – but I wanted to read about the conference and maybe some details about it.

Thanks to the blog Writing Right I was led to an article on the People for the American Way site that gave me what I needed.

The article is called The Liberal “War” On Christians and Values Voters : Hysterical Females, Perverted Sodomites, and the Collapse of “Christian America” and here are some of the tidbits of interest to me:

Tom Crouse, pastor of the Holland Congregational Church in Massachusetts and radio show host, testified about his personal tale of persecution, recounting a “Mr. Heterosexual 2006 – A Celebration of God’s Design” event he organized in response to a “Mr. Gay 2005″ competition in San Diego. Crouse sued the city of Worcester for making him pay more than $6,000 for police protection for the event, saying it violated his constitutional right to free speech. While refreshingly admitting that it was somewhat disingenuous for panelists to be talking of “persecution” in light of actual religious persecution around the world, Crouse nonetheless stated that Jesus warned Christians that they would be persecuted for their beliefs and thus, such persecution was actually a blessing. In fact, Crouse suggested, if Christians are not being persecuted, they ought to ask themselves if they are living their faith properly. Crouse’s “Mr. Heterosexual” event was designed, he said, to proclaim the truth that God doesn’t make homosexuals and that everyone is born heterosexual, but some choose to pretend otherwise. Crouse called on the church to stop worrying about appearing tolerant and start proclaiming the truth, saying that Jesus was the most intolerant person in the world.

and

Rabbi Aryeh Spero, president of Caucus for America – an organization that is dedicated to “unmasking the true intentions and motivations of a cynical, elitist corps working to transform America into a variant of European secularism and socialism.” Spero took up Feder’s theme and went a step farther, stating that they are really in a battle against “hedonists” who want to destroy America and turn it into a socialist state. Spero said that words and phrases such as “tolerance” and “multiculturalism” are really just code words for unmitigated hedonism. Spero responded to a question from an audience member wondering why “liberal elitists” have sided with the Palestinians against Israel and with Islam against America, by saying they have done so because they – liberal elitists – hate America and because they constantly are looking for ways to make themselves appear smarter and more compassionate. He closed with a warning that Islam and “fundamental secularists” were working together to destroy America’s moral underpinnings.

and

Texas Senator John Cornyn was then introduced by Phillip Jauregui, the director of Vision America’s Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional Restoration and the former attorney for Justice Roy Moore. Cornyn basically delivered a stump speech about judicial activism and the importance of getting the “right kind” of judges on the bench. After saying he was pleased by Justice Alito’s confirmation in light of Alito’s views on religious “freedom,” Cornyn commenced an attack on the court system and various decisions about the separation of church and state such as prayer in public schools, the Ten Commandments, etc., for constitutionally “transforming” a policy of state “neutrality” toward religion into a policy of “hostility” toward religion.

and

Rod Parsley, pastor of the Columbus, Ohio World Harvest megachurch, is one of the rising stars of the religious right and got the conference’s second day off to an energizing start. According to Parsley, who wholeheartedly endorsed the “War on Christians” conference, America is in the midst of “a revolution, a reformation and a revival” – and this conference was part of a “moral revolution,” which he compared to the Crusades. The nation is at a “point of crisis,” he said, in which “our culture is in chaos” and the “moral foundations … are quickly crumbling around us with no sign of a cure.” To the “smoldering ash heap of moral decline that we find ourselves in today,” he maintained, God “has called us to war” against a “spiritual invasion” – although who the invaders are is less than clear, though “secular humanists,” the “liberal left,” public schools, and “America’s tortured and angry homosexual population” could all be likely candidates.

The Liberal “War” On Christians and Values Voters : Hysterical Females, Perverted Sodomites, and the Collapse of “Christian America”

As the PFAW article noted:

Those who attended and spoke at the “War on Christians” conference are committed to portraying every court decision that they don’t like, every piece of legislation they support that doesn’t get enacted, and every policy that does not conform to their religious and social agenda as part of some overarching secularist plot to destroy Christianity. If there is any doubt that the drafters of the “Values’ Voters Contract with Congress” truly want to portray themselves as engaged in “war,” one only has to read the declaration’s conclusion where they pledge their “lives” and their “fortunes” to “support of the beliefs and actions we have herein declared.”

It all seemed so familar to me. Why?

Oh, yes. The same “war” metaphors and shrill screeching that the country is falling apart has been expressed by the religious right since the Heritage Foundation was founded in 1973, the Christian Voice was born in 1978, and the Moral Majority appeared in 1979 and so on.

“The strategy against the American Radical Left should be the same as General Douglas MacArthur employed against the Japanese in the Pacific… Bypass their strongholds, then surround them, isolate them, bombard them, then blast the individuals out of their power bunkers with hand-to-hand combat. The battle for Iwo Jima was not pleasant, but our troops won it. The battle to regain the soul of America won’t be pleasant either, but we will win it.”

Pat Robertson, The Most Dangerous Man in America? by Rob Boston

and…

“[T]he even more diabolical ‘wall of separation’ that has led to increasing secularization, godlessness, immorality, and corruption in our country.”

“God has called us to engage the enemy in this culture war. That is our challenge today.”

“How much more forcefully can I say it? The time has come, and it is long overdue, when Christians and conservatives and all men and women who believe in the birthright of freedom must rise up and reclaim America for Jesus Christ.”

Rev. D. James Kennedy, Character & Destiny: A Nation In Search of Its Soul, (Zondervan Publishing House, 1997)

The Religious Right controls the Republican party and the GOP controls both houses of Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, and most of the Appellate courts, along with a majority of state and local governments.

11 states passed amendments banning Gay marriage.

There is NOT a war on Christians in the US. There is a struggle between freedom and Christian extremism and unless secular people and moderate Republicans wake up we will all be outlawed.

There is no difference in my mind between the Religious Right in this country and the Taliban in Afghanistan. They are both dangerous to American values.

No joke: Some think DeLay in trouble because he stands up for Jesus

April 1, 2006 by Doug

I came across a blog today that mentioned a recent episode of “Hardball” on MSNBC (March 30th). The guests were Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist and former Democratic Presidential candidate, and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (a conservative religious organization). The topic was “Is Christianity under attack?”

I had posted an earlier entry concerning the myth of Christian persecution in the US and how the right wing of the Republican party is co-opting that scare tactic for the upcoming elections. (see: Still the Biggest Lie: Christians in the US are persecuted)

I also mentioned that a conference was going to held to scare evangelicals some more to get them to vote GOP in 2006. It was called “War on Christians and the Values Voters of 2006″ sponsored by a right wing Republican front group called Vision America that included speakers like Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer, Sen. John Cornyn, Phyllis Schlafly, Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep. Tom DeLay. (You are probably thinking “where are the religious people” – me too.)

It seems that Pastor Rick Scarborough, the founder and leader of Vision America, in introducing Rep. Tom DeLay, former majority leader in the US House of Represenatives, told the audience that DeLay was in legal trouble because he stood up for Jesus. The inference being that DeLay’s legal troubles came about because he is a hardcore religious conservative – as if the charges aren’t really true. (See: Tom DeLay corruption investigation)

On “Hardball” Rev Al Sharpton called religious conservatives on the ridiculous notion:

But I would like Tony to tell me how what Tom DeLay is facing has anything to do with his religion or any religion at all. I mean, I think it’s an insult to Christians to act like because of his religion, he’s been charged with what he’s been charged with. It has nothing to do with his religion.

I think everyone said that at this meeting this weekend that was cited when we came on. He was introduced as a man that was being persecuted because he stood up for Jesus. Tell me how Jesus and being accused of embezzling funds is the same thing. What chapter did you get that out of the New Testament?

Is Christianity under attack? (Video is included on the site)

Sharpton was a breath of fresh air, pointing out the myth of Christian persecution. Perkins even had to concede the point:

Well, clearly, it’s not a war on Christianity like we talked about last week with Abdul Rahman and what he was under, but it’s a hostility nonetheless.

I mean, you ask any parent if America today, they’re concerned. Their kids cannot pray in school, graduations, football games, no prayer, even the pledge.

Finally Sharpton but the nail on the issue:

SHARPTON: I think that it is absolutely insulting to the intelligence of Christians. You’re not going to meet anyone that believes in Christ more than me, but I believe in converting people, not forcing people to following my religion. We are living in what we want to be a democracy, not a theocracy, and it is dangerous to try and move in that direction.

PERKINS: And that’s what we’re saying. Let us live as we want to live.

SHARPTON: Well then you don’t put your cross up on public emblems.

*Side Note*

I checked out the Vision America site as I wrote this entry and I could not find any video or transcripts from their conference. I assume they will have DVDs or audio tapes for sale – they have to raise money some how.

What I did find out proves the point that such a group is really just a front group for the right wing of the Republican party.

Their BIG issue is called “The ValuesVoters’ Contract with Congress: A Declaration of American Renewal” which is similar to the infamous “Contract for America” that Republicans signed when they won the majority in the US House back in 1994.

Being a religious group there are the usual religious conservative wish items like a ban on abortion, forcing religious expression in government, ban on gay marriage, and a ban on cloning.

The contract also calls for items that are more political than religious such as:

The Parental Consent Act to prohibit the use of federal funds for any universal or mandatory mental health screening (H.R. 181)

Legislation affirming that government may not redefine “public use” to take the private property of one person to give to another.

Legislation to fundamentally reform the national tax system and reduce the tax burden on Americans; and Legislation to make permanent Marriage Penalty Relief and the Child Tax Credit.

True Enforcement and Border Security; and Legislation to prohibit, in cases of constitutional interpretation, the use of foreign law as authority.

Values Voters’ Contract with Congress (short form)

As Rev Sharpton pointed out in the interview:

I think there’s a difference when you say that polls say religion is under attack and saying Christianity is under attack and then acting as if Christianity and the right-wing are synonymous. I think that the right wing has got Christianity under attack or Christianity that was the basis of the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-war movement.

Yes, Rev Al there is a difference.

Thanks toYG Myspace Blog for the heads up on an interesting “Hardball” episode I missed hearing about earlier. (see: Chris Matthews is a moron….)

Still the Biggest Lie: Christians in the US are persecuted

March 24, 2006 by Doug

While cruising the Internet the other day, I came across a post by Adam Graham on his blog titled “Why You Can’t Trust the Left on Religious Freedom“.

In the post he talks about the recent case of a man in Afghanistan who is under threat of execution for converting to Christianity. Afghanistan, although free of the mega-zelots, the Taliban, still bases their laws on sharia, or Islamic law.

Graham takes another blogger to task for complaining about some religious conservatives from the US who complained about the persecution of the man. At one point he makes the statement

Wow, and like I said, that’s why you can’t trust the left with religious liberty. First of all, do I think Russ would ever do violence against religious people? No. But what it shows is that Russ takes a flippant attitude towards it.

Then he goes on to make some wild speculations if the “left” responded to some hypothetical situations of persecution.

1) All Evangelical Christians were rounded up and deported from the State of New York:

Predicted Liberal Reaction: Shows them for not supporting gay marriage.

2) Muslims in Detroit kill hundreds of Christians and burn dozens of churches to the ground:

Predicted Reaction: Well, when you don’t clearly support the Seperation of Church and State, that happens.

3) Christians Put in Re-Education Camp in California

Predicted Reaction: Call it Reparitive Theory for anti-gay bigots

If Russ reacts like this to the persecution of foreigners, why would he react any differently to the persecution of American Christians? Any persecution is not just facilitated by bloodthirsty regimes, but those who couldn’t care less about what those regimes are doing.

“Why You Can’t Trust the Left on Religious Freedom“.

I had to respond to the post and the following is my comment I left on his post:

A lot of wild speculation and reaching for your conclusion. What is your definition of persecution? Persecution is persistent mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. Is is near impossible for a majority religion to be persecuted. My guess is when Christians complain of persecution in the US they are more likely complaining about losing their special status within the overall culture – like the debates over the 10 Commandments in court houses and “under God” in the pledge. It is simply a false complaint.

Equating real persecution like the article at the beginning of your post noted, and the political debate over religion having a special status in the US government is comparing apples and oranges.

It doesn’t follow that “you can’t trust the left with religious liberty” since the situations aren’t the same.

In the US, the persecution clearly is going against non-Christians and non-believers as Christians are struggling in their death grasp as the “chosen people” of this country deserving of special status and special rights.

Graham responded to my comment by saying that David Limbaugh, brother of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, wrote a whole book detailing the persecution of Christians in the US. (Persecution : How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christianity (2003)) Limbaugh’s book focuses on the political and legal debates over religion in the public schools and within the government. Real persecution is not mentioned.

Let me restate my point – the charge that there is persecution of Christians in the United States is false, it doesn’t exist. Like the “War on Christmas” it is an attempt at vicitimhood by the very people who are in power.

Being asked to cover up your cross at work is totally different than being told by a police officer to cover it after being stopped on the street and he/she indicates if you don’t comply you will be jailed or beaten. The first is not persecution while the former is. See the difference?

Also note that while you wouldn’t have recourse at work, since courts have ruled that the Bill of Rights end at the office door, the ACLU, yes them, would be first in line to defend your right to wear a cross while walking on the street.

There is religious persecution in the US but it is not toward Christians. Most persecution is directed at non-Christians and mostly Atheists. Here are some facts:

Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas prohibit an Atheist from holding public office. The prohibition is written in their constitutions and is in direct opposition to the US Constitution’s prohibition against religious tests for elected officials. Clearly those laws are illegal yet still on the books.

You can be fired or denied housing if you are an atheist and there is no legal re-course. Atheists and Muslims can’t be Boy Scouts or be leaders of Boy Scout units. Some states now require children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school even with the “under god” part.

A 1999 Gallup poll asked the question “If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be a ‘X’ would you vote for that person?” “X” is Atheist, Baptist, Black, Catholic, Homosexual, Jewish, Mormon, and Woman. The percentages were: Baptist 94% Black 95% Catholic 94% Homosexual 59% Jewish 92% Mormon 99% Woman 92% and Atheist…. 49%

When I revealed to my co-workers that I was an Atheist and Humanist they made snide remarks about not getting Christmas gifts and left tracts on my desk as a “joke”. I know some Atheist friends who refuse to let our Humanist group to use their full names or picture on our website or newsletter in fear of retribution from friends, family, and co-workers who don’t know they don’t believe in a God.

It is logically near impossible for a majority group to be persecuted. I can only think of one solid example. Until 1990 in South Africa, whites holding power were the minority race in the country and they persecuted the Black majority.

But the facts don’t keep the religious right from claiming Christians in the US are being persecuted.

On March 27 – 28, Vision America’s The War On Christians Conference will convene at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The conference is not only the first to address growing attacks on Christians, but will include discussions of every aspect of the War on Christians, including — Hollywood, the news media, the courts and groups like the ACLU and Anti-Defamation League.

Besides celebrated conservative leaders like Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer, Sen. John Cornyn, Phyllis Schlafly, Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep. Tom DeLay, the conference will feature timely and informative panel discussions.

Conference to Include ‘Jews Confront The War On Christians’ Panel

So as you can see the Big Lie is used by political conservatives to scare their election base to the polls to solidify the majority power they already hold.