Are American Christians Victims?
I am a Christian. I have lived in America my entire life, and I have never experienced discrimination because of my Christian beliefs. Oh, I have received “looks” from time to time when I have made some sort of faith statement in a venue that was essentially secular. But nothing close to discrimination if by that word we mean a showing of prejudice against a particular individual or group.
So I was somewhat put off by Nancy French’s statement in her conversation with Dr. Zylstra on KDCR, Dordt College radio last week that the people who most often experience discrimination in America are evangelical Christians. The statement was made in the context of a political discussion, and the example given was that often Christians are not given positions as judges because of their faith. I have heard this discrimination lament from others as well but I don’t believe it.
How does one know something like this, that it is Christians who most often experience discrimination? Is someone adding up the jobs denied? Is it even possible to know why a position is denied? Is it possible to know all the occasions in which discrimination occurs?
Yesterday evening on the nightly news I heard two stories about discrimination, one involved a Chinese American serving in Afghanistan in the military who was so hazed and tormented by his fellow soldiers that he committed suicide or possibly was killed. The army has arrested eight soldiers in this case of discrimination that let to death. The other story was about a class action settlement by Bank of America which has agreed to pay a whopping $335 million in a case that accused it of widespread discrimination against qualified Latino and African-American borrowers on home loans.
Both of these stories involve minorities who experienced discrimination, and it is my belief that the people who experience discrimination most often in this country are ethnic minorities. And, perhaps, religious minorities. I don’t claim to be able to prove that but it fits with what I know and read about American culture.
It is especially surprising to me to hear Christians depicted as victims in a discussion of the current Republican Party primaries and caucuses. As I listen to the candidates talk about their Christian faith, one can’t wait to out-do the next in testifying to the importance of his Christian faith—unless his name is Mit Romney. Certainly no politician from either party would dare end a speech without saying “God bless America.” (Imagine, if a Muslim candidate who was running for office said, “Allah bless America.”)
I understand that Ms French works in some capacity for Mit Romney. And she spent much of her time on the air talking about why Christians should vote for Romney in spite of the fact that he is a Mormon. But I did not hear her say that Mormons like Romney and Huntsman were victims of discrimination. Puzzling.
A final note: We live in a world where Christians are frequently tortured and even killed for the sake of the gospel. That is a fact. And because it is true, American Christians ought to be careful about playing the victim card.
So I was somewhat put off by Nancy French’s statement in her conversation with Dr. Zylstra on KDCR, Dordt College radio last week that the people who most often experience discrimination in America are evangelical Christians. The statement was made in the context of a political discussion, and the example given was that often Christians are not given positions as judges because of their faith. I have heard this discrimination lament from others as well but I don’t believe it.
How does one know something like this, that it is Christians who most often experience discrimination? Is someone adding up the jobs denied? Is it even possible to know why a position is denied? Is it possible to know all the occasions in which discrimination occurs?
Yesterday evening on the nightly news I heard two stories about discrimination, one involved a Chinese American serving in Afghanistan in the military who was so hazed and tormented by his fellow soldiers that he committed suicide or possibly was killed. The army has arrested eight soldiers in this case of discrimination that let to death. The other story was about a class action settlement by Bank of America which has agreed to pay a whopping $335 million in a case that accused it of widespread discrimination against qualified Latino and African-American borrowers on home loans.
Both of these stories involve minorities who experienced discrimination, and it is my belief that the people who experience discrimination most often in this country are ethnic minorities. And, perhaps, religious minorities. I don’t claim to be able to prove that but it fits with what I know and read about American culture.
It is especially surprising to me to hear Christians depicted as victims in a discussion of the current Republican Party primaries and caucuses. As I listen to the candidates talk about their Christian faith, one can’t wait to out-do the next in testifying to the importance of his Christian faith—unless his name is Mit Romney. Certainly no politician from either party would dare end a speech without saying “God bless America.” (Imagine, if a Muslim candidate who was running for office said, “Allah bless America.”)
I understand that Ms French works in some capacity for Mit Romney. And she spent much of her time on the air talking about why Christians should vote for Romney in spite of the fact that he is a Mormon. But I did not hear her say that Mormons like Romney and Huntsman were victims of discrimination. Puzzling.
A final note: We live in a world where Christians are frequently tortured and even killed for the sake of the gospel. That is a fact. And because it is true, American Christians ought to be careful about playing the victim card.
Of course right-wing, republican Christians are the the victim in all of this, I don't know how I could've missed that for so long.
ReplyDelete