Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Last Acceptable Prejudice

persecution, christian, christianity, holy, religion, jesus, easter, god, atheism, atheist,
I would have thought the last totally acceptable prejudice was hating fat people, but no, apparently, it's hating Christians! (In a country that self identifies as over 75% Christian. I'm thinking of mailing everyone in the country a dictionary, with "persecution" highlighted.)

For the Media, It's Unholy Week by Colleen Raezler

Apparently, we're only allowed to talk about certain things in the week preceding Easter. Any news that might reflect negatively (now matter how tangentially) on Christians is not be to be reported. In deference to the zombie king, I think.

Most regular church-goers have heard their less scrupulously observant fellows called "Christmas and Easter Christians." I would imagine it's the regular church-goers using that phrase, because who else would. and, in my family, that was "holly and lilly christians". Well, they also have their counterparts in the mainstream media: "Christmas and Easter Anti-Christians." how would these be counterparts, exactly? we're comparing regular attendees to those who only attend on high holy days. is she saying that "antichristian" reporters that only surface around high holy (christian) days are somehow worse than year round "antichristian" reporters? analogy fail. How else to explain the spate of skeptical, negative stories that inevitably accompany the two most important Christian holy days? inevitably? or is it just that events occur regardless of what high holy day your religion is experiencing? perhaps Ms. Raezler is suggesting that we not in any way negatively report on Muslims around Ramadan?

This Holy Week has been typical. Newsweek proclaimed "The Decline and Fall of Christian America" on its cover. in response to a legitimate study that was released in March. stupid scientists, not taking the holy week into account when releasing their findings. The Washington Post/Newsweek "On Faith" blog featured a post that belittled the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. you know, i'm putting in all these links, which is problematic, because I can't find the post she's referencing. The most recent On Faith post is entitled "Is Your Rabbi Hot or Not?" The Discovery Channel aired a documentary that painted Jesus as little more than an opportunistic politician who caught a bad break in a trial. didn't see it, but oh, noes, did somebody portray jesus in a way your religion doesn't approve of? well, that's easily as bad as lions!

These are just the most notable recent instances of secular media's disdain for traditional Christians and the tenets of their faith. we should tiptoe around the christians and say nothing that upsets them. ever. and especially not during holy week! Anti-Christianism is the last acceptable prejudice. The assault on Christian beliefs and morality is ongoing. there's gays! right there! being gay! Take for example the howls of outrage when the Pope reiterated Catholic teaching on abstinence. you mean when the pope told africans at risk for contracting HIV that condoms spread HIV? that?

But because Easter is so central to understanding Jesus and His purpose, and to Christians' own understanding of the world, easter is central to your understanding of the world? the secular attack escalates during Holy Week. it's part of the atheist agenda. or possibly the liberal agenda. with a little help from the gay agenda. It takes on more existential dimensions the atheist/liberal/gay agenda takes on existential dimensions? would that be the 8th dimension, or the 11th?, questioning Christianity's relevance in the modern world, how dare we not recognize your supreme importance and bow before your superior understanding of the world?! the meaning of Christ's lessons and ultimately, His divinity. which doesn't matter at all to me, but i guess i don't understand the world.

Depending on your point of view, Jesus was either a charismatic populist crusader, a doctrinaire Marxist or "do your own thing" feel-good guru. Anything but the Son of God. how dare, HOW DARE, HOW DARE anyone not think exactly as she thinks?! ever! in the history of time! it's persecution I tell you! If that's what you think of Him, it's easy to see why you would question His relevance. hey, wait, that's my line.

It just goes on like that, she quotes Michael Medved, insults a few people, but I think you get the jist: If you don't believe exactly as she believes, and you don't keep your damn(ed) mouth shut about it- you're persecuting christians.

11 comments:

  1. Gee, its not like these aren't the same people who decided to push ID on Darwin day, right? Insert HUGE eyeroll here.

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  2. If she is talking about the Discover special on Jesus that they always play then I have no idea what she is talking about. The most offensive thing about it is how boring it is.
    I tried to read her article and didn't get past the first few paragraphs where she was bashing the writer of the Newsweek piece. This woman? Needs to calm the fuck down. Pardon the profanity, but seriously lady, calm down.

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  3. persecution - n.
    1. The act or practice of persecuting on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs that differ from those of the persecutor.
    2. The condition of being persecuted.

    persecute - tr.v., -cut·ed, -cut·ing, -cutes.
    1. To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs.
    2. To annoy persistently; bother.

    oppress - tr.v., -pressed, -press·ing, -press·es.
    1. To keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority: a people who were oppressed by tyranny.
    2. To weigh heavily on: Poverty oppresses the spirit.
    3. Obsolete. To overwhelm or crush.

    harass - tr.v., -rassed, -rass·ing, -rass·es.
    1. To irritate or torment persistently.
    2. To wear out; exhaust.
    3. To impede and exhaust (an enemy) by repeated attacks or raids.

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  4. It's not persecution if they do it! (I think I've figured this out.)

    Leigh: yeah, i was fairly certain that was the show she was talking about, but i couldn't find anything offensive in it. i've seen it, and it's mostly just boring.

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  5. Apparently, we're only allowed to talk about certain things in the week preceding Easter. Any news that might reflect negatively (now matter how tangentially) on Christians is not be to be reported.

    I don't know, PF. It sounds like you're describing the Canadian culture. Here it is a no-no to talk negatively of anything or anyone. The moment you do, they start defending whoever you're accusing. It just isn't politically correct to speak derogatorily or anyone.

    So, that if you speak against Christians or Christianity, you get the cold shoulder or the rebuke.

    That norm of behaviour, I think, comes from the Anglo background of many North Americans.

    But...you are right on something. Christians are different from everyone else in that they do take the liberty of judging non-Christians and people of other religions. That is totally true.

    The way I see it, Christians are almost never persecuted. But they do persecute everyone else.

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  6. "It's not persecution if they do it!"

    Too true. Especially since, as you pointed out, devout Christians are the ones who are most likely to call the less devout "Christmas and Easter Christians", and also it isn't uncommon for non-Catholic Christians to criticize the Catholic Church or the Pope. Hell, considering how lax and liberal most Catholics are, they would probably do the same (just not in public forum...). To cry persecution due to that is disingenuous, because it could easily more reflective of conflict within the religion itself than The Man trying to keep 'em down. It's friendly fire, not a full-scale invasion.

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  7. ya know, the would actually READ that holy book and followed what it says, most of thid bullshit would go away.
    just sayin'

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  8. "it's friendly fire" LOL

    So, what is the news like in Canada?

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  9. Where I came from we called them "Chreasters."

    It's way easier to portmandeau than to say something as awkward as, "Christmas and Easter Christians." Oh, and the "we" there was generally, y'know, year-round Christians...

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  10. "So what is the news like in Canada?"

    Boring is what it is. It seems like we have this unspoken law about accepting everyone no matter how deluded they are. You don't call people on their bullshit, you say they have the right to belive it. It's like a bad case of politicaly correctness. In Canada you have to be nice to EVERYBODY.

    An example I think (If my memory is correct, if not please correct me.) We didn't get a whole lot of air time for people to say how unholy Gay Marriage is. You got a little polite talk but nothing like down here.

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  11. "ya know, the would actually READ that holy book and followed what it says, most of thid bullshit would go away."

    this is why i shouldn't post after i have taken my night-meds.
    even *I* am not totally sure exactly what i was meaning there... i think it was something along the lines of "If they would just read their own Holy Book, they wouldn't suffer all this bullshit". i *think*

    sorry...

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