Discrimination

[theculturewarrior]

I sense a little, uh, 'humor' in this thread, but I don't think there's anything funny about it. Below is an essay I wrote:

[quote]The Bigoted Christian

Thoughts on Hypocrisy, Part I

I think I am an authority on this subject. I have not studied it, but have lived it. I have been the publican begging God for mercy, and I have been the pharisee thanking God for not making me like the publican. And I do not presume to be unique in this. Jesus gave us parables and warnings against hypocrisy, because of man’s penchant for pride, and the disastrous effect it has on man and his fellow man.

Is discrimination a sin? Is prejudice? Is racism a heresy? Anti-Semitism? Misogyny? Does it make any difference at all?

I once worked in a local archives, where I learned of past injustices. In a local newspaper dated 1907, the headline was “NEGRO OUTRAGE,” and while historians are not unanimous on what happened in this “outrage,” the newspaper’s treatment of Blacks was a stark reminder of how intensely depersonalized and oppressed Blacks were at this period of history. That’s not to say that discrimination is not still a problem. But this newspaper article publicly mocked them, with Sambo caricatures and ethnic captions.

How many of the people who read that newspaper and enjoyed it, attended church on Sunday? How many of them cried when a white child died, but lynched a black child’s father? Prejudice for a Christian is hypocrisy. It is scandal. It is the hatred of God. But race is not the only factor, nor was it then.

Prejudice consists of a disordered consideration for a creature’s individuality, it consists of disordered consideration for a creature’s blessings, or for a presumed lack thereof, and it consists of a weak or absent belief or love for the mercy of Jesus. The case can be made that victims of discrimination suffer the persecution Jesus spoke of in the beatitudes, and that great is the reward awaiting them in Heaven.

Jesus Christ is the King of the Jews, and in this, he is a king of the persecuted. God loved the world, but He knew that the world hated God, and that in the end, His Son would suffer, die, and be resurrected on the third day. The world hated Jesus because he was God, because he was not of the world. When the world hated the Blacks in the above story, they failed to see creatures of God, created in the image of God. They hated the Blacks because they had a darker color, a different culture, less money, and less power. But all of these things were put in place by God. Was it God they hated? It was God who made them darker, poorer, different, in all things after his image. When they mocked the Blacks, was it Jesus they mocked?

How many of the Blacks were sincere Christians? How many had been baptized into the Body of Christ? And yet, Jesus, who told his disciples that He would be known by the love they had for one another, would scarcely recognize his ministry in the love the local Christian community had for these Blacks.

The local community committed a serious sin. The Holy Father, in his August 26, 2001 audience, has all but anathematized racism, and has charged Christians with the obligation to overcome bigotry by reaching out to those who are different from us. It is not one particular race alone that is guilty of this sin. The Holy Father has said that racism is a serious sin in whomever’s heart it is found.

Prejudice is also often directed at qualities other than race. Though someone may judge me for being white, someone may also judge to me for being Southern, or Catholic, or even for being more or less intelligent than they. But in all these things, they judge the God who made me this way. This is the first prejudice: disordered consideration for a creature’s individuality.

Someone may judge me because I have a good job, or because I do not have as good a job. Or perhaps I have a beautiful wife, or maybe they judge me because I am single. Again, they judge the God who gave me my own blessings in His own way for me. This is the second prejudice: disordered consideration for a creature’s blessings, or a presumed lack thereof.

The third prejudice is the most vile, and yet the most natural. Perhaps I was a prostitute. Maybe I was a notorious sinner. Maybe God has forgiven me. While I do not suggest that Christians condone or encourage sin, Christ will be known by the love we have for the penitent sinner, and love is not love unless it is inclusive. You cannot love somebody and judge them for what God has forgiven. When Christians accuse penitents of sins Christ has forgiven, whether in gossip, or in their dealings with them, they not only judge God, but they are doing the work of Satan, for it is Satan who rejoices in sin.

Prejudice often comes with a tribal mentality. Racism can be discrimination in a positive sense. A good ole boy will seek out other good ole boys, and will show him preference for jobs, for the seats of honor at church. And it follows with compadres, or homeboys, or whatever race seeks to impose its will on others. This often comes with disillusionment for those who are seeking after Christ. Gandhi was once interested in Christianity, but was scandalized by racist Christians in India and South Africa. He said, “If I ever meet a Christian, I will become one.” We as Christians bear the awesome responsibility of bringing the Gospel to the world. For what? So we can revile converts for being Indian, or African, or European? So we can show preference to the rich, and banish the poor to hell? How will God deal with the bigoted Christian, who is charged with that responsibility? We can only pray for mercy, for purification from our own prejudices, and for mercy for our prejudiced friends and enemies.

What then do we do when Christians judge us? What do we do when Christians exclude us, or revile us, or utter all manner of falsehood against us, whether for race, creed, or culture?

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for thus they persecuted the prophets who were before us.  What greater persecution is there, than persecution for Jesus’s sake? And how much more can persecution be for Jesus’s sake, than persecution for the work He has created in us?[/quote]

[picchick]

I find no humor in it. I think that it is sad.

[MichaelFilo]

I choose to not say the pledge anymore. If I pledge my complete loyalty and support to a country who accepts abortion, then I am not Catholic, but indeed a walking oxymoron. It helps having a dad in the army though. However, he has gotten robbed by some people there, he's been told to go home, and obviously other stuff. He's one of the US's best translators in Iraq. I don't get it

God bless,

Mikey

[theculturewarrior]

That sounds horrible, Michael. I have a friend who is Chaldean, and he blends in pretty well down here...but he is afraid to travel, because the Border Patrol has a checkpoint to the north, and Customs checks people at the border to the South. He has experienced plenty of discrimination though...and he is one of Bush's biggest supporters as far as the war is concerned.

I commiserate, Michael

[theculturewarrior]

By the way, I think humor is healthy, and I don't fault anybody for laughing...but if someone thinks prejudice is "phunny," well...

[VeraMaria]

[quote name='VeraMaria' date='Aug 14 2004, 12:55 PM'] I am used to it, lol.

Every country I've lived in (Chile, Germany, Mexico, here), I've been a foreigner. But, I'm sad to say, it's never been as vicious as here in the US. Kind of ironic, considering how America is basically a nation of foreigners. But yeah. Not saying the Pledge of Allegiance (I mean hello, I'm not going to say it if I'm not American), not having an American flag on our car, preferring to speak Spanish (Especially in Miami it's idiotic to discriminate against someone for that..."they should speak English if they live in the US" Sheesh) is enough for dirty looks, being called "filth", and being told to go back to where I came from.

Although I don't know whether to call it discrimination, I have been treated differently for being Catholic at my school.

*rambles on and on...*

OK, I'm going to stop now. I'll spare you, lol. I am talkative today.

Oh, last but not least, I've been discriminated against for being a blonde [/quote]
Oh, and I forgot I wanted to add about where you live

Stupid as it is, in my school, where you live is a big deal. So if you don't happen to live in a huge house on Miami Beach, you're automatically not worth talking to.

:angry: :angry: -_-

[theculturewarrior]

It was like that in Oklahoma too Vera, only it was between who owned the most livestock. All we had was one unbroken horse, so I was like nobody.

LOL I should take my own advice re: humor! JK

I know how class discrimination works too, Vera, and I can sympathize. When I was in HS, I don't know if it is still the same way, but if you didn't have name-brand clothing, you were nobody. I therefore refused to wear anything cool.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

I get made fun of for being a Nebraskan by someone on this site. It's very offensive.

Stupid Southerner.








Actually, I've received anti-semitic racism, anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, and anti-religion discrimination.

[M.SIGGA]

Way too many times to count. Every school I attended from PreK - 12th grade was like 99% white and I'm mixed and live in the deep south. You all can use your imagination.

[Ash Wednesday]

I don't know if I've actually been blatantly discriminated against -- though I've gotten some odd looks and treatment as a Catholic.

A couple years ago my taekwondo and hapkido instructor asked me why I was in Toronto and I told him I was Catholic and I went to see the pope. He gave me this really sour and funny look like "what kind of freak are you?" -- I don't know if he thought I was joking, and was expecting me to deliver a punch line, or what. This was during all the molestation being in the news. But his reaction really made me feel stupid, and my feelings were hurt.

I had some friends in high school that treated me "differently" and I often wondered if it was because I was a Catholic and did not attend the same church as they did. They were nice enough, but they never really let me "bond" with them as they were bonded as strong friends themselves. This has happened a couple of times with friends -- and I remember at one point asking a friend if so-and-so was mad at me, and she said "no, she just feels that she can't talk about faith with you." My religion was never attacked blatantly but sometimes I wonder if there was this silent understanding among them that "Catholics believe some weird things, and Susan's kind of weird anyway."

Maybe I was just plain weird, and it didn't have much of anything to do with me being Catholic. Just that I was weird to begin with.

I did have a Baptist friend in college who was pretty straightforward that she disagreed with my religion, but I guess with her I felt she was being more honest and direct about it, which I would have rather have seen, as opposed to the quiet cold shoulder and arm's length treatment I got from others. Despite our differences we were still pretty good friends and had a lot of fun times. I have spoken with some other Christians and I got some strange reactions when I told them I was Catholic. It wasn't a reaction like "I don't agree with what Catholics believe," which I don't mind because of its honesty, it was more of this uncomfortable look on their face, staring down at their shoes or away somewhere else and muttering "I know the organist at your church." and then the subject is changed.

I think Catholics faithful to the magisterium get a lot of flack from their fellow Catholics, actually. "Old fashioned", "narrow minded", "holier-than-thou", "too strict," et cetera.

[MichaelFilo]

The worst discrimination is hardly ever oral.

God bless,

Mikey

[M.SIGGA]

agreed. the worst is physical, like being profiled by state troopers and pulled over on the interstate numerous times and asked stupid questions because your parents happen to drive nice cars. :angry:

[picchick]

Here is some discrimination that is not orally said.

My mom got really cruel stares and grimaces when she was going to have her 6th child. How mean is that?

[VeraMaria]

[quote name='picchick' date='Aug 14 2004, 04:48 PM'] Here is some discrimination that is not orally said.

My mom got really cruel stares and grimaces when she was going to have her 6th child. How mean is that? [/quote]
That just makes me plain angry :angry:

[picchick]

Imagine how mad I was when I saw it! By the way, what is your avatar?