Christian Privilege in America
I don’t know if there’s anything more eye-opening than converting to another religion (or none at all) and becoming a non-Christian in America. Roughly 80% of America self-identifies as Christian. As a result, most aspects of life in America are dictated by Christianity.
You tell someone that you are Jewish, and that comes with a set of questions but no big deal. Tell someone that you are converting, well, that’s just strange. Never mind that people choose different religions all the time, such as becoming a “born again” Christian; Judaism seems to be seen as a religion that someone wouldn’t often freely choose, but a burden that one receives at birth.
I came across an article about privilege and unconscious ideology (such as racism, sexism) and found that much of it applied to Christianity in America. I wondered if someone had written about Christian privilege before. Lo and behold, yes.
Christian Privileges for Holidays & Holy Days:
- Many stores take the Christian sabbath into account
- Most Christians don’t have to work on their holiest days
- Christians can assume they will see TV specials and hear music related to their holidays
- Christians can erect Christian holiday displays without fearing vandalism
- Christians expect to be greeted with references to their holidays (Merry Christmas)
- Christians can ignore and be ignorant of other religions’ holidays
- School events will probably address Christian holidays
Christian Privileges in American Culture:
- When traveling, Christians can assume they’ll find churches of their denomination
- It’s easy for Christians to find a religious site to marry
- Christians easily find Christian movies, radio programs, and TV shows
- When someone talks about or thanks God, Christians can assume it’s their god
- Christians will find Bibles in their hotel rooms
- Christians have many Christian charities to donate to or get assistance from
- Christians needn’t worry about finding foods to meet religious dietary requirements
Christian Privileges against Discrimination and Bigotry:
- Christians can assume that they won’t be discriminated against because of their religion
- Christians can assume that their opinion won’t be ignored because of their religion
- Christians need not worry about moving to a place where Christians aren’t welcome
- Christians rarely encounter groups that exclude Christians
- Christians don’t worry about revealing their religion to parents, friends
- Christians can discriminate in ways not otherwise allowed & avoid members of other religions
Christian Privileges in Schools:
- Christian children will see other Christians in lessons about history
- Christian children will participate in events relating to Christian holy days
- Christian children will find or easily start school clubs dedicated to Christianity
- Christian athletes are encouraged by Christian coaches
- Christian children might avoid being exposed to foreign religions
- Public school space is often shared with Christian churches
- Christians can easily find private schools that cater to their religion
Christian Privilege, Fear, and Security:
- Christians can wear Christian clothing or jewelry without fear
- Christians can promote their religion on cars or houses without fear of vandalism
- Christians don’t have to educate their kids about persecution for their own protection
- Christians can ignore the language and customs of other religions without censure
- Christians need not worry if their religion will hinder their professional ambitions
- Christians don’t have to worry about hate groups dedicated to wiping out Christianity
Christian Privileges in the Community:
- Many communities have names with Christian origins
- Christians can assume that most neighbors & coworkers are Christian
- Christians have directories of Christian-owned businesses
- Christian businesses can hire all Christians without trying
- Christians can criticize Christianity & Christian Privilege with more authority than non-Christians and without their motives being questioned
- Christians can assume that almost anywhere they go and anything they do, they’ll feel normal
Christian Privileges with Christianity:
- Christians aren’t expected to speak for all Christians or everyone in a denomination
- Whatever Christians do, they need not worry that it will reflect poorly on Christianity
- Christians easily shop for items related to Christianity, even in specialty Christian stores
- Successful Christians aren’t told that they are greedy because of their religion
- The word “Christian” is treated as a label representing the best human attributes
Christian Privileges in the Law:
- Where relevant, laws take the Christian sabbath (Sunday) into account
- Laws & regulations come with built-in exemptions for Christians & Christian beliefs.
- Christians can assume that most politicians are Christians who represent Christian interests
- Christians can criticize the government or society without being labeled cultural outsiders
- Christians can assume that politicians won’t attack their religion
- Christians assume that government prayers will be Christian in nature (they usually are)
