Day 6 The White Evangelical Male Today I listened to podcast that summarized a poll done by the PEW research institute. Among other things this research ask them how isolated or discriminated against they felt. The stand out group in this section as my title suggest is white evangelical male. 45 percent of WEM’s declared they were persecuted. They also declared persecution rates on other groups. 25 percent of WEM’s declared that women, and blacks were persecuted. 17 percent declared latinos marginalized, and the only group that was marginalized more than they themselves were was gays but only by a difference in perspective of 7 percent. I talked about this with people at my work because that is where I was listening to it, and a coworker of mine agreed that: “You just can’t be a Christian anymore” I thought about that for a moment and could tell I was furious at the ignorance of this response. In my brain I raged “if by Christian you mean I am not allowed to press my beliefs on people by way of social institutions designed for everyone, then yes I guess you can’t be christian” Then I thought about it , and to be honest that was not even true. Christians still control social institutions. I am fine with discussion in the marketplace, and want more of it, but my daughter tells me about how god made the world yesterday, and I suspect School is part of that influence. I go to events at the school and never once have I left without implicitly participating in some act of Christian worship, and I know that Christian or not I will always love her, but I just wonder how much harm I am doing her in being hesitant to question that notion. keep in mind she is five, and if there is a discussion it will more likely be because she ask at some later age. I am not out to make an atheist child, but I have considered calling authorities on the school. This is not isolated, and the principal is the most frequent offender. To relate this to social problems on a large scale I see this perceived Isolation by a group of people that still control institutions to be upsetting. . I mean for example I can get a 100 dollars of my marriage license for seeing a minister. I do not think I am an enemy either. I think these violations gone unchecked create instability in schools even for christians, because no two protestant christians hold the exact same conception of God’s teaching. These violations destroy the institution from the inside out, isolate non christians, and in no way prepare students for living in world of diverse beliefs which is one of the primary purposes of education. It not just about learning how to read and write. I do not respond thus far to these perceived slights mostly out of fear. Out of fear that the overactive sense of persecution by a majority group would further isolate or tire me in a society in which I already feel isolated. I will probably continue to go to school events and be prayed at, and I will likely ignore the consequences of sending an entire generation out with all the same narrow perceptions of truth .A whole generation of kids who do not understand diversity, unable to conceive until it is too late that there are many plausible conceptions of truth out there. I lament, and hope to be brave enough and smart enough when this happens again to make the right choice, and as for Veronica I will serve as an example through my actions and answer questions if she has them. I am not out to make an atheist after all, but neither will I let her remained uninformed of the world as is with its many conceptions of truth. I feel exhausted now and hope you forgive any lack of elegance I showed. I feel strain at sharing this but I think there is something that needs to be talked about and hopefully I got close to doing it in the right way. that is all.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:31:36 +0000
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