Comments on: The entitlement of the passive-aggressive do-gooder http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/ so you think you don't have any Sun, 13 May 2012 08:20:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Sylvia Sybil http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/comment-page-1/#comment-2095 Sylvia Sybil Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:41:00 +0000 http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/#comment-2095 Queer female ex-Catholic turned agnostic atheist here. I also avoid people and businesses that advertise their Christianity, especially if it's along the lines of "the one true way". To borrow a quote from Gandhi, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Christendom has a shit track record with human rights. And I don't like giving money to members of denominations that require tithing, especially when those church leaders use that money to fund the denial of basic human rights in another state *cough Prop 8 cough*. But I'll be honest, some of it is just the sheer arrogance. A woman on my campus has a shirt that reads, "Christianity is not a religion. Religion is man's* way of reaching out to God. Christianity is God's way of reaching out to man*." A car in my neighborhood has a bumper sticker that says, "Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace." Both of those tell me that these people consider me less than them before I ever open my mouth. Why would I want to reward that behavior? *Now with bonus sexism! I know other religions have their pompous blowhards too and it's just statistics that I see so many more Christians. Doesn't make it any easier to stomach when a Christian "friend" tells me God wants our mutual acquaintance to stay in an abusive relationship because marriage is eternal. Any god that requires the institutionalized degradation and endangerment of human beings is not a god worth worshiping. I have lots of Christian friends (of course) but only the ones that follow Jesus' preaching of "love thy neighbor" and "let he who is without sin cast the first stone". The ones who were more focused on form than function, that insisted the line in Leviticus about homosexuals was god's will but not the lines about shellfish and haircuts...they drifted away pretty early on. Or flounced away. Bottom line is, I want to reward people that treat me nicely and avoid those that don't. In my experience, those that advertise are likely to be aggressive in their beliefs and I don't need that harassment in my life. Queer female ex-Catholic turned agnostic atheist here. I also avoid people and businesses that advertise their Christianity, especially if it’s along the lines of “the one true way”. To borrow a quote from Gandhi, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Christendom has a shit track record with human rights. And I don’t like giving money to members of denominations that require tithing, especially when those church leaders use that money to fund the denial of basic human rights in another state *cough Prop 8 cough*.

But I’ll be honest, some of it is just the sheer arrogance. A woman on my campus has a shirt that reads, “Christianity is not a religion. Religion is man’s* way of reaching out to God. Christianity is God’s way of reaching out to man*.” A car in my neighborhood has a bumper sticker that says, “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.” Both of those tell me that these people consider me less than them before I ever open my mouth. Why would I want to reward that behavior?

*Now with bonus sexism!

I know other religions have their pompous blowhards too and it’s just statistics that I see so many more Christians. Doesn’t make it any easier to stomach when a Christian “friend” tells me God wants our mutual acquaintance to stay in an abusive relationship because marriage is eternal. Any god that requires the institutionalized degradation and endangerment of human beings is not a god worth worshiping.

I have lots of Christian friends (of course) but only the ones that follow Jesus’ preaching of “love thy neighbor” and “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. The ones who were more focused on form than function, that insisted the line in Leviticus about homosexuals was god’s will but not the lines about shellfish and haircuts…they drifted away pretty early on. Or flounced away.

Bottom line is, I want to reward people that treat me nicely and avoid those that don’t. In my experience, those that advertise are likely to be aggressive in their beliefs and I don’t need that harassment in my life.

]]> By: Dani http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/comment-page-1/#comment-2094 Dani Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:51:45 +0000 http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/#comment-2094 Ooooh, this is a big problem in the Christian community, and I know people who've gotten royally screwed over/shamed/threatened "in the name of God". I'm sorry (and angry on the behalf of) anyone that has to go through that. I think, in America at least, part of this stems from the fact that, in a lot of churches, as long as someone has the appearance of being a "good person" (i.e. dressed nicely and in a socially acceptable role), s/he is accepted as a "good Christian" without actually having to be...well...good. Which not only leads us to becoming so set on appearances that we have trouble believing a horrible thing was done if the criminal is good looking ("He's such a good Christian boy, he could never do that!"), it also leads to a complete deterioration of morals. If a person is never challenged to shed hypocrisy and really, REALLY examine her/himself to make sure s/he is not just all talk, then s/he never will. Ooooh, this is a big problem in the Christian community, and I know people who’ve gotten royally screwed over/shamed/threatened “in the name of God”. I’m sorry (and angry on the behalf of) anyone that has to go through that. I think, in America at least, part of this stems from the fact that, in a lot of churches, as long as someone has the appearance of being a “good person” (i.e. dressed nicely and in a socially acceptable role), s/he is accepted as a “good Christian” without actually having to be…well…good. Which not only leads us to becoming so set on appearances that we have trouble believing a horrible thing was done if the criminal is good looking (“He’s such a good Christian boy, he could never do that!”), it also leads to a complete deterioration of morals. If a person is never challenged to shed hypocrisy and really, REALLY examine her/himself to make sure s/he is not just all talk, then s/he never will.

]]> By: JT http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 JT Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:25:20 +0000 http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/#comment-1965 I do this, sometimes. Once, I was going to buy a really nice font from a website, but it was apparent she (the font's creator) was VERY religious (christian bible verses everywhere, etc.). I decided against it. Unfair? Maybe. However, women and gay rights are two things I am quite passionate about. Christians in this country, on the whole, have a bad track record for upholding these human rights. Also, being outed as an atheist once cost me a job with a very christian human resources employee. It has also caused me to be harrassed. I am not still angry over it, however, I am under no illusion that most christians would be so tolerant of me, so why should I go out of my way to patronize their businesses and be oh-so-respectful of their beliefs? When I did that, I still got shit for being an atheist. I do this, sometimes. Once, I was going to buy a really nice font from a website, but it was apparent she (the font’s creator) was VERY religious (christian bible verses everywhere, etc.). I decided against it.
Unfair? Maybe. However, women and gay rights are two things I am quite passionate about. Christians in this country, on the whole, have a bad track record for upholding these human rights.
Also, being outed as an atheist once cost me a job with a very christian human resources employee. It has also caused me to be harrassed. I am not still angry over it, however, I am under no illusion that most christians would be so tolerant of me, so why should I go out of my way to patronize their businesses and be oh-so-respectful of their beliefs? When I did that, I still got shit for being an atheist.

]]> By: Jennifer Kesler http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/comment-page-1/#comment-1958 Jennifer Kesler Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:37:48 +0000 http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/#comment-1958 This article is 3 years old. IIRC, I was thinking of the long history of Christians avoiding Jewish businesses, atheist businesses, refusing to hire gays, etc. At the time, it struck me that "harsh" was exactly what they needed to hear. So, yeah, it's harsh, but I felt then there was good reason. In reality I do only avoid doing business with people who advertise their Christianity as reason to trust them. This article is 3 years old. IIRC, I was thinking of the long history of Christians avoiding Jewish businesses, atheist businesses, refusing to hire gays, etc. At the time, it struck me that “harsh” was exactly what they needed to hear. So, yeah, it’s harsh, but I felt then there was good reason.

In reality I do only avoid doing business with people who advertise their Christianity as reason to trust them.

]]> By: Tina Russell http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/comment-page-1/#comment-1957 Tina Russell Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:25:13 +0000 http://whatprivilege.com/the-entitlement-of-the-passive-aggressive-do-gooder/#comment-1957 I think that’s a little... harsh. After all, the US is about 78% Christian (according to the CIA World Factbook). Wouldn’t it be good enough to avoid doing business with those who are Christian and suspiciously self-important about it? I think that’s a little… harsh. After all, the US is about 78% Christian (according to the CIA World Factbook). Wouldn’t it be good enough to avoid doing business with those who are Christian and suspiciously self-important about it?

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