America is a place where we are supposed to be free of prejudice. Racial slurrs and religious stereo-types are considered not only inappropriate, but are banned from television, cause childeren to be suspended, and create barriers between all Americans. But there is one prejudice that seems to slip through the cracks.
Christianity. You hear Jesus get bashed regularly by comedians, poloticians, and christian bashing gets nothing more than a slap on the wrist (if that) on school grounds. Why is this? I was once told that people make jokes of things they are afraid of, things they don't understand. Let me shed some light. Christians, true Christians, (Not those guys you read about that bomb abortion clinics and beat homosexuals beyond reccognition), are loving faithfull, people. We practice honesty in our work, relationships and friendships. I bet if you asked any of these Christian bashers why they do it, they couln't give you a straight answer. I for one am so sick of it I can't see straight! I know we're granted freedom of speach, but if I were to make a joke about a muslim or an African American, I'd be charged with a hate crime. Please note, I would never do that. I'm one of those TRUE Christians that I spoke of earlier. One who believes we are all creatures of God, and that no one deserves to be torn down with verbal attacks.
NOBODY. I just wish the world felt the same way about Christians. The double standard is dissappointing. I'm loosing faith in the brotherhood of this country. A country who's laws and guidliness were built on Christian princaples and practices. A country where God fearing, Christian men fought and DIED to give us the right to believe what we want to believe, to worship who, and how we worship, and this is the thanks they get. Jokes, slander, social segregation. All I know is I would NEVER use hatefull words for my own self rightiousness. I'm just trying to figure out what makes people think they have the right to do it to me. After all. This is America. Land of the free, but for those of us who belive and love Jesus Christ, it's not so free.
Christians are "bashed" in this country because, to many of you, particularly the most fundamental and evangelical, to disagree with you or to maintain that the rest of us should be able to live our lives by our lights and not by yours, is to "bash" you and your values.
If you are criticized more in this country than other religions, it is simply because you are in the majority in the European and American countries where Christianity is in the ascendant, and therefore your expressed attitudes are more intrusive on the rest of us than are the beliefs of those who worship Islam, for example. We continue to stand up to you because we know that, except for the blessed secular protections of Western nations in this time, you would be glad to set up a Taliban-like society where all who did not live by the gospel (as you read and interpret it) would be shunned, jailed, stoned. Christianity has never lacked for those to tell the world what is right, what is wrong, and to punish severely anyone who would dare disagree.
None of us are telling you not to love Jesus, nor are we trying to keep you from living as you like according to your tenets. Unfortunately, your faith mandates that you do not accord us the same respect. How can you then be surprised when we aren't happy about that?