Two Thoughts On Christiantity

Two very good and interesting thoughts on the meaning of Christianity in modern America, or at least, that's what I took from them.

Our Trespasses

And

On "Real" Christians and Christian Privilege

This second one, especially, struck me. Here's an excerpt.

Frankly, it's hurtful to me when Christians address what happened to me by saying, "Those aren't real Christians," expecting me to salve their discomfort about the baggage of privilege by not disagreeing. People who would never in a million years think to try to console a victim of a hate crime with "All [white/straight/cis/abled] people aren't like that!" nonetheless responded that way to me when I was targeted and threatened by droves of self-identified Christians.

I already know that all Christians aren't like that—and everyone who said it to me knew I was well aware of that fact. But in the wake of large members of a certain segment of Christianity attacking me, most of the Christians I knew felt obliged first and foremost to distance themselves from the group that hurt me, and do it in a way that protected their idea of Christianity, that reasserted their privilege—a privilege that is shared by the very people who attacked me, solely by virtue of their calling themselves Christians.

And they expected me to be comforted by it. - Shakesville

I resonate with this critique. I am a Catholic, and yet I find myself in complete disagreement of so much that purports to be "Catholic" today. It keeps me from my faith and my church, and I resent that. And yet, I cannot not be Catholic, it's just who I am. It's a constant struggle.

Two thoughts today, and a million more unsaid.

(With a tip-o-the-hat to OpenLeft.)