> -----Original Message----- > From: Chesty Puller [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 11:23 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Religion and Science my $.02 > > How is this stereotyping of Christians any different than saying things > like: > > "Black people are lazy - they just sit around and eat fried-chicken and > watermelon all day." > "Women just aren't capable and shouldn't earn as much money as men." > "Jews worship money." > > Please explain.
Well, I can tell you how it's different... but that doesn't make it better (or worse for that matter). In our culture it seems acceptable to apply stereotypes to groups with volunteer members. It's a no-no apply a stereotype to blacks (who had no choice about being black) but it's acceptable to call a black lawyer a scum-sucking, ambulance chaser. A woman is an equal partner worthy of equal pay in the eyes of the politically correct... but a soccer-mom can still be a priggish, over-pampered bitch. As an aside this is why there are some groups, today it's mainly homosexuals and those that hate them, that spend so much time trying to prove and disprove genetic causes for behavior. If a group can "prove" (as many have tried) that homosexuality is a choice then, apparently, it's acceptable to stereotype that group. If, on the other hand, it's not a choice - if it's "something you are" - then they have fewer options. The same thing is happening with violent behavior and addiction. If somebody is fat because they eat too much and are lazy then fine: we can pick on them. But if it's a genetic addiction... well then we have to pity those poor people. Christians volunteer to be Christians and, most importantly, can choose not to be. For this reason many people seem to feel they are a valid target. There are other reasons as well however: 1) Christians (at least in the USA where I presume most of this discussion is taking place) are a solid majority. In any community it's often seen as "Okay" to pick on the majority. No censor ever stopped George Jefferson from saying "Honky" on TV but they did stop him from saying "Nigger". 2) "Christians" don't exist as an organized body. There are dozens of major and thousands of minor sects, groups and churches. Much of the stereotyping actually comes from other Christians. Much of that which doesn't comes from generalists who are, in fact, speaking only of certain sects (perhaps without knowing it). I've done this myself (not on purpose) in haste or to tighten prose. It's easier to say "Christians are..." rather than "Fundamentalist, biblical-literalist, conservative Christian sects are..." all the time. It's wrong, of course, but all stereotypes are generalizations that do indeed apply to a (perhaps very small) number of the population being stereotyped. Stereotypes aren't challenged on veracity: they're challenged on application to an entire population to the exclusion of another. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:189897 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
