For the most part, the progression of modernity has been characterized in large part by the elimination of unjust privileges which have allowed members of certain classes and groups to exercise unjust power and authority over others. The earliest targets were royalty and the aristocracy; in more recent years the targets were white privilege and male privilege. Today, one of the most significant sources of unconscious and unrecognized privilege is religion.

It's so bad, in fact, that some actually work to expand religious privileges rather than to eliminate them. One example comes from Barnet, northwest of London, where religious leaders will be given the privilege of buying passes that permit them to park anywhere they want regardless of the parking regulations. This privilege is to ostensibly allow them to serve their congregations better. There's just no way that it will be abused, right? And there's no reason to give similar privileges to anyone else, right?

The scheme, the local council says, is aimed at "helping vulnerable residents in time of spiritual need", and is open to all faiths including Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Rastafarianism, Sikhism, Unitarianism and Zoroastrianism.

Permits cost £40 each, or £70 for second and third permits, and can be issued to worshippers on faith business as well as religious leaders, on production of a letter of support from the applicant's place of worship, together with a brief description of the religious duties being carried out.

Source: Telegraph

So people who are on "faith business" can have the privilege of ignoring the parking laws which everyone else is expected to abide by. This isn't like medical professionals attending to emergencies and thus serving the public good, remember. Religious congregations are private organizations that happen to be structured around and based on religious beliefs. Religious leaders who are on "faith business" are doing something specifically for a member of their private organization, not serving the needs of the general public. No other private organizations are given the privilege of having leaders who can ignore the laws.

Do you suppose any atheist organizations will be allowed to apply for such permits, or will they be limited to just theistic religious groups? At least they are including some minority groups, like Rastafarians, but just how "ecumenical" will that policy ultimately be? Will they give the permits to Scientology? What about Quakers, who have no formal religious hierarchy and who believe in a priesthood of all believers? Will they be eager to hand out "ignore parking laws for free" cards to mosques that have a history of extremist preaching and ideology?

Privileging religion opens up a nasty can of worms because it's hard to do so completely fairly and without playing favorites among the religions — and that's before you even get into the immorality of privileging religion over non-religion in the first place. So many religious believers can be tempted to accept and endorse religious privileges because it's easy to imagine that they will benefit personally, but they forget that "religious privileges" don't get applied to all religion, all religious institutions, and all religious beliefs with complete equality.

They have little basis to complain, though, because once you endorse a system of deliberate inequality and discrimination, it's hard to justify complaining that some are benefiting from that inequality more than others.