Religious Privilege: Privileging Religion in Modern Society
The main premise employed by those who advocate religious privilege in modern society is that religion, religious groups, religious beliefs, and religious believers should not have to be bound by the same laws as everyone else. The primary argument against religious privilege should therefore be that neutral laws should be binding on everyone.
Criticizing Religion vs. Criticizing Race
It's becoming more and more popular to argue that there is something fundamentally inappropriate and/or intolerant about criticizing religion and religious beliefs. It sometimes seems as if no serious and pointed criticisms are permitted against what people believe if those beliefs are part of religion - regardless of how bigoted or nasty those beliefs are.
It's becoming more and more popular to argue that there is something fundamentally inappropriate and/or intolerant about criticizing religion and religious beliefs. It sometimes seems as if no serious and pointed criticisms are permitted against what people believe if those beliefs are part of religion - regardless of how bigoted or nasty those beliefs are.
Mt. Soledad Cross, War Memorial: Mt. Soledad Cross v. Church/State Separation
Located on top of Mt. Soledad in San Diego, California, is a 29-foot-tall concrete cross sitting on a 14-foot-tall platform. It was erected in 1955 to replace an older wooden cross. It was originally designed as a Christian Easter memorial cross. In 1989, after it was challenged as a violation of the separation of church and state, a Korean veterans' war memorial was added to the site in order to create a secular context as an excuse to have the cross remain.
Located on top of Mt. Soledad in San Diego, California, is a 29-foot-tall concrete cross sitting on a 14-foot-tall platform. It was erected in 1955 to replace an older wooden cross. It was originally designed as a Christian Easter memorial cross. In 1989, after it was challenged as a violation of the separation of church and state, a Korean veterans' war memorial was added to the site in order to create a secular context as an excuse to have the cross remain.
Equality and the Rule of Law vs. Religious Institutions
Throughout much of Western history, Christian churches occupied a privileged place in society. Religious institutions were sovereign, which meant that for the most part they simply weren't subject to the civil laws that applied to everyone else - and this includes the clergy. A priest who raped a child might only be sentenced a a year in a monastery while anyone else would be put to death.
Throughout much of Western history, Christian churches occupied a privileged place in society. Religious institutions were sovereign, which meant that for the most part they simply weren't subject to the civil laws that applied to everyone else - and this includes the clergy. A priest who raped a child might only be sentenced a a year in a monastery while anyone else would be put to death.
American Government Has the Authority to Promote Christianity?
Does the American government have the authority to single out Christianity as a religion to be promoted, endorsed, and encouraged? The Constitution, American law, and basic moral principles would appear to be unambiguous in rejecting such a position, but a few Christian Nationalists are capable of manipulating words and ideas to justify exactly this.
Does the American government have the authority to single out Christianity as a religion to be promoted, endorsed, and encouraged? The Constitution, American law, and basic moral principles would appear to be unambiguous in rejecting such a position, but a few Christian Nationalists are capable of manipulating words and ideas to justify exactly this.
Douglas Laycock: Religious Exemptions & Hostility to Religious Liberty
An increasingly important issue concerning religious liberty in modern society is whether and how far religious believers should be exempt from neutral laws, rules, and regulations which everyone else has to follow. Religious believers are asking for ever more exemptions, but how far should society go to grant such exemptions and thereby risk allowing them to harm others?
An increasingly important issue concerning religious liberty in modern society is whether and how far religious believers should be exempt from neutral laws, rules, and regulations which everyone else has to follow. Religious believers are asking for ever more exemptions, but how far should society go to grant such exemptions and thereby risk allowing them to harm others?
Criticism of Religion: Should Religion Have a Privileged Status?
Should religious sensibilities receive special consideration? Should people be given special consideration when they feel offended for religious reasons as opposed to other reasons? That's what a lot of religious believers seem to think, but they are wrong. Being offended for religious reasons deserves no more attention or care than being offended for any other reason.
Should religious sensibilities receive special consideration? Should people be given special consideration when they feel offended for religious reasons as opposed to other reasons? That's what a lot of religious believers seem to think, but they are wrong. Being offended for religious reasons deserves no more attention or care than being offended for any other reason.
Child Care and Religious Exemptions
It's common in America for religious organizations, and especially churches, to try to get exemptions from the same laws and regulations which apply to everyone else. In a few cases, this may be reasonable, but it's far more common that religious groups are simply trying to abuse the belief that religion is 'special' and deserves deference.
It's common in America for religious organizations, and especially churches, to try to get exemptions from the same laws and regulations which apply to everyone else. In a few cases, this may be reasonable, but it's far more common that religious groups are simply trying to abuse the belief that religion is 'special' and deserves deference.
Religious Privilege: How Religion, Religious Groups, and Religious Beliefs are Privileged
The history of human culture can be recounted as the rise and decline of privileges for various groups over other groups in society. The Enlightenment was the beginning of the end for most forms of privilege in Western societies, though it has taken centuries to develop. White privilege and male privilege remain in subtle ways but are in steep decline. Religious privilege, the favoring of religion, religious beliefs, and religious figures, has been much more difficult to kill.
The history of human culture can be recounted as the rise and decline of privileges for various groups over other groups in society. The Enlightenment was the beginning of the end for most forms of privilege in Western societies, though it has taken centuries to develop. White privilege and male privilege remain in subtle ways but are in steep decline. Religious privilege, the favoring of religion, religious beliefs, and religious figures, has been much more difficult to kill.
Redefining Religious Freedom: Special Rights for Religious Believers
Religious conservatives are anxious to expand the power of religious organizations in the United States, even if that means turning basic principles of religious freedom and liberty on its head. Instead of treating religious freedom as a type of general liberty and of freedom of conscience, they wish to treat religious freedom as a unique type of liberty, deserving of special treatment.
Religious conservatives are anxious to expand the power of religious organizations in the United States, even if that means turning basic principles of religious freedom and liberty on its head. Instead of treating religious freedom as a type of general liberty and of freedom of conscience, they wish to treat religious freedom as a unique type of liberty, deserving of special treatment.
Religious Institutions: Powerful or Powerless?
Perhaps the best way for a group or person to exercise power in a manner that harms others is to convince people that one doesn't actually have any power to begin with. This is the tactic adopted by many conservative religious institutions in America: despite wielding tremendous direct power as well as indirect power through their influence, they have persistently argued that they are powerless.
Perhaps the best way for a group or person to exercise power in a manner that harms others is to convince people that one doesn't actually have any power to begin with. This is the tactic adopted by many conservative religious institutions in America: despite wielding tremendous direct power as well as indirect power through their influence, they have persistently argued that they are powerless.
Holiness and Religion: Privileging the Holy in Society
The privileging of certain groups over others (men over women, blacks over whites, Christians over non-Christians) doesn't always occur on an overt, obvious level. Often it's reinforced and supported by subtle things like the language we use. Words and phrases which people don't think consciously about may effectively promote ideas about some being inherently better than others.
The privileging of certain groups over others (men over women, blacks over whites, Christians over non-Christians) doesn't always occur on an overt, obvious level. Often it's reinforced and supported by subtle things like the language we use. Words and phrases which people don't think consciously about may effectively promote ideas about some being inherently better than others.
Privileging Religion in Modern Society
People who argue that religion should be privileged - and that their religion in particular should be privileged - almost never actually state outright that privilege is what they are seeking. Instead, they find various ways to insist that the privileges they want are merely their rightful due. How convenient that they have a 'right' to be treated better than everyone else.
People who argue that religion should be privileged - and that their religion in particular should be privileged - almost never actually state outright that privilege is what they are seeking. Instead, they find various ways to insist that the privileges they want are merely their rightful due. How convenient that they have a 'right' to be treated better than everyone else.
Religion in the Media: Privileging Religion and Christianity
The general prejudice in modern society is to accord religion, religious beliefs, and religious people special privileges that are not granted to anyone else or any other belief system. The trend of modernity is to reduce unjust privileges, but killing religious privileges has proven very difficult.
The general prejudice in modern society is to accord religion, religious beliefs, and religious people special privileges that are not granted to anyone else or any other belief system. The trend of modernity is to reduce unjust privileges, but killing religious privileges has proven very difficult.