I was out for a run with a few of the local guys this morning and got into a conversation about Christianity, biblical literalism, and social justice. Really made me think, even though I didn't have much to disagree with. Two ideas from that conversation keep rattling around in my head:
Religion at its best (in my opinion) will enable us to understand -not simply tolerate- people and views that are different from our own. Religion that we encounter in affluent white suburbia usually does the exact opposite. As adherents of the latter, we subtly snub different people with divergent views. The more people people look, think, and act differently from us, the less they are welcome. This is usually carried out indirectly, not in an obvious way. Was this the way Jesus carried on? Didn't he mainly befriend social outcasts and the rejected?
The other thought that grabbed me is similar: the popularity of Glen Beck and anti-immigration sentiment, more specifically: (again) fear of those who are different from us. Perhaps some react negatively to the changes in American culture because they accurately observe that the way things have always been is disappearing. The thick lines that separated "us" from "them" are fading rapidly. How many more generations until the question of race/ethnicity on the federal census becomes laughably obsolete? That will be a good thing: perhaps then we will find it easier to identify and empathize with the "other".
The paradox of insular language
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We often develop slang or codewords to keep the others from understanding
what we’re saying. Here’s an example (thanks BK) of the lengths that some
are goi...
7 months ago
2 comments:
Gar,
I am not a fan of Glen Beck. But I do think the immigration issue is much more complicated than to say that those who are "anti-imigration" are so simply because they "fear those who are different than us."
There are a host of issues involved. Cities in the midwest with large influxes of Mexian immigrants have seen schools get crowded, businesses leave town and crime go up. So sometimes illegal immigration can create poor education, joblessness and an increase in gang activity.
Saying these things isn't the same as saying that we fear those different than us. It may be true that we fear those who are different. Or it could be that what we fear is the potential for poor education systems, unemployment and high crime rates.
It's not an easy topic to discuss because it mixes together legitimate concerns like the ones mentioned here and illegitimate concerns such as "fear of those who are different" or "change."
Thanks for commenting, Mark. I agree, not all anti-immigration thinking is simply fear of those who are different. Some is, but certainly not all.
I take issue ("more specifically") with the ways we often allow ourselves to be controlled by this fear. I suspect Beck and many drawn to his message fall in this category.
I do think that the problems associated with immigration are most appropriately addressed by dealing with issue at hand (education, law enforcement, infrastructure, etc.), not by just closing the gates. Structure needs to be in place to support community growth.
I agree that this is not a simple problem with simple solutions. Over-simplifying by circling the wagons and fear-mongering is not going to help.
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