One theory that I’m starting to understand through reading social science books on American history is this:
“White” Americans (I use quotes because the definition of whiteness has changed throughout the years) need someone to define themselves against in order to feel “more civilized” and worthy. First it was Natives, then the Irish and German, then the Eastern Europeans and Italians, and throughout all of this it has been Black folk. Then modern times have brought the Hispanic to this purpose. Now I think the latest permutation of this need to feel pure and civilized has included just….all “non Americans,” including any foreigners they don’t consider “proper and civilized.”
It’s like an insecurity of identity so deep that it requires an “othering” in order to feel safe. “I am better than you, you are less than me, therefore I am worthy.” Conservative “white/proper” Christians have always had an identity crisis, so they’ve always felt the need to invade other cultures and lands while subjugating the locals in order to feel superior. I’m starting to think that this is another permutation of that.
Maybe this theory ties into or explains the social media phenomenon of Christians constantly putting down both different Christians and non-Christians. They have to feel superior because…they don’t know how else to define themselves.
Edit: I’m completely going out on a limb, here, but I wonder if that has to do with the fact that Christianity teaches its followers to live for their own death. Like, it provides very little meaning to life because everything you’re living for happens after you die: love God so you can go to heaven, do this so you can go to heaven, follow these arbitrary rules so you can go to heaven. It doesn’t answer the questions “Why am I here? What is my purpose?” beyond like…their death, which is forever away. So if you don’t know why you are alive, if you can’t rely on a meaning or purpose to the 80 years while you’re on earth, then what else do you have to define your culture on? Like the insecure playground bully. “I don’t know who I am or why I’m here, so in order to feel secure, I have to feel stronger and smarter and more superior than everyone around me, even if (or maybe especially) that hurts the other kids.” The violence could be an expression of that frustration and insecurity.
Or maybe not. I don’t know. Of course, I do know “white” people and Christians who don’t behave this way, who are kind and generous and not-xenophobic. It seems to be more of a wider-culture thing. It’s definitely mixed up with settler-colonialism, though.
Now I think the latest permutation of this need to feel pure and civilized has included just….all “non Americans,” including any foreigners they don’t consider “proper and civilized.”
If this is true, then I wonder how much the war on terror has contributed to this.
It doesn’t answer the questions “Why am I here? What is my purpose?” beyond like…their death, which is forever away.
I don’t think that’s true, because non-Western Christians don’t have this problem while atheist white Americans do.
One theory that I’m starting to understand through reading social science books on American history is this:
“White” Americans (I use quotes because the definition of whiteness has changed throughout the years) need someone to define themselves against in order to feel “more civilized” and worthy. First it was Natives, then the Irish and German, then the Eastern Europeans and Italians, and throughout all of this it has been Black folk. Then modern times have brought the Hispanic to this purpose. Now I think the latest permutation of this need to feel pure and civilized has included just….all “non Americans,” including any foreigners they don’t consider “proper and civilized.”
It’s like an insecurity of identity so deep that it requires an “othering” in order to feel safe. “I am better than you, you are less than me, therefore I am worthy.” Conservative “white/proper” Christians have always had an identity crisis, so they’ve always felt the need to invade other cultures and lands while subjugating the locals in order to feel superior. I’m starting to think that this is another permutation of that.
Maybe this theory ties into or explains the social media phenomenon of Christians constantly putting down both different Christians and non-Christians. They have to feel superior because…they don’t know how else to define themselves.
Edit: I’m completely going out on a limb, here, but I wonder if that has to do with the fact that Christianity teaches its followers to live for their own death. Like, it provides very little meaning to life because everything you’re living for happens after you die: love God so you can go to heaven, do this so you can go to heaven, follow these arbitrary rules so you can go to heaven. It doesn’t answer the questions “Why am I here? What is my purpose?” beyond like…their death, which is forever away. So if you don’t know why you are alive, if you can’t rely on a meaning or purpose to the 80 years while you’re on earth, then what else do you have to define your culture on? Like the insecure playground bully. “I don’t know who I am or why I’m here, so in order to feel secure, I have to feel stronger and smarter and more superior than everyone around me, even if (or maybe especially) that hurts the other kids.” The violence could be an expression of that frustration and insecurity.
Or maybe not. I don’t know. Of course, I do know “white” people and Christians who don’t behave this way, who are kind and generous and not-xenophobic. It seems to be more of a wider-culture thing. It’s definitely mixed up with settler-colonialism, though.
If this is true, then I wonder how much the war on terror has contributed to this.
I don’t think that’s true, because non-Western Christians don’t have this problem while atheist white Americans do.
Fair point. I don’t know much about non-Western Christians. But the ones that made it to American shores have definitely seemed to fit.
And the War on Terror definitely contributed to the culture of “foreigners are evil animals.”