There are all kinds of privilege.
You probably don’t want the kind, I have.
Why? Watch our Truth in Two to find out (full text below).
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Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappy Goat
FULL TEXT
Do I believe in “privilege?” I do. But probably not in the way some may think. In our culture “privilege” is meant to suggest that I may have received more than someone else. The balance has been tipped in my favor. “Privilege” suggests that I had an advantage over others because of my ethnicity, gender, nationality, socio-economic status, the list goes on and on. It might surprise some to hear that I believe I have been privileged in this life. But it’s probably not the kind of “privilege” others would desire.
You see, to be a Christian is a privilege. The apostle Paul in Philippians 1:29 says I have been privileged to believe in Jesus but that I would suffer for His sake. Yes, I have been granted the gift, as Scripture says, to believe in Jesus as Lord. But Scripture is also clear that privilege means suffering is a gift bestowed to me. I was made for, privileged to, suffer on His behalf.
Public universities, for instance, warn that there is something called “Christian privilege.” What academic institutions mean by that statement is Christians somehow have more advantages than atheists, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or Jews. But honestly, we live in a day when being a Christian has more detriments than benefits. Some want to silence Christian faith; others want to stamp it out altogether.
So, if you want cultural privilege you do not want Christian privilege. To be a Christian means our greatest privilege is to suffer for the sake of Jesus. Do I believe that people are “privileged?” Sure. But if you’re looking for cultural favors, don’t become a Christian. But if you want to named with The Name above all names, then, by all means, believe in Jesus and receive the privilege of suffering.
For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, personally seeking truth wherever it’s found.