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Sunday, August 18, 1996

Graduate student ranks religion over her race, genderBy V.I. Williams

I am a Christian.

I take a great comfort in that. This is why Ms. Robinson's article in last week's Summer Bruin disturbed me a great deal.

As an African American and a woman, I have enjoyed reading Ms. Robinson's editorials for the past few months. I chuckled to myself when she wrote about guys trying to get in for free at clubs by smooth-talking to her at the door. I agree with many of the views that she has expressed with regard to affirmative action, sexism and racism. Without a doubt, she has added a unique voice to The Bruin. Providing such different perspectives in The Bruin is a practice which, hopefully, will continue for many years to come. However, in spite of my belief that Ms. Robinson should be able to freely express her beliefs on Christianity and/or other issues, I must say that not only did I disagree with some of the content of her article, I was also disappointed with the manner in which she chose to characterize Christianity specifically and other religions generally.

At this point, I imagine that Ms. Robinson has received a number of responses about her article, responses which point out the inaccuracy in a number of the statements that she has made about the Christian faith, its origins and what it espouses, (i.e., that Christians believe that if you drink, do drugs, have premarital sex, etcetera, you will go to hell, or that you have to perform a number of good works in order to go to heaven, or the implication that Christianity is the only religion in which its believers actively share their faith with others, et cetera). Given the fact that she has probably received several responses discrediting her words, it is not necessary to dispel them again here. Furthermore, it sounds as if Ms. Robinson has had enough of Christians telling her what the Bible says and that she wishes to hear no more about it. I believe that it is important to respect her wishes. This appearing to be the case, I would like to comment on the manner in which Ms. Robinson expressed her frustration with the "Jesus freaks" she has encountered. I would also like to briefly mention what purpose Christianity serves in my life. It is necessary to stress that I am writing for myself alone, not for anyone else ­ Christian, black or female.

Ms. Robinson describes the witnessing that she once did as a Christian as "Recruitment." The witnessing that she experienced is described once as an "attack" and another time as a "run-in" with Christians. She states that she "sounds bitter and cynical" as she writes about her experiences with Christians. Regardless of the actual severity of her "run-ins," it is important to attempt to see them as she does in order to gain larger insight into the feelings she expresses. If in her mind she believes that she has been accosted by some Christians, not only should that be duly noted, it should be respected as a valid belief, or ­ at minimum ­ a very real possibility. As one who continues to experience racism, yet is told that it no longer exists, I realize the importance of acknowledging an individual's personal experiences.

On the other hand, for Ms. Robinson to lump a significant number of Christians into one group ("I am very familiar with how average Christians and Jesus freaks think.") and for her to make blanket statements about the tenets of Christianity (and implicitly, Christians) was puzzling ("Why is it that some religions respect your right to chose [sic]* while others try to force you into theirs?"). Ms. Robinson's general grouping was puzzling because it presumed as fact that: (1) all "average Christians and Jesus freaks" think alike and behave identically and (2) that the tenets of Christianity are not tainted by the foibles of humankind.

The manner in which Ms. Robinson characterized Christianity, while powerful and undoubtedly steeped in personal belief and experiences, was the epitome of stereotyping. She states, "I have never had a Jew, Muslim or Baha'i person chase me while I was walking. I have never seen a Buddhist or atheist screaming at the top of [his/her] lungs on Bruin Walk." Implicit in these statements is the idea that because she has not seen it, it does not happen. This statement is not meant to implicate or point the finger at other religions in order to vindicate Christianity. It is simply intended to point out that the reality of a particular situation extends beyond a single individual's experiences. To draw a parallel along the lines of race, just because one individual has never actually met a good white person, does not mean that there are not good white people in society. By the same token, just because it appears that all of the experiences Ms. Robinson has had with religious "recruitment" have been with Christians does not mean that other groups do not share their beliefs with others in the same manner. And just because her experiences to date with Christians have been negative does not mean that all Christians are out to "suck her into the whirlpool of Christian evangelism." While it may be second nature to stereotype in this manner based upon personal experiences (we all do it), it is something that can be very harmful to individuals who are on the receiving end of acts done based upon stereotyping. Consequently, it would not hurt to be mindful of this phenomenon.

Ms. Robinson's column also appears to have overlooked the fact that unfortunately, the words of the Book and the beliefs of its buyer do not always coincide. In other words, the Bible may establish a rule, but the original intent of that rule may not be correctly determined by a person and different people will interpret that rule different.

Consequently, you get one Christian who believes that Christians should "recruit" or witness to others in the manner that Ms. Robinson experienced and another who believes that witnessing can be done in an act as simple as singing in a church choir or doing kind deeds regularly. It is unfortunate that the former form has alienated Ms. Robinson. This is why it is important for individuals to read Bible texts for themselves and to draw their own conclusions accordingly. Ms. Robinson herself stated "God gave [her] a conscience as [her] guide and a brain to decide whether or not to follow it." I believe this holds true for everyone when interpreting religious text. And it sounds as if Ms. Robinson's recently increased interest in the Bible (in spite of her negative experiences) has begun as a result of her doing precisely that: reading it for herself.

As for the role that Christianity plays in my life, I would say the following: The older I become, the more certain I am of who I am, what that means, and how my life should be led as a result. I define myself in three ways, primarily. I am a Christian first and foremost. I am an African American secondarily. Then, I am a woman.

I do not think it coincidence that these ways in which I define myself and the order in which I do so are ranked in the order of the difficulty each existence presents for me. Ms. Robinson speaks the truth when she implies that living one's life as a Christian is difficult. Indeed, of the three existences, Christianity has been the one that has brought me the most intense struggles. It is also an existence that I must struggle to keep at the head of my list.

Since I have come to California, laws like Proposition 187 and the "three strikes rule" have been passed, affirmative action in the UC system has been repealed, the California Civil Rights Initiative has been proposed, the deprivation of federal funds to legal immigrants has been strongly supported and both years I have been reminded by anonymous mailings at Boalt Hall and UCLA School of Law (and by the minimal response of faculty to these mailings) that my presence as a person of color is not wanted, appreciated or respected in the UC system. I have lived in several different states and countries; yet, I have never been as conscious of my race as I have been in the state of California. Given these facts, it has been very difficult for me not to let Christianity take a back seat to my racial identity.

This brings me to the second reason for my decision to respond to Ms. Robinson's article. I am responding because I believe that in spite of the negative personal experiences Ms. Robinson has had with Christians (which should not be minimized or dismissed in any way, shape or fashion) Christianity has done a wealth of good in this world over the centuries. More specifically, it has done a lot for me.

Christianity has done a great deal of good in my life and for society, if its sole redeeming quality has been that it has kept me from hating those who hate me. It has. Christianity has done an immense amount of good in my life and for society if the only thing it has done is to keep me from harming people who question my ability and whether I am "worthy" enough to be here. It does. If the only thing that Christianity has done for me is to keep me respectful of people, their experiences and their different walks of life, it has done a great deal. And many people, Christian or not, will agree that Christianity is a powerful belief system if all it has done is keep me both focused and sane during my first two years of law school. I believe that Christianity has done and will continue to do these things and many others for me.

I am not perfect; I will be the first to tell anyone that. But in short, if I did not have Christianity, it is very likely that I would be what many people expect of people like myself and other people of color: an unproductive, problematic member of society. By no means does this statement mean that those who are not Christians are unproductive and problematic to society. There are amazing individuals in this world who are not Christians. Nor does it mean that if I were not a Christian, I could not achieve. It only means that the Christian faith has done a great good and has far and away been more essential to my survival and my human decency than any other factor in my life.

This is why although I will continue to fight the good fight for appropriate causes involving race, gender and human rights, it is my hope that Christianity will always be first and foremost the definitive mark of my existence.

I am sorry that Ms. Robinson has been so alienated by some Christians. Hopefully, her negative experiences will not give way to a negative opinion of all Christians and the Christian faith. Hopefully, in the long run, something positive will come out of her experiences.

V.I. Williams is a graduate student at UCLA.