Christianity’s Unmitigated Arrogance

During Easter weekend I was in line at a Walgreens pharmacy with my niece waiting to get my mother’s prescription. There was one man ahead of us, who turned to us to chat.

“Happy Easter,” he said pleasantly.

I smiled and said it back.

“It’s too bad people don’t know the real meaning of Easter anymore,” he said.

Now the hair on my neck is standing up.

“Oh, I think lots of people do,” I said, still smiling, only now with a barely contained edge.

“Well, I wish the ones in our government did,” he responded.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Not sure how I might have answered if my niece wasn’t standing next to me.

But allow me to tell you what was going through my mind as I stood there in the middle of one of the Trumpiest counties in New Jersey: Oh my god, do you honestly think the President of the United States, a practicing Catholic, doesn’t know the true meaning of Easter? Seriously? What is with you people and your grievance politics? Why do you so frequently feel the need to bond on what you perceive is wrong with this country? Never mind the biggest question of them all — why in holy hell do you assume everyone wants to live by your Christian beliefs?

And that of course brings us to women’s healthcare choices and the absolute arrogance of so many Christians in this country.

Instead of the extremes commonly used in this conversation, rape and incest, I’m going to stick to talking about more everyday situations that would put a woman in a place of making a decision about bringing a pregnancy to term. She’s sexually active, either in a loving relationship or not, perhaps enjoying the sport and release of casual sex. She could be young and not in a financial position to become a parent. Maybe she knows she’s not cut out for parenthood, but prefers not to become a nun.

Regardless of which is true, it’s none of our business. Not mine. Not yours. If you read that paragraph and felt your judgmental hackles go up at the thought of the scenarios presented, then thank you for confirming this isn’t about saving “babies” but curtailing behavior you don’t like.