Comments on: Does feeling like a victim make you selfish? http://silouanthompson.net/2010/01/does-feeling-like-a-victim-make-you-selfish/ silouanthompson.net Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:13:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ron Almberg http://silouanthompson.net/2010/01/does-feeling-like-a-victim-make-you-selfish/comment-page-1/#comment-6947 Ron Almberg Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:49:19 +0000 http://silouanthompson.net/?p=1114#comment-6947 Isn't it strange - ironic - that there is power in perceiving ourselves as "the persecuted"? We huddle together with like minds and lick our wounds and dream up all sorts of eschatological endings in our favor because we sincerely believe that we are in the right and the "other" - that wicked majority - is in the wrong. This happens whether you're democrat or republican, orthodox or mormon, pentecostal or jehovah witness, etc. This attitude toward the world becomes the walls that keep us together and protect us from the rest of the world. It helps us define "who's in" and "who's out". It justifies our triumphalism or defeatism. Meanwhile, it also gives us a sense of entitlement! We deserve our place and voice in the world, and more than that, we deserve that room be made for us! As such, we never allow ourselves to be seen as part of the "mainstream" of humanity but always a little a part from it so that we can pronounce judgment upon the "them" of the mainstream. It also prevents us, sadly, from fully entering into the world's brokenness and serving it. Isn’t it strange – ironic – that there is power in perceiving ourselves as “the persecuted”? We huddle together with like minds and lick our wounds and dream up all sorts of eschatological endings in our favor because we sincerely believe that we are in the right and the “other” – that wicked majority – is in the wrong. This happens whether you’re democrat or republican, orthodox or mormon, pentecostal or jehovah witness, etc. This attitude toward the world becomes the walls that keep us together and protect us from the rest of the world. It helps us define “who’s in” and “who’s out”. It justifies our triumphalism or defeatism. Meanwhile, it also gives us a sense of entitlement! We deserve our place and voice in the world, and more than that, we deserve that room be made for us! As such, we never allow ourselves to be seen as part of the “mainstream” of humanity but always a little a part from it so that we can pronounce judgment upon the “them” of the mainstream. It also prevents us, sadly, from fully entering into the world’s brokenness and serving it.

]]> By: Sean+ Lotz http://silouanthompson.net/2010/01/does-feeling-like-a-victim-make-you-selfish/comment-page-1/#comment-6924 Sean+ Lotz Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:55:43 +0000 http://silouanthompson.net/?p=1114#comment-6924 O. M. G. *I* carry a torch for the Stuarts! (Being relatives, I rather like them.) I weep and mourn the fall of King Author, and await his return. I can still grumble about William the Bastard. And, as a Celtic Catholic, I can also gnash my teeth over St. Augustine the Butcher. And yet I know I am missing all the joy of this, because I know what it looks like when all of the above are turned into genuine victim-hood instead of a quirky, humorous, and yet serious historical awareness. What really scare me are those Christians here in America who talk about how badly they are persecuted. It was talking about such twits that prompted us at St. Ita's to add the Martyrs of Uganda to our litany of saints every Sunday. "Ha! You think you're persecuted. Check out these guys." "People like to be victims! There's a certain unassailable moral superiority about it." -- Jeff Smith, _Bone_ O. M. G. *I* carry a torch for the Stuarts! (Being relatives, I rather like them.)
I weep and mourn the fall of King Author, and await his return.
I can still grumble about William the Bastard.
And, as a Celtic Catholic, I can also gnash my teeth over St. Augustine the Butcher.

And yet I know I am missing all the joy of this, because I know what it looks like when all of the above are turned into genuine victim-hood instead of a quirky, humorous, and yet serious historical awareness.

What really scare me are those Christians here in America who talk about how badly they are persecuted. It was talking about such twits that prompted us at St. Ita’s to add the Martyrs of Uganda to our litany of saints every Sunday. “Ha! You think you’re persecuted. Check out these guys.”

“People like to be victims! There’s a certain unassailable moral superiority about it.” — Jeff Smith, _Bone_

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