Thread by @Ford_Ebling

I say this fully knowing who I am and what background I come from, but if there’s anything that can be salvaged from Christianity, if it can be saved at all, it will not be done by white men.
And probably not by white people in general.
#EmptyThePews

For me, saying, “I used to be a Christian” is the same as me saying, “I used to be a skinhead.” Cause I came from a particularly nationalistic, military-worshipping, dominionist, White-centric brand of Christianity.
#EmptyThePews

And despite what every condescending “Not All Christians” bastard might say, there differences between a lot of the big denoms are not all that different. They have a lot of inconsequential theological differences, but the things they want are the same.
#EmptyThePews

A major basis of pretty much all the denoms is spreading the gospel, and the only difference between all of them is how forceful or underhanded they choose to be about it. And all of them are quick to quash dissenters.
Take how James Cone is being treated. #EmptyThePews

He actually preached and practiced a theology of uplifting the marginalized, often ignoring the circular philosophical debates of Christianity in favor of actually working to help the oppressed. Cone is reviled by many white theologians.
#EmptyThePews

Despite helping the meek being a core tenant of Christianity, even suggesting the fellow Christians contribute to a system that marginalizes certain people is just a schism that white Christians cannot process.
#EmptyThePews

Because the bulk of Christianity has a vested interest in making themselves look like the oppressed, despite the fact that they have been one of the dominate forces in the world for centuries upon centuries.
#EmptyThePews

They want to believe they’re the same people having to practice their religion in secret, hiding from the Roman authorities. But that hasn’t been the case in a long time.

The truth is, white Christians are living like they’re under an oppressive regime that hasn’t existed for nearly 2000 years. They’re living in a past they never even experienced. And they truly have no idea what it means to be oppressed and marginalized.
#EmptyThePews

That’s why folks like @ToriGlass and @JoLuehmann and anyone speaking against colonizer Christianity are so important, while most white people trying to fix Christianity is just noise.
#EmptyThePews

Religious leadership will just call a white person speaking against doctrine misguided and ignore them. That same leadership will call POC speaking against them dangerous. #EmptyThePews

And even the most well-meaning white folk still in the fold are so cautious about rocking the boat that they might as well be useless.
Because a lot of them are still reluctant to give up the benefits of a Christian community.
#EmptyThePews

And as long as they’re holding onto that, white Christian folks can never be allies to marginalized people. All the oppressive systems built for the benefit of white people need to come down.
#EmptyThePews

I’m paraphrasing @HC_Exvangelical, but he was absolutely right in saying, “Given the choice between the marginalized and the system they benefit from, they will not choose you.”
#EmptyThePews