Jesus really wanted to be a girl

Women, the abused, people of the LGBTQ community, questioners and doubters… these marginalized people are my people. This is who I draw and write about and for. I’ve been doing it for years. However, I’m still amazed at how quickly some people will rush in to try to provide balance to what I say but actually expose themselves as defenders of the perpetrators and perhaps even as perpetrators themselves.

You speak up for women and someone will quickly add, “There are women who oppress men too!” You speak up for the spiritually abuse and someone will quickly add, “The poor churches are under so much pressure.” You speak up for the LGBTQ community, and someone will quickly add, “You can’t expect the church to change overnight!” You speak up for the questioners and doubters, and someone will quickly add, “Why can’t they just find a more liberal church where they’re happy?”

Actually, what really gets me is when you speak up for the marginalized, and the general response from some is something like, “Why did they invite that kind of treatment?” I’m beginning to wonder if human beings can’t help blaming the victims of this world.

Even yesterday in my tribute post to Roger Ebert who passed away yesterday, I mentioned Christopher Hitchens because Ebert used one of my cartoons in a Chicago Sun Times article about Hitchens. I was alarmed at the nasty things Christians were saying about Hitchens, such as they were glad God was taking him out and that he would burn in Hell, etcetera. Even then people reacted by saying such things as, “Well Hitchens said some pretty nasty things to Christians, so he deserved it.” Or, “When you make public statements like Hitchens did you have to expect to get that kind of treatment.” Or, “Sure he got that kind of treatment, but it wasn’t from every Christian, just some, so stop blaming Christians for the cruelty he received.” On and on and on.

Some people just don’t get it. There is such a thing as a victim mentality. Sure. But I believe there is also a victimization mentality. And it seems that many Christians are good at it.