Invisible Knapsacks

There are many "invisible knapsacks" that give specific groups of people different privileges. The McIntosh piece demonstrated "white privilege." In her piece she listed reasons that show how Caucasian people are privileged. These reasons make up an "indivisible knapsack." Another issue that has it's own set of privileges is religion. Some examples of Christian privilege in the United States may include:

1. Most state and federal holidays coincide with Christian beliefs; therefore, not affecting one's work or education.
2. An individual can speak openly about his/her religious beliefs without concern of other people's reactions.
3. A Christian may have a better chance of being elected into political office.
4. One may assume that "Merry Christmas" is a proper holiday greeting over "Happy Holidays."
5. Parents have the opportunity to send their children to parochial schools and children are less likely to be criticized for their beliefs.

The Iowa State Daily reported that 75% of Americans identify themselves as Protestant or Catholic, while the remaining people identified themselves as unaffiliated. Although the unaffiliated group is obviously a minority it is constantly increasing in numbers. The United States is known for being diverse, also being referred to as "the melting pot." The privilege of being a Christian is commonly forgotten, but without the acknowledgement of the issue it will never be solved. In McIntosh's piece she stated that most people are oblivious of the white privilege and then unwilling to change the situation because of a power issue. In her piece she spoke about males versus females saying that a male would acknowledge that he was dominant, but then unwilling to relinquish the privileges that being a man may provide. The Christian Privilege is similar to both conflicts in these ways.