It comes from an arrogant (and ignorant), false sense of superiority and entitlement.
It comes when folk think that just because they can, they should, and it is right.
It happened to the Native Americans. Europeans came and "discovered" a new land, full of people, planted their flags and fought over it with the people who inhabited this "newly discovered" land until they were gone, also fighting each other to plant their particular flags in different areas of it. The arrogant and false sense of superiority and entitlement necessarily meant that those who lived here had to be de-humanized in the minds of the people, so they were...
Then, in order to get free labor to make the new "colonies" rich, they enslaved people... went out of their way to get people who did not look like them... went to great lengths and cost to develop an INDUSTRY of capturing, transporting and enslaving people to get free labor... invaded other nations and stole their people, because of their false, insane sense of superiority and entitlement... they were de-humanized in the minds of the people... they could, so they did, and justified it...
And it happens today...
We want oil, we invade Iraq on false pretenses, occupy their country and the Military Industrial Complex, including Halliburton and other contractors, and oil companies get rich off the blood spilled, not just of thousands of our soldiers, but of MILLIONS of Iraqi's... because we could and felt entitled to it... we de-humanized the people there to justify it...
We plant our flag on corporation buildings all across the world, as if they represent the nation in them, as they exploit their workers for cheap labor, rape their lands for their resources and then pollute their air, water and land in order to make more profit. The logos of these companies turn whole segments of their country into "little Americas"... watch out Cuba, here they come... and then our tourists complain that the locals don't speak English... really "murikkkan"... because the people there are de-humanized in the minds of our gullible, easily duped people...
Churches plant in neighborhoods and then do the work, not of EVANGELISM, but of INDOCTRINATION, using the carrots of prosperity, prestige and power along with the sticks of fear, guilt and exclusion to get more people in their seats and more money in their coffers to make the preacher rich, look good and promote their doctrines... NOT THE TEACHINGS OF THE JESUS WHOSE NAME THEY CLAIM... people are de-humanized... objectified... for the sake, not of the Gospel or Jesus, but the institution and its corporate heads...
"Gentrifiers" do it in neighborhoods also. They buy up properties when the prices are low and, like the Oklahoma land grabs, come in groups to get a good deal. Then they clean up, fix up and buy up more. In the process, the property taxes go up and long-term renters, the elderly and working poor are pushed out, and unique cultural expressions and flavors are lost because the "sameness" they valued in the suburbs they grew up in is IMPOSED on the neighborhood for their comfort. They de-humanize the people living there... count them as "lesser" in order to justify it in their minds...
It is arrogant, intolerant, hateful, exploitative and IMMORAL. That is the "exceptional America" we are being sold... It is the evil empire. WE ARE the evil empire. Consistently Ruthless. Because we can, we should, right? Internally, internationally... we are evil - because we do evil to others for our own gain... immoral, unconscionable... America.
It would not have to be - THAT is the tragedy.
Pastor Jamie
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