Prather column feeds fear

Paul Prather’s column concerning a shrinking percentage of white Christians is more dangerous than he might realize. While I don’t believe he wants to stir a racial or religious frenzy, his message sounds exactly like the alt-right, who say that “white culture” and our “national identity” are being threatened by various “others.” It’s a completely unfounded fear.

Despite not having more than 50 percent of the population, white Christians still make up 91 percent of Congress and six out of the nine Supreme Court Justices. White Christians still have more legislative power than any other denomination in the country, making them the most powerful people, next to business leaders.

Even though Prather’s headline says, “Get used to it,” his article also says that the shrinking majority is “disconcerting” and “beliefs we assumed to be universally right are those of a minority.”

In the Trump era, in which white supremacists speak on national news programs, Prather’s column is more likely to feed the fear of white Christians that they are under threat. I encourage Prather to consider how his message is going to be interpreted, especially when he’s espousing the same ideas and stoking the same fears as Breitbart and InfoWars.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Prather column feeds fear."