Jesus relates a parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector which goes thus,
[Luk 18:9-14 KJV]
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The pharisees of the day were seen as high status due to their commitment to public religiosity. Jesus commented on their loud and public displays of prayer and due largely to his words Christians today think of them as the lowest of the low.
As I look around church and society today it has occurred to me that we now have what I refer to as the Post-millenial Pharisee. Commonly known as the “Victim”.
The victim sees themselves as possessing a superior form of righteousness due to the uniqueness of their experience. They loudly proclaim this in the form of “You cannot understand my unique situation because you haven’t had the same experience as me” which is used as an argument stopper as well as a form of bragging rather than an attempt to demonstrate the truth.
So with all of this background I present to you
The post-millenial Pharisee’s prayer.
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Two people went up into the temple to pray; the one a Victim, and the other a white male.
11 The Victim stood and prayed thus with herself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], managers, Supervisors, Directors, or even as this privileged white male.
12 I receive rape threats twice in the week, I live under oppression in the kitchen.
13 And the privileged white male, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Awsome .