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Being anti-church (place of worship) is anti-immigrant.
I can explain this best by describing the nature and function of an immigrant church with which I am familiar.
(1/10)
The church burned down in 2019. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
I can explain this best by describing the nature and function of an immigrant church with which I am familiar.
(1/10)
The church burned down in 2019. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
2Immigrants stick together b.c there's safety in numbers, hence immigrant neighborhoods & churches. Immigrants may speak little to no English, are unfamiliar with laws, job opportunities, housing, how to obtaining paperwork, medical care, bank accounts, driver's licenses, loans.
3Churches are multipurpose blgs for various community services. Upstairs birth, marriage, death, the welcoming new members and community events are announced. Downstairs is a meeting space for receptions and celebrations, and most importantly socializing.
4Socializing including space for celebrations but also organizational meetings, charity drives, language classes, clubs, child care, volunteer opportunities, community newsletters, donation boxes, information about scholarships, education & training services, and job opening.
5Socializing helps immigrants w/ obtaining necessary paperwork, get bank accounts, share transportation, share and obtain housing, navigate the immigration system and seek legal representation. Remaining in the church helps build a necessary network to navigate a hostile system.
6The benefit of churches over community centers is that they are socially sanctioned events, facilitating participation at a particular time on a weekly basis for the organizational process and community services to continue and function.
7Govt services are often mistrusted, misleading, unhelpful & have huge information gaps. Language & cultural differences frustrate & limit opportunities. Agencies don't function for the needs of the community and members but to maintain the exploitive & oppressive system itself.
8The American Dream is an inculturation process and destroys immigrant communities. Moving for college, a job, to buy a home breaks communication, physical ties, and cultural threads and weakens the community, and makes individuals vulnerable to outside hostility and threat.
9In short, being anti-religious isn't just criticism of a belief in super-human agents but also promotes hostility towards vulnerable communities and individuals by endangering their ability to secure material necessities and to survive and function in an adversarial environment.
10 The function of religious centers for community services is widely recognized. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-07/how-religious-spaces-help-immigrants-adjust-to-america
