Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., The Grio, August 19, 2009
{snip}
{snip} Historically, black churches have a common heritage being the only major branch of Christianity that emerged from a dispute related to justice and not doctrine.
The major schisms in Christian history in the 4th, 10th and 16th centuries were all related to differences in Christian doctrine. The 18th century movement of black Christians in North America, however, resulted from black worshippers refusing to be treated as less than human by their white Christian counterparts. This protest against Christian injustice by black Christians gave birth to what we now call “the black church” and every African American congregation has its roots in this legacy. The term “black church” summarizes the institutional response of black Christians in North America to the individual and institutional racism practiced by white Christians.
But today we have all kinds of black churches. Many of these churches function within the holistic tradition of relevant, prophetic ministry. But many black churches shun their historical legacy and have pursued directions that not only deny their heritage but actually exhibit a disdain for it. These churches accept the benefits of the black religious tradition—such as higher rates of church attendance by black people than other ethnic groups—while abandoning the focus on uplift of black people not only spiritually but also educationally and economically.
African Americans are disproportionately represented in every negative statistic reported from health care to educational achievement. These data serve as constant reminders that we need targeted strategies that address the unique challenges of a people who are the descendants of the most creative form of oppression ever experienced, executed by the same people that taught their victims their religion. {snip}
The genius of the black experience is that our forebears were able to use the very tool that was the primary means of oppression—Christian religion—and use it as a primary means of liberation. There are many black churches that are faithful to that legacy and are addressing the temporal and eternal needs of their members and communities. But there are many others—some very prominently featured in various media—that have allowed their pastors to function much more like pimps than prophets and servants. {snip}
Original article
(Posted on August 21, 2009)
Comments
its ironic that so many followers of the man who said “give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you will feed him for his whole life” demand so many handouts and concessions.
A friend of mine back in St. Louis used to own rental properties in the black section of St. Louis City. Next door to his apartments, between them and the street corner, was (and presumably still is) a tiny little AME church, which doesn’t have as much space as two of those apartments put together. Yet, every Sunday morning, so I am told, there are black women who come to that church in BMWs, Mercedes, Caddys, almost every luxury line car you can think of save Bugatti, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. The inside of that church is packed, and the singing and noise can wake up the whole zip code.
I think black Christianity somehow plays into the animist propensities of those who frequent such services.
‘The genius of the black experience is that our forebears were able to use the very tool that was the primary means of oppression—Christian religion—and use it as a primary means of liberation.’
Genius? Liberation? Nonsense!!! The true genius was displayed by our Euro-Med forefathers who originated the concept of universal religion. It was and continues to be a very effective means of unifying the various individuals in a culture thus avoiding the anarchy that plagued uncivilized cultures. However, it was only one example of the ‘Big Head’ thinking that made us the most dominant culture in world history. Just as amazing is that even today so many descendants of ‘uncivilized cultures’ still don’t get the importance of the concept because it’s so far beyond their myopic ‘Little Head’ train of thought.
It’s a shame they have perverted the Words of the Bible the way they have. Today’s “Black churches” as well as too many white churches generally bear little resemblance to the true Church that was begun in the first century. Especially when they have “preachers” who can get their credentials online, and love to yell and scream about everything under the sun except sin and salvaton. So many live extravagant lifestyles, wear those awful dandified suits, and think nothing of taking the people’s money, then telling them they aren’t giving enough to “the Lord”. We have hada few here in the south who have gotten in trouble for tax evasion or embezzlement, spent a couple of years in jail and came out to a heroes reception, welcoming them back into the pulpit. I wonder if they will ever learn…
“The genius(?)of the black experience is that our forebears were able to use the very tool that was the primary means of oppression-Christian religion-and use it as a primary means of liberation.” Two things: Rewriting history is a perilous enterprise and, by adopting your enslavers religion, purported by the majority of blacks to be the most important thing in their life (Jesus and all that)you have in fact totally capitulated and taken on your enslavers(for the most part) belief system and discarded your root religions. So in short, total oppression rendered by the black races own hand.
Blacks need their own african religions.
The less they have in common with Us the better.
“The genius of the black experience is that our forebears were able to use the very tool that was the primary means of oppression - Christian religion - and use it as a primary means of liberation”.
Strange, somehow I thought GOD, not RELIGION, was supposed to call and use people. So, is this an admission that blacks are generally religious, but not godly?
If the subject is religion, yes, Christian RELIGION (which is lifeless, just like any other religion) can be used for oppression, but the spiritual essence of Christianity promises liberation, not “liberation” here on earth as referred to in the quote, but liberation of the spirit, here and forever more.
Christianity not only promises no success in this life, but persecution for one’s faith. Do people, black, brown and white alike, think they should be free from troubles in this life, just because of their Christian RELIGION or even genuine faith in God? Remember, Jesus said he came not to bring [temporal] peace, but a sword.
Will they ever let go of their anger at injustices that were done to their grandparents? The race-baiters will never let go of it, because it guarantees them a secure income.
The man who wrote this article is just full of bull waste.
He calls the blacks the most imaginatively oppressed peoples in history. Oh really? When was the last time a black was used as a human torch for the entertainment of an entire society? Last time one was eaten by a lion alive outside the jungle they belong in? Last time one was crucified upside down, or ever?
Christ’s intention was not to free men from slavery or oppression, but from themselves and their sin. His point was not to give a better life here, but eternal life. What sticks in the black man’s throat is Christ’s admonition that if you are a slave (of any color) you serve your master honestly and cheerfully. The blacks take that admonition personally, but then they take everything personally. Tough to see deep logic when you are a semi-retard by IQ.
I’ve had several Black female students who spent every Sunday for the greater part of the dayin their respective Baptist and AME churches. Many of them became pregnant before graduating which makes me wonder what good it did them.
10 — Anonymous wrote at 10:15 AM on August 22:
Booker T. Washington had some tough things to say about the Black “Clergy.” One of them was their propensity for having sex with the female parisherners. That’s probably who was impregnating your students, the “reverands.”
Tom Iron…
“Christianity was white man’s tool for oppressing blacks”. Well now it’s black man’s tool for oppressing whites.Just take the God and Jesus part out of christianity and what you have left is liberal white guilt which certain people are masterful at inciting and manipulating.Ever notice how places like Massachusetts,the Upper Midwest,and the West Coast are the most afflicted with liberalism?It’s because the whites who first settled these areas and set up the forced schooling system were generally of Puritan ancestry.You know,Cromwell,Cotton Mather and that gang of self righteous pirates.We can’t deal with liberalism until we know it’s true nature.To call liberalism “rational” is to go down the road they want you to go down.Fanatical monotheism,with the State in the role of “God” is more like it.
As long as those blacks who hate whites, hate America, hate free enterprise and choose to live in the West, I hold no feelings for them but contempt, disgust, and shame. Either love this country and quit blaming all your problems on “The White Man” or buy a one-way ticket to Africa.
I strongly believe in a Loving God , but lets face the facts, religion is a business and a tool to control not only blacks but everyone who buys into it’s false power. I love the one about Slaves, be good slaves and serve your Masters well. Does any thinking person believe God mad some people to be slaves to others or that the Masters added this little item to the Book for their own benefit?
Americans should Love Their Country, for the common man it’s the Greatest Country to Ever Exist and Never Trust Their Government. I wasn’t the first to say this, by the way.
These so called ” black churchs ” certainly haven’t done a very good job of educating their flock of what it is to be a ” follower of Christ ” and His Teachings. The Rev. (?) Wright type of preacher seems to be the ” norm ” of these churches in my 57 years of ” oppressed ” White life in unconstitutional, self-destructing America .
Some of the things Jesus said in the New Testament lend themselves to advocating a life that is alien to us, a life of poverty, egalitarianism and celibacy, of elevating the poor and oppressed, simply because they are poor and oppressed.
I have read the NT many times, and cannot escape this conclusion, especially in the Gospel of Luke. The letters in the New Testament, however, give a more “salvationist” perspective.
But in a positive light, this “political” approach to the NT seems to have provided a grounding for many of the European peoples’ standing-up to Communist dictators, especially in the case of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand.
These things might have worked, for a certain priestly/monkish class of people, in a homogeneous society, but let in blacks, and apply these teachings to them, and the whole thing beomes a can of worms.
And here I always thought Blacks were primarily responsible for Blacks being opressed. Blacks, after all, joyfully capturing and selling their kinfolk into slavery. Black tribal chiefs basking in the acquired loot exchanged for Black slaves; then sending their troops out to capture yet more brothers and sisters to be sold.
But we’ll never hear an admission from Black “intellectuals” that slavery would hardly have been possible without that necessary partnership by coastal African slave traders.
“The major schisms in Christian history in the 4th, 10th and 16th centuries were all related to differences in Christian doctrine. The 18th century movement of black Christians in North America, however, resulted from black worshippers refusing to be treated as less than human by their white Christian counterparts”
Sorry, no.
Racial segregation is COMMANDED in the Bible. So, Whites, being the ‘sons of Adam’ {Adam- Heb. ‘fair, ruddy, able to show blood in the face’ - Strong’s Concordance] as they have long known themselves to be, were willing to let Blacks in, IF they maintained their ‘otherness status’. But the THEOLOGICAL HERESY OF EQUALITY to “Adam’s seed and David’s Line’ is EXACTLY what ‘broke the back of the [Multicultural] Camel.
Don’t think that MLK’s ‘SUnday is the most segregated hour of the week’ rhetoric was based on his THEOLOGY…well, it was, but the theology that motivated that remark was the theology of MARX, not Jesus Christ.
