Exploring Religion in Black America

Your panelists on "Exploring Religion in Black America" spoke from the perspective of christianity. However, it is important to point out that animist societies did thrive in the days of the great Mali and Songhai Empires and stil exist today. A sizeable number of cultures, that claim to be muslim or christian, do resort to worshiping ancestry, solemn traditional singing and offerings when confronted with dire situations such as war, famine and protracted grief. Infact most religious denominations bear vestiges of olden beliefs and culture in West Africa. This is typified by traditional interpretations of holy books.

Sent by A. M. Jallow | 9:04 PM | 7-3-2007

wow. i can say that religion has played too much of a role. so much that it can't be put into a brief comment on a blog.

Sent by Brother Omi | 10:22 PM | 7-3-2007

When I saw that "News & Notes" was going to explore religion, I guessed that the show would at some point be seduced into beating up on black churches with regard to teachings on homosexuals. It seems that any conversation about blacks and the church now must include a discussion of gays. When did this become the rule?

I have been to a lot of churches, black and white, over several decades, and on the rare occasions when sexuality came up, all seemed to teach that homosexuality does not represent God's best. This was not a new theological insertion given to them from some political right six years ago. It is long standing belief.

Churches that I have been to discuss salvation, sin, charity, empowerment, families, etc. One would hardly know this in listening to a lot of discussion about black churches.

During many election years, democrats were given the pulpit and allowed to convey the not so subtle message, vote democrat.

This new movement to vilify black churches on homosexuality seems to have arisen when republicans dared to actually open dialogues with those very same churches as part of their outreach program to attract voters and from that point forward, there has been an all out assault on black churches.

The next time one of these church bashing guests begins his hackneyed caricatures of the black church and the motives of the GOP, try playing devil's advocate and asking them if there were as upset when democrats held monopoly over black pulpits. Ask them what studies do they have to even indicate that homosexuality is even a major portion of sermon time in the typical black church.

If talking about gays is now required in these religious discussions, give the mic to a preacher who has a contrasting view and them ask him how much time he even devotes to the topic during a month or quarter.

I cannot wait to hear a discussion on the black church focused solely on the good that it does and its importance in the black community, rather than this obsession that media now seem to have with black "homophobia".

EL Brown --Houston, TX

Sent by Earl Brown | 4:44 PM | 7-4-2007

At some point, the black community is going to have to come to grips with negative and destructive effects that this "filtered" Christianity has had on us as a people. We have fallen so in love with this type of Christianity that we have never stopped to understand its effects. One preacher has gone so far as to write a book titled "No apology necessary." Trying to give a spiritual and prophetic validation to slavery, but if we are to take our communities back and straighten out our issues, we are going to have to go back much further than slavery and understand and appreciate who we were before "this" Christianity found us. An excellent book to read is Eugene Hillman's, "Inculturation Applied Toward and African Christianity". This book examines the effects of the Euro-American Christianity on the tribes in Africa. This book centers around the Catholic church, but if you take into account its effects in America with all of the multiple denominations, you can begin to see how we got to this place. I believe the most devastating is the sense of "individualism" that was fostered. Hillman describes it like this,
"This individualistic interpretation of Christianity's good news amounts to a privatization of religion; it tends to legitimate the atomization of the traditional social order, undermining cooperative practices, promoting competitiveness, and fostering an attitude of 'each individual for himself'. These may be virtues derived from the western world's modern economic system, but they are hardly the virtues urged by Jesus." This is part of the fallacies surrounding the "prosperity gospel" message. There is nothing wrong with wealth, but the free market fundamentalistic attitude that exist in this form of Christianity is totally incongruent to building wealth for all in our community. Farai you were so on point by describing it as a "filtered" Christianity. Let me say for the record that I have grown up in the black church. I have seen, at some point, every aspect of it.

Sent by T. Taylor | 12:03 AM | 7-5-2007

I would love to hear a segment on the perspectives and life experiences of Black agnostics, humanists, and atheists. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about the scene in Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun, where the Grandmother slaps the duaghter and has her repeat -- "In my mother's house there is a God."

Sent by James McKissic | 9:50 AM | 7-5-2007

i finally listened to the panel. let me say, that everyone pretty much did not answer Chideya's questions. as usual, the issues were danced around. no one really gave ideas that contributed to the social political discourse.

the church when it comes to educating and uplifting our communities have failed us. they have fallen short of the ideals set forth by several black congregations during slavery, jim crow, and the black freedom struggle. they need new leaders, new ideas, and new blood.

i did hear talk about sexuality but i did not see anyone discuss education, black on black violence, and why the churches have a predominantly female population that does not match the leadership.

Sent by Brother Omi | 10:24 AM | 7-5-2007

I usually like this show, but the segements on religion are little much to take. My initial response is towards today's show which talks about Santeria and has a reporter talking about this topic and not one practioner of the faith. Nor did the reporter or Fariaya try to understand how vast this religion actually is and that it's sister faiths are found throughout Brazil, the Carribean, West Africa and yes, North America and the population is continuing to grow in the Americas. Bad reporting.

T. Taylor - Thank you for pointing out that black people in America have not always been Christian. I know of many in the black community that actually try to justify the brutality of slavery through the importance of bringing Christianity to black people. Hmmm . . . what type of "savior" would truly like to see his/her people subjected to rape, family destruction, torture and all sorts of abuse that continue to plague those people for generations for the sake of any faith?

Come on now black people.

Let's pull our head out of the sand and find out who we are. And NO to the "Christians" whose feathers are about to get ruffled this has nothing to do with attacking Christianity, but everything to do with attacking the rampant sheep mentatlity that has taken over our community.

After having lived and taught abroad and returned to the US, I must say we are increasingly become an ignorant people and I don't like it.

And personally I feel our religious institutions are contributing to this ignorance. How many churches/temples/mosques/etc. are really educating our people about who we are, taking on the really harsh issues confronting our community (drop-out rates, high AA count in foster care system, black-on-black crime, etc.)

Sent by A. Rain | 2:58 PM | 7-5-2007

As I listened to this episode\discussion, I was waiting for someone to HONESTLY address the FORCED conversion of our ancestors and the misuse\abuse of the tenets of Christianity to domesticate and render Africans as more docile servants. When one of the guests said it was 'given' to our ancestors by their white masters, it made me want to LAUGH- given?!?! Did they have a CHOICE???

I guess there is a little too much Karl Marx in me to just was nostalgic about 'faith' in the history of my ancestors.

Sent by Trent W. | 5:49 PM | 7-6-2007

In response to Trent:
Although they did not have a choice, many slaves who did not like this new religion went on to include aspects of their own religion and take parts of Christianity that they needed for cover. I am not a historian but I think that people who truly believed in their religion would find a way to practice their religion (be it in a changed way). I guess examples I can think of are Voodoo in Haiti and the Caribbean slave plantations, Santeria among South American Slaves.
Also, many slaves may have been 'converted' by their occupiers (British, French etc) in Africa already.
In response to A. Rain:
Perhaps saying that slavery was needed to bring people to God is stating it incorrectly. Maybe this 'savior' that many black Christians speak of was able to take something as terrible as slavery and create something wonderful from it: a community in which African-Americans can find great pride and comfort be it in a Muslim, Christian, Humanist or anything else.

Sent by mariam | 10:45 AM | 7-13-2007

When Black people find out how Black preachers have been misleading them, they will most likely tar and feather them if not outright slaughter. Black preachers must know that the very name jesus is a latin name and even if they use the hebrew name yashua or the greek name joshua, it is still a perversion of the name YHVH because a evil person or persons inserted the 21st letter of the hebrew alphabet, which is shin or sin into the name YHVH to get YSH or yashua. Those preachers know that sin is the name of the babylon moon god. They also know that men=moon, for instance the prefix of menstruation means monthly. Therefore all men are sinners. They know that the Black males are gods as stated in psalm 82 but that they are dying like men. They know about 666 and that 6x6x6=216 and that the mean diameter of the moon is 2,160 miles. They know that the element of black carbon has 6 proton + 6 neutron + 6 electron. And so they know that Black people and whites have different anATOMies because their atoms are from different sources.In fact the name jesus is anti-christ and the church itself is anti-christian. Akhenaton preached pure christianity. TO GOD BE THE GLOW-RAY. The whole bible is clear and those Black preachers who went to divinity schools, those who study and meditate on the bible and even those who belong to masonic and other secret societies, know the truth but are teaching a lie. also see www.pyramidoftruth.com and listen to pyramid of truth at www.live365.com

Sent by NEFERKARE | 8:30 PM | 7-18-2007

I'm very disappointed in the small amount of air time given in this segment to African Americans who have chosen follow non-Judeo/Christian /Islamic paths . Where are the interviews with the scholars of Afro-Caribbean religions ---it would be great if someone had actually contacted Robert farris Thompson ,Joseph Murphy , or John Mason , so that a full and more accurate vision of our religious practices and theology could be presented to the audiance. And hey, how about giving EQUAL TIME to Black Buddists, Hindus, Wiccans , and of course Priests and Priestesses of Lukumi ,Ifa , Palo, and Vodun,rather than persisting in treating us as though our religions are only worthy of being treated as mere asides to mainstream religions ?

Sent by Renee | 7:58 PM | 7-23-2007

Religion, what an interesting topic. i use to be a very devoted Christian until i move to the West from Africa. growing up i will beaten by my parent if i doubt the existence of God. Unlike of you i have completely lost my faith in religion and to some extension in God.

so my question is why do so many black people allover the hold on to the concept of God. it really funny when you think about it. for year i have listen to families, friend and pastor etc, pray for a better and progressive black and better Africa, but it seems to me that God have some thing wrong with his ear, or just ignoring us.

Christainity, is one of the religion that get to me. this religion promotes inequality in modern western society. look at the imagine of Jesus and Mary, and what do you see an advocate for inequality because they are White.

another thing this those Black converting to Islam, in search of peace and identity. although muslim dont have the imagine of God, but still you can tell that the prophet Mohamed is Arab. this religion like christianity promote inequality.

another thing that gets to me, is when black try to follow religions from asian,

we Black should accept that all the religion in the world today is there to creat inequality, and we so find other ways to glorify and Workship God, that doesnt involve the white, Arab or Asian philosophy.

We Black have our religion, but sadly condemed by the media as evil and unhuman. for centuries Africans/blacks have been dehumanised and religion played a great part in this.

for our younger general, we need to look for other ways which is black to Worship God (assume if you believe in this Guy in the first place). as long as we follow this religions would younger generation will continue to suffer the inferiority complex that some of us are suffering today.

Sent by kelvin | 10:39 AM | 11-21-2007

sorry i did prove read my work. also am a french speaker. so excuse the grammer errors.

Sent by kelvin | 3:52 AM | 11-22-2007