Black Americans: Most Religious Ethnic Group

[Humble Disciple]

I have to ask, given your questions - did you assume I attended a "White church" because I am White? Or had mostly White friends? Or lived in a mostly White neighborhood?

I have not assumed anything other than the fact that, even in a majority-minority town, you still have some sense of cultural normativity from being a white citizen in a majority-white country.

What is wrong with, as a church, celebrating our cultural diversity rather than pretending to ignore it?

 

[JonC]

I have not assumed anything other than the fact that, even in a majority-minority town, you still have some sense of cultural normativity from being a white citizen in a majority-white country.

What is wrong with, as a church, celebrating our cultural diversity rather than pretending to ignore it?

But that is what racists ALWAYS assume..

You do not know me, my history, or my experiences. Yet you assume that I, being White, have some sort of cultural normativeness - some shared culture.

That assumes culture is based on the color of one's skin, and that one culture is the national norm whether or not it is experienced at an individual level.

If I assumed all Black people had a singular shared culture then you would be right to conclude that I am a racist. The concept of racial group identity is itself racism.

I have Black friends from various cultures. I have White friends from various cultures. The first step in racism is to project this cultural identity on people. Germany did it with the Jews. Centuries ago White Americans did this to the savage (Black or Indian), and more recently Black and White people have done this to the Hispanic population.

Racists always know a few "exceotions" to the "norm". But they always insist on a culture based not on true cultural differences but on skin color.

By your reasoning any racial makeup is by definition a privilege to the majority. Blacks have Black privilege in Augusta and nationally over other minorities (Hisoanics will have Hisoanic privilege over Black's shortly).

Of my friends who are Black pastors, only one pastors a mixed congregation. The others pastor Black churches (here there are cultural influences, but I seriously doubt racism, privilege, or that these Black pastors are racists).

But the truth is no such group identity exist.

My point is that there are legitimate problems related to race we need to discuss, but real progress cannot be gained through group identity (racism).

I do not care about making people feel comfortable because of their race. We have to move from the abstract to actual problems in our world.

Name one aspect of "White privilege" that I have (that minority groups do not have) and we can discuss that.

 

[Humble Disciple]

You do not know me, my history, or my experiences. Yet you assume that I, being White, have some sort of cultural normativeness - some shared culture.

I don't know enough about your particular town to comment on it. I am just talking about our criminal justice system more broadly as a nation.

Because of that national reality, a black person in your town likely has more reason to fear the police than a white person would, even if they aren't in any more imminent danger than you. You have the privilege of not having to experience that same sense of fear.

I don't think we are understanding terms in the same way, likely because you've heard too many people discuss race from a left-wing perspective.

I am not making the same sort of assumptions that leftists do, though I do believe that being culturally aware matters. There is a difference between cultural awareness and white guilt.

An example I've given is the legitimate sense of fear that black people might have of the police, due to national trends when it comes to law enforcement and our criminal justice system. What is wrong with asking you, as a Christian, to sympathize with their fear?

 

[JonC]

I don't think we are understanding terms in the same way, likely because you've heard too many people discuss race from a left-wing perspective.

I am not making the same sort of assumptions that leftists do, though I do believe that being culturally aware matters. There is a difference between cultural awareness and white guilt.

An example I've given is the legitimate sense of fear that black people might have of the police, due to national trends when it comes to law enforcement and our criminal justice system. What is wrong with asking you, as a Christian, to sympathize with their fear?

There is always a chance we talk past one another.

I empathize with peoples fear (whether founded or unfounded).

Many times assumptions are made that spread this fear.

A group of officers (mostly Black) kneled on the neck of a White man who had, ironically, called the police for help. The man suffocated in the mud. This was police brutality, but was it racism against White people?

Years later a similar thing happened to Mr. George Floyd. Again, thus was police brutality, but was it racism?

Yet Mr. Floyd's murder was put forward as racism (ignoring the problem). Now, how do you think this affects the upcoming generation of young Black men?

Then we have racial issues such as the disproportionate number of violent crimes being committed by a minority population. A police officer is more likely to be killed by a Black man than by any other race of men. How does this color the officer's reaction based on race?

There are real problems, but until we move from accusations of racism or privilege we will never make any gains.

Black parents tell their children that if pulled over keep their hands in view, be polite, do not move unless directed, do not reach for the console or they may be shot. White parents tell their kids the same thing.

More White children with toy guns have been killed by the police than Black children.

What we have to consider as we empathize with the fear some have if the police is whyvthey have this fear. There are legitimate issues. But as a nation we seem to focus on the illegitimate narrative.

 

[Humble Disciple]

I don't know whether or not the officer who killed George Floyd himself is racist, but law enforcement and our criminal justice system should be reformed to be more fair to minorities. I feel like leftists are poisoning this discussion by insisting that white guilt be part of it.

It's also worth noting that, as far as I know, Floyd was a reformed criminal who was active in his church and charitable causes.

 

[JonC]

I don't know whether or not the officer who killed George Floyd himself is racist, but law enforcement and our criminal justice system should be reformed to be more fair to minorities. I feel like leftists are poisoning this discussion by insisting that white guilt be part of it.

It's also worth noting that, as far as I know, Floyd was a reformed criminal who was active in his church and charitable causes.

I do not know (just looking at the laws) that they are not fair to minorities.

Can you name a law that unjustly targets a race?

The problem could be in inforcement, or perhaps with the individuals committing crimes, or even racist people in power. But I do not see an unjust law (except perhaps systemic racism against White people, but there is a reason the SCOTUS allows discrimination against White people).

 

[Humble Disciple]

 

[Humble Disciple]

The concept of "race" didn't exist in ancient history like it does today. Inter-racial marriage was practiced throughout the Bible, including the genealogy of Jesus.

Matthew 1:1-14 - The genealogy of Jesus, in which four Afro-Asiatic women are included: Rahab, Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba.
https://bibleresources.americanbible.org/resource/blacks-in-biblical-antiquity

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

The world does not have an American mindset. It is a mistake to think otherwise. Race is not looked at the same way all around the world. America is one of the least racist countries in the world and in history.

However, the more general term is prejudice and better expresses the concept. America is one of the least prejudiced countries in the world and in history.

Most of those hollering about “racism” in America are at least as racist, at least as prejudiced, as those they are hollering about. They tend to be the problem rather than the solution. Some are acting that way intentionally.

 

[Yeshua1]

As far as frequency of prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance, black Americans are the most religious ethnic group in the United States.









There have been African Christians from the beginning:
Ethiopian eunuch - Wikipedia
Christianity in Africa - Wikipedia

While it might seem easy to point the finger at black neighborhoods for having high crime rates, poor white neighborhoods are high-crime areas as well:
The Poverty-Crime Connection

While it might be easy to point the finger at the black community for its out of wedlock birthrate, this might have more to do with poverty than race:


The reason why it's important to point out the religiosity of black Americans is because it counters the stereotypes we see in popular media. Unfortunately, it sells more to report on a black man robbing a liquor store than a black church serving soup to the homeless.

Just too bad that so many Christian black Americans voted for the former president just die to his skin color, even though they admitted if was white, would not have voted for him due to his ungodly stances and agendas!