Southern Baptists and slavery

This is the one thing that has made me not want to be a “Baptist” and strive to be a Christian. I am a History student at California Baptist University and in my History of Baptist Thought class this topic was ban from discussion. Actually, I have found that there are a lot of things that can not be talked about around here. I think that this issue should be really dealt with. I know that there are a lot of African-Americans that are really hurt that the church (Baptists especially) have glossed over this mar on History.

 

I have considered myself a Baptist ever since salvation in 1974. I have never know the slavery issue to be glossed over in my circles. No one can deny the sin of slavery, but no one can deny a loving God who has forgiven that sin and allowed 140 years to pass since it passed away.

 

I don't think it was a subject that was consciously thought about until it became a civil rights issue in the last century.

Up until the Civil War - Southern Baptist who owned slaves worshipped in the same church with their slaves. Slaves and Slave Owners were members of the same church.

When the Civil War was over - Southern Baptists moved on - Slavery was illegal, Afro Americans went their separate way and that took care of that. It was a non-issue.

 

To me it is not the act of slavery but the active segregation of African-Americans. The church as a whole shut its doors to these people. I know that there were isolated instances of inclusion. But holistically speaking the Christian church hated blacks just as much as other people. And the apologies that have been said are nice but do nothing for the racism and isolation still effecting African-Americans today.

 

Ben, you don't have your pm enabled but I wanted to point out that this is a Baptist only forum and you, according to your own admission and profile, aren't Baptist.

Thanks!
Diane

 

This does not make it right does it? And what about today? I think that we need to seek to be one church not 50000 denominations. It is a lot like divorce. The first one is hard but each one after that is easier and easier. Our split from the Catholic Church, which was not meant to be a split, was hard. Each protestant split after that has gotten easier and easier until we are left with all the denominations or versions of Christianity we have today.

 

Baptist are not "reformed." We never came out of the pagan institution known as the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church is Satan's (the god of this world 1 Corinthians 4:4)Church. The Romanist church has never been the Church of God.

 

I meant 2 Corinthians 4:4.

 

The Division between Southern Baptists and Northern Baptists was much more complicated than slavery. Most Southerners in the 1840-60's were Episcopalians. As Hardsheller pointed out Slaves and Slave Owners were members of the same church before the end of the Civil War.

The great racial division has much to do with the Northern Reconstruction plan from 1865-77 when White Southerners were stripped of their right to vote but Black Southerners could vote. My own great great grandfather who was a judge in Louisiana, had his home and property taken away from him by the US government and the entire family was left in poverty. The USA stole Southern cotten, took power away from whites and installed blacks in government positions. It was a stupid and immoral idea by the Federal government and they used blacks as pawns and it only guaranteed a back lash.

It is sad that in 2004 there is still division between the races including Christians of the same Doctrinal stripe.

 

Slavery is a prophecy of Genesis 9:24-27. God instituted slavery. Slavery will happen whether man tries to stop it or not because it is in the Bible.

 

Who isn't a slave here ? Hands up, please.

 

Baptist1611KJV,

Genesis 9:24-27 is a prophecy of the slavery of Canaan to Shem, which came true in the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites. Compare Genesis 10:15-19 and Joshua 24:8-11. This has nothing to do with Africans, who are descended from Ham's other sons, Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), and Put.