I am very much aware that what I am about to address will possibly cause a lot of people to become ticked-off with me. Nonetheless, I must jump in with both feet (and mouth). Can we talk? I need to ask, what I consider to be, a very important question: With so many churches in the Black community, why is there so much violence?
VIOLENCE: IS THE BLACK CHURCH IRRELEVANT?
I have for many years served as an Organizational Development Consultant who has helped many organizations manage change. Additionally, I am a Registered Yoga Teacher who has assisted many people in transforming their lives.
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Now, according to a Gallup Organization study, the vast majority of Black people say that religion is very important in their lives:
"The high degree of importance of religion among African-Americans in the United States today is dramatic. Eighty-five percent of blacks say that religion is very important in their lives, the highest such percentage in any demographic group analyzed in this research. Fifty-six percent of non-Hispanic whites say religion is very important, identical to the 56% of Hispanics who identify as whites who say religion is very important (only English-speaking Hispanics were included for most surveys in which these data were collected; it is possible that Hispanics in the United States who only speak Spanish are more religious). Asians are less likely than these races and ethnicities to say that religion is important."
Gallup's Fall Update On Religion - November 29, 2006
I'm just askin'. With such a high percentage (85%) of the Black community saying that religion is very important to them, why is violence so high? This many Black people saying that they embrace a religion that is founded upon Love and yet we live in communities where it appears that Love is not so welcome begs the question: Are the churces in the Black community really teaching authentic Christianity or what? I'm thinking it's or what. It just seems to me that something is amiss. Now, if you must get angry, get angry, but remember, the only time the Truth hurts is when it's supposed to.
Let me borrow from the U.S. Justice Department: "The rate of violent victimization ---against blacks was 26 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older; for whites 18 per 1,000 and for persons of other races, 15 per 1,000."
"Blacks were victims of rape/sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault at rates higher than those for whites."
"According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, in 2006 about 50% off murder victims were black, 47% were white, and 3% were Asians, Pacific Islander, and Native Americans."
"Blacks were more likely than whites to be victimized by a carjacking (3 versus 1 per 10,000 respectively) 1993-2002."
U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics-2008
We say that we embrace the religion founded by the Jesus, the King of Love and yet we demonstrate the most hateful of acts. Jesus even established a new commandment:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13: 34-35
How is it possible that eighty-five percent of Black folk claim that religion is very important to them and yet we still have the highest crime rate is an abosolute mystery to me! If someone can put words/logic/reason to this, I would count it a privilege to be enabled to study your words and thoughts on the matter. On this matter, I may be the lone voice crying-out in the wilderness, but it seems to me that this ought to be at the very top of every Black church's agenda for 2010 and every subsequent year until we experience drastic change! Nike afforded great advice: "Just Do It!"
I think Reverend Rick Warren, when he recently addressed Kindness at Christmas, hit it square on the head, "At some point, the Romans confuse the word "cristos" with "crestos." Cristos means Christ; Crestos, in Latin, means kindness. In a roundabout way, that confusion can teach us something: Christians should be the kindest of all people."
Well, if the Black Church is relevant, we will know it by the fruit it bears.
What say you?
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12 Comments
graciella said:
W-O-W, that's deep! You hit the nail on the head.
Georgia Girl said:
For a sentiment that is talked about so often, it is unfortunate that it is experiencedso little. We should all commit to showing and sharing more of it. That's my pledge!
4MeNow said:
Well, I can believe the Gallup poll, because as a black person in America. The Black Church is and has been a main staple of support
in our households for many years. So your question is certainly worth asking. Is the Black Church irrelevant?
Message from Montie said:
I don't think the black church is anymore irrelevant than any other church. Most African-Americans are openly and unapologetically religious. I subscribed to "Essence" magazine and got a magnet about being a woman of God. I'm Agnostic, so I gave it away to someone who would like it. But I don't care how often you go to church. You can sit there all day long, but if you leave still in the same mindset, then it's something deeper that needs to be worked on, whether it's medical, physical or a temporary condition.
Wendell O'Neal, Sr. said:
Montie:
And your point is exactly what??????? You have not made a clear point relative to what I posted.
marylark said:
I find it amazing that 15% of the people who do not believe that religion is relevant can be major contributors to the increase in crime rates to the degree that we are presently experiencing. Yes, I agree that this has to be put on top of the agenda in all churches. This is simply mind blowing.
Message from Montie said:
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm agnostic. However, I've always been a nonviolent person. I can count on one hand the number of times I've fought anybody. I grew up in a church, but I never bought into religion. I say that to say that you don't have to go to a church to be nonviolent nor do you have to religious. So many violent acts have come from those who rationalize it with Christianity. It's interesting that you say "authentic Christianity" because that same "authentic Christianity" was taught to slaves as the reason why they WERE slaves. Authentic Christianity was the same religion that got churches burned down for slaves learning to read. Slaves came here as Muslims and were taught Christianity. It's interesting to me that I find more agnostic and atheist white people than I do blacks, but the blacks who came here were Muslims and taught Christianity.
But I'm not knocking it. I just don't see the connection, especially when you find some of the most judgmental people inside of the church instead of the ones walking by. I watched it with my own eyes throughout my entire childhood. I think the violence is more on upbringing than it is what church you're from.
Wendell O'Neal, Sr. said:
Montie:
I appreciate your upbringing and your being agnostic. However, you did not, in even a small way, address the foundation of my point of view. No matter what you say, 85% of Black folk have claimed a religion that is founded on Love!!! I might add, at this point, that your citing Islam as the religion of most of the slaves can easily be disputed. Anyway, you have missed my point completely.
Wendell O'Neal, Sr.
MelC said:
Wendell, you seem somewhat too focused on what Montie is offering and you seem preferred no to rebut any of the other comments. Might her views be diametrical to yours and you're a bit out of sorts, pray tell?
In any case, I'm still somewhat new here to Chicago [been here since '06] but I can say without hesitation that this city [and I'll specify, the urban/AA enclaves] has major issues on basic civility toward one's fellow man. Another thing that I also noticed very quickly was the number of churches littered throughout the neighborhoods and one would, at first glance, think that that the locales were comprised of god-fearing people whom espoused and lived by the tenets that they presumably claimed to adhere to on a weekly basis.
Yet, only has to take a closer look at those neighborhood & see a very palatable fear, not of their god, but of their fellow man that permeates throughout the varied communities. That fear is evidenced by nearly every abode swaddled in steel gates, padlocked fences and signs announcing the preferred security agency and the requisite announcement that police will be called. And I see this same thing repeated even in the more tonier communities, communities that claim faith as being the bulwark of their community, yet no different. Fear, distrust and a wary eye.
And so you ask what is the relevance of the black church in the black community & why still more violence...I say the relevance is lip service at best. Employs some people...and allows for those of the ostentatious breed to preen their wings for others to see and claim piety...but care little else for their fellow man. These same folks still, when backed against the wall, unleash and kill, if they must.
Fact remains, no amount of church can teach the very basics of life and that is to respect one's fellow man and that is learned at home. If another black church never opened it's still TOO MANY...There are mega-churches still being built as I write this...and for what??? We need black corner stores [run properly] and less churches...storefront/mega or otherwise. As of now, I'm convinced that the economic inertia in the black community is tied directly to the over-reliance on faith-based endeavors which are stunted at the outset. What this all means, in relation to the question...less churches, more economic viability which means jobs and a better community which can only have a positive ripple effect.
My question...what's taking you folk so long to figure this stuff out!
Wendell O'Neal, Sr. said:
Dear MelC:
After you've written so much, I must inform you that you did not respond to what I posted. Instead, you addressed what you wanted and missed the entire point of my post. I am fully aware of the fear factor in our communities and also fully aware that the churches are still there. I don't have any argument with what you've written. It just misses my central observation. Again, if 85% of Black people have faith in an institution that already exists in the Black community, should not that institution be called upon or challenged to, at least, participate in addressing the issue. Waiting for there to be a sufficient number of Black-owned businesses to have much of an impact is going to be long wait!!
Is that so hard to figure out???
I'm not too focused on Montie because she, like you, failed to comment (specifically) on what I posted.
Brian 'Wiz' Ray said:
Irrelevant? Compared to what? There are a lot of schools in black communities and I'm sure if you polled black people they would tell you that education is important, so how would that explain the dropout rate, the constant gap in scores, etc, etc, etc...
It is not, or should not be a question of relevancy, but one of effectiveness. And no the church is not nearly effective for the benefit of the community as it could or should be. If you think of religion as a tool, and I do, it can be used to build or destroy or polished to look like it could do something. The church as a tool in the black community is one used to build cults of personality that benefit the few at the peril of the many. One thing is that churches are in communities they refuse to be a part of. But then community is a rather ill defined concept in itself.
As to why the church is as ineffective as it is, well there are myriad reasons. But I think a good place to start is that they have taken the doctrine of Jesus from 'What we can accomplish when we work together' and replaced it with 'WHat can God do for you'? I could go on, but what I think hardly matters in the world.
MegWGBH said:
Tonight on Basic Black: what impact does violence have on communities? How does it affect residents' health? Their state of mind? What role should religion play? Join us at 7:30pm on channel 2 in Boston and at www.basicblack.org, where, in addition to a live stream, there will also be a live chat.
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