I've been thinking ... again. Why are so many Black Christians liberal democrats? Obviously, the party's platform is not in line with a lot of "Christian" dogma. I mean the party is largely: pro choice, pro gay marriage, pro gay rights in general, pro civil liberties, anti prayer in schools, anti death penalty, anti gov't/church make out sessions.
And yet, most Black people are decidedly Christian, liberal, and democratic.
My conclusion? I think we, as a demographic, talk pretty big shit. BUT we don't really mean most of it.
I think we're too smart to mean it. We understand that outlawing all abortion is nonsense. That gay love is the same as straight love. That civil liberties were not always for everyone. That prayer in schools can cause all sorts of problems (What if someone wants to pray to the Devil or "Speak in tongues" or stuff like that?). That the gov't has no place in the church and vise-versa.
That while we, on paper may be republicans, are, in reality, quite democratic.
2 comments:
“I think the Black American tradition around religion is full of contradictions. For one thing, it is against some code to deeply probe the beliefs we hold. For the most part Black Americans would rather hold their tragedies as precious instead of traveling to their source and unravel them. That core belief keeps Blacks in bondage. Bondage is the bane of this segment of society, and somehow a comfort zone.
Blacks are devoted to the 'shit' they were given as slaves, and an enormous number of Black Americans fight very hard to keep their title: Nigger. The culture demands the right to eat pig shit. I am sorry, 'shitlings'. No, I am sorry, chitlings. Slavery stripped Blacks from the high realms of power, and began a train of consciousness that values the opinions of white Americans over the common good of their children, and their children's children. Why is this? It is an old subject but America is changing profoundly. There are other ethnic groups in the nation without the emotional relationship we share with our white folks. They might be aware of this dynamic but their presence, and why they came to America has its own songs, and they will not participate in a dance that does not feed their families, or side with the dreams, and goals they have. As these ethnic groups work out their relationship with power we insist on not analyzing our relationship with power, and defend this posture!
It baffles logic this stance, this belief-system we cling to. If we are indeed descendants of Africans, and practitioners of an African religion then why do we depend on the value systems of our white relative to the detriment of our well-being, demand to be respected but refer to each other as niggers, and refuse to educate our children with the axioms of our heritage, and hand our children over to a system never meant to empower the grandchildren of ex-slaves?” ~Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories
Gay love is not the same of straight love.
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