Black Christian ‘Racialism’ Challenges Faith in America
By Michelle Vu
Christian Post Reporter
WASHINGTON – African Americans are statistically likely to be religious, but their worldview is shaped by their race more than their faith, contends a born-again black author in her new book.
Long-standing social and political patterns in the African American community have molded black Christians to behave like secular black society, said former journalist Pamela G. Wilson in her book entitled, Finding Soul Brothers: Dismantling Black Christian Racialism.
Wilson defines the race-focused mindset, which is now expressed through political and social loyalties, as “racialism.”
On issues such as abortion and homosexuality, biblical principles are often sacrificed to support race agendas like social equality and economic justice, she contends.
“Most of the time, people (black Christians) are supporting a candidate for the sake of how they feel they will advance the race,” Wilson told The Christian Post.
“They want to put their support behind the candidates that will help the causes they’ve been fighting for over these last few decades – which there is nothing wrong with – but there is also a Christian standard and I don’t think you should support anything that makes you turn away from the Bible if you truly believe what the Bible says.”
Black Christians tend to be “stuck” in the civil rights mindset and not look beyond those issues even if they say they are a believer.
“People just jump on the black bandwagon at the expense of their faith,” Wilson said.
“There are examples after examples where Christians have chosen black unity over their Christian faith and I call that being unequally yoked.”
Wilson challenges fellow African-American Christians to stop focusing on their race and instead assume a faith-based agenda, which would more closely align with their spiritual beliefs. A faith-based agenda includes family values, morality, and spiritual authority – issues traditionally associated with conservative white Christians.
“It is very painful to say ‘if I let this go, what about my civil rights as a black person?’ But then you got to get to the point as a Christian to say ‘I can do all things through Christ and depend on God to be my deliverer and overcome injustice,’” advised the black born-again author. (more…)
This weekend has been very busy for me (hence the reason for no posts in the past 2 days). I wanted to make it up by doing a lot of posts today, but when I came across this piece, I knew I had to stop right here for a while.
This is another one of those issues that has been in the back of my mind for years, but I have never talked about it outside my own family. This issue also came up a little bit on this site, but I decided to leave it alone because I knew it would be a huge can of worms that eventually needed to be open–just not now or by me. Sistah-girl went ahead and opened up this issue in this piece so now here we go.
One of the main issues that drew my family growing up to the Republican party was their strong views on abortion. As Christians, we saw abortion as murder–period. As a child that grew up in the church, that is all I needed to know about the Democratic party at that point in my life. As I became older, I began to see the disconnect between the Republican party and the Black community. Now mind you, this ‘revelation’ took place during the period in the 90′s when Black nationalism was making a comeback in the Black community. So I kicked the Republican party and went Democratic thinking that this was in some way securing my place in the Black loop. Although I still maintained my anti-abortion stance, I rationalized with myself that ‘Black issues’ was just as important as abortion.
Well, as I became older, that viewpoint began to change and I realized two things A. Although the Democratic party was very good at ‘addressing’ the Black community, their impact on the upward mobility of the Black community has been nil at best. B. Many of the issues that the Democratic party stood for (abortion, redefinition of the family, homosexuality, etc.) were completely out of line with biblical scripture. Most Americans use some form of conviction that is ultimately rooted in some core belief system when voting for a particular candidate. As for me, my conviction is deeply rooted in my Christian faith which in turn is rooted in the Bible (yes there are folks out there who define themselves as Christians, but they totally overlook scripture when it is convenient).
Does this automatically mean that the Republican party is the best choice for Christians? I personally do not think so. The Republican party over the years has gone down the same slippery slope as Democrats on some social (and even fiscal) issues in order to capture more of the vote. This is exactly why I was against the Faith-Based Initiative from day one for the simple reason that while politics is based on compromise, the Christian faith is not. Mixing the two is like mixing oil and water.
As I stated before, I will not be voting in this coming election for this very reason.
I have explained on this site many of times my viewpoints on both homosexuality and abortion. But for the sake of this post, I will try to capsulise both.
Abortion – Here is what scripture has to say regarding His knowing of us before actually being born:
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)
Your hands made me and formed me. (Psalm 119:3)
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5)
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. (Psalm 139:15-16)
This is what the Lord says – he who made you, who formed you in the womb. (Isaiah 44:2)
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41)
From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. (Psalm 22:10)
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. (Psalm 22:19)
From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. (Psalm 71:6)
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Misc.
Bombing abortion clinics is a crime and should be treated as such.
While I do believe in women’s rights, I do NOT believe in the right to choose if a child lives or dies simply based on the fact that they are the ones carrying the child. Although our foster care system has it share of holes, it is still a much better option than killing off the next generation.
Christians or churches that turn away women who had abortions do so in the name of their dead religious ways and not by the forgiveness Christ offers to anybody who has sinned and seek repentance.
Homosexuality
You can start by clicking here for past posts on the topic.
Here is a very exhaustive study on the whole issue that I would highly recommend anybody to read if they want to understand the biblical viewpoint on homosexuality. All my scripture references are contained at this link.
Misc.
I believe that government has no business in our bedrooms. In other words, whatever sexual orientation a person choose is their business.
Homosexuality is a choice and cannot be compared with being Black
Sin is sin and one sin is not greater than the other. In other words, those who commit fornication are just as guilty of sin as those who engage in same sex practices.
Discrimination in the workplace because someone is a homosexual is wrong. If the person can do the job, they should be given equal opportunity to do the work.
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So all of this brings me to a very simple question to my fellow Black Christians out there who have traditionally voted for Democrats while claiming to be a follower of Christ as taught in the bible. How do you rationalize your vote for a party that supports issues such as the ones I discussed here while still believing you can still be a Christian?
P.S. Please use scripture to support your stance. Also, I challenge any of my readers to find scriptures that support abortion or homosexuality.
Last point, please reread this post if somehow you feel this is some attempt on my part to get readers to vote for republicans.
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