They are rapists. For more than two years now, I have watched, shocked, as 81 percent of the religious leaders and peers of my youth and early adulthood have embraced a man and a political ideology contrary to the teachings of Jesus. We, the Black church, often have an inability to be reflective. You try to chase away your thoughts. I recently wrote about this sad trend: Are Today’s Churches Discouraging Reading the Bible? Many of those in the caravans are fleeing extreme violence in search of safety and a better life for their families, not unlike Jesus’ family, who fled persecution from a king who wanted Jesus dead. Article Images Copyright ©, Visit Janet and sign up for her weekly blog and free online newsletter at. I don’t know where to turn or whom to trust. Because I vote for pro-choice candidates (who stand for policies protecting the lives of all people, not just the unborn), the church makes me feel as if none of my other stances are valid. You can do anything. Recommended by The Wall Street Journal More broadly, the Black church is both a specific religious culture and a socio-religious force that has shaped protest movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. I was born with my sinful nature and no matter how good I try to be, how many prayers I pray or Bible study gatherings I attend, I am ultimately a sinner ― and the wages of sin is death. RELATED: The Black church taught me to be a docile victim . Join Janet on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. But these people are terrorists. Of course, many African Americans still go to church. I guarded my heart against the evils of the world: false religions, homosexuality, abortion, immodest clothing, foul language and excessive drinking. My Church Is Black Tab by Me And That Man with free online tab player. Recently, we visited a church, not too different from some other churches I’ve visited. Sin is not as much about my behavior as it is about my inability to love people well. Mission trips to poor countries south of the U.S. border are celebrated. I sat in the church pew, under the false image of a white Jesus, listening to a pastor who was silent on the unlawful deaths of Black men, women and children at the hands of police officers; attending sermons that never addressed the racialized violence and disparities in our country; and participating in a … Follows the history and culture of the Black church and explores African American faith communities on the frontlines of hope and change. And neither should we be! The evangelical church claims to value life with a capital L and considers abortion the gravest of all assaults on life. We fed and donated Christmas gifts to the poor in our community, but made no effort to establish real relationships with them outside of a “mission” context. Being a Christian certainly wasn’t any risk to my life or reputation. I’ve joined online communities of people also working through spiritual trauma and gaslighting by the evangelical church. When I speak out against racism, police brutality, gun violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community, many Christians sneer at the concept of justice and accuse me of being “divisive” and “too political.” Instead, they embrace nationalism, the rule of law without mercy and “Make America Great Again” as their values, even at the expense of human life. : Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten; The Team That Jesus Built; Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby? I know many churches start out in movie theaters and office buildings, but the church we were in that Sunday morning looked like a new building. Yet many whites think it unfathomable to visit an all-black church, much less join one. The source of my joy, my security and my identity has vanished, leaving me with an angry grief that almost no one in my immediate circle understands. It’s disorienting. She is the founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring and About His Work Ministries. The Black Church, as we've known it or imagined it, is dead. What Is the Biblical Significance of Singing? This community of wanderers is dealing with grief both privately and collectively. “When Black people were traveling on long trips, they had to stay at the Black churches because hotels often would not allow Black people,” she said. For Christians who reject the MAGA mindset, this is absolute crazy making. They are gang members bringing their violence to America. Oh, but God would never support the election of someone as evil as Hillary Clinton. “I wholeheartedly agree with the phrase ‘black lives matter,’” Young clarified. I now understand that Scripture pays more attention to serving the needs of the oppressed than to regulating their lifestyle. The church is my life and I have given my life to the church.” For many African Americans, over many centuries, religion – and the churches in which they … Fetuses are pure and sinless, and therefore make an airtight worthy cause. For decades, I bought this story and internalized and tried to live out the message. The extent of my political ideology was that the Republican Party was the party of God and identifying as a Democrat was incompatible with calling oneself a Christian. We know that “darkness” in the Bible refers to a culture or “world” that doesn’t know or worship God and His ways: anti-God. In Gates’s telling, the Black church shines bright even as the nation itself moves uncertainly through the gloaming, seeking justice on earth—as it is in heaven.” —Jon Meacham, New York Times Book Review THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG is a production of McGee Media, Inkwell Films and WETA Washington, DC. But these “white saviors” balk in protest when some of the very people they serve on mission trips need asylum in our country. I sat in the church pew, under the false image of a white Jesus, listening to a pastor who was silent on the unlawful deaths of Black men, women and children at the hands of police officers; attending sermons that never addressed the racialized violence and disparities in our country; and participating in a … The side “walls” at Saddleback Church where we were members for almost 25 years, are floor to ceiling windows, and the sanctuary well lit with overhead lights. Yet many whites think it unfathomable to visit an all-black church, much less join one. They can see to read their Bibles, if they bring them. Black churches could even offer a place for out-of-town protesters to sleep, said Lex Scott, who founded Black Lives Matter Utah. You want to pray, but you forgot the words. My black Catholic church was closed in the name of integration. The boldness of the church’s hypocrisy is causing me to question the very foundation of my spiritual beliefs. I followed the rules. As I’ve worked through my grief and anger, I’ve discovered I am not as isolated as I once believed. With so many churches going dark today, I understand why people aren’t taking their Bibles to church. Watch The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song Sponsored By PBS. God can use anyone, I was told by the church. Americans are dying in mass shootings at the hands of white supremacists, while the church is celebrating the nation’s return to traditional values. In reality, this value is largely theoretical and convenient, as the unborn have no political persuasions, questionable ethical lifestyles or expensive medical bills. The word “light” appears 263 times in the NIV Bible. The Black Church, as we've known it or imagined it, is dead. Even Donald Trump. The church that warned me against moral relativism now calls me a heretic when I apply the very principles they taught me to real situations, with real stakes for real people. In Gates’s telling, the Black church shines bright even as the nation itself moves uncertainly through the gloaming, seeking justice on earth—as it is in heaven.” —Jon Meacham, New York Times Book Review Of course, many African Americans still go to church. Her latest release is Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness. I voted for her not in spite of my Christian faith but because of it. Janet Thompson is an international speaker, freelance editor, and award-winning author of 19 books. The election was like a floodlight on the underbelly of the evangelical church, and this is when the church started gaslighting me. There's Another Opioid Crisis We Don't Talk About And I'm Trapped In The Middle Of It, I Left Behind My Life As A Lawyer (And Everything Else) To Become A Cowgirl At Age 48. The church told me that God is a God of justice. I wish the evangelical church would wake up and realize how many of us there are out there feeling manipulated and abused. So in this case, we should fear. But black churches are the only space where many blacks find it safe to be Christian and black. However, the term “social justice warrior” is a reviled label in conservative Christian circles. I am ashamed to say I had no concept that large portions of the population were outright rejected by the institution loving me so well. Some comments mentioned they couldn’t read their Bible in church because it was so dark. Have I wasted my life on a religion that hurts more than it helps? Trump’s campaign and election was a breaking point for me and many other American evangelicals. When you walk in, you can clearly see fellow parishioners to greet them. As the words kept flashing on the screen, I thought, Lord, why are we singing about you being the Light in the darkness while standing here in almost complete darkness? My Evangelical Church Is Gaslighting Me, But I Refuse To Fall For It Anymore. I didn’t think much about politics or social issues in my 20s and the first half of my 30s because my racial and socioeconomic privilege afforded me the luxury of not paying attention. Americans are dying in mass shootings at the hands of white supremacists, while the church is celebrating the nation's return to traditional values. Some pulled out their cell phones and started texting. Is any of it true? She is also the author of Forsaken God? And why? According to the PEW Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life, 87 percent of African Americans identify with a religious group and 79 percent say that religion is very important in their lives. And then came 2016. St. Joseph’s Church was the center of my social life, the site of all my activities and where I met all my friends. I think my hope for the Black church is not connected to the buildings, not even connected to whether, after this pandemic, people return back to the churches. The church taught me that God loves everyone and calls Christians to spread the Gospel to all nations. This just doesn’t seem right.
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