Black atheism

[Triple Nine]

O.T isn't the only black atheist we've had here on the forum.  There was one, as I recall, who was moving from somewhere in the southwest(?) to NY, I think, for college last year.  And I seem to vaguely recall one or two others.

Hello, I'm here. I haven't posted a lot because I've been busy this summer, so I don't blame you for not knowing me.

given that religion appeals to the poor and oppressed, it would seem a natural marriage.

It can be harder for an African American atheist, many black Christians identify so strongly with traditionally black churches that rejecting the church is viewed as a betrayal of not only the religion, but of race and culture as well. In the eyes of many African Americans, you aren't 'authentically black' if you don't believe in God.

Quoted for truth. The reason I am atheist has a lot to do with me being curious, questioning, and willing to change my mind on issues very fast when I see my arguments don't hold up. Looking back I was always skeptical and it was only a matter of time before I became and atheist. Why is this important? The reason there aren't many atheists in the world is because society is strong and not falling for society's tricks only makes it that much harder when you have traditionally been oppressed. Many people I know could be atheist, but due to the strong religious culture and identifying themselves with black culture, they stay in the camp of religion.

Let's not forget Christianity was forced down black peoples throats by whites. Christianity became big in Europe and didn't penetrate Africa for a long time. All blacks know this, but they suppress this fact SO MUCH they don't even want to hear brought up. I've seen it too many times, they act like the invented Christianity, LITERALLY. There is only one saying I know that addresses this is "They (whites) beat us and blah blah blah but if they wanted to keep us down they shouldn't have given us JESUS." I am forced to go to a black church every Sunday, I know they sort of factors that create this sad situation.

[GSOgymrat]

I am forced to go to a black church every Sunday, I know they sort of factors that create this sad situation.

Why are you forced to go to a black church every Sunday?

[Plu]

I'm guessing due to the fact that he's black and his parents make him. Those seem to be the usual reasons for it.

[GSOgymrat]

I'm guessing due to the fact that he's black and his parents make him. Those seem to be the usual reasons for it.

Sorry, I thought he was an adult in college.

[Triple Nine]

I'm guessing due to the fact that he's black and his parents make him. Those seem to be the usual reasons for it.

Sorry, I thought he was an adult in college.

I soon will be in college for a month so soon I'll be able to finally do my own thing. But yes, my parents force me too. There heads seem to almost explode if I so much as disagree with them on ANYTHING.

[aitm]

They (whites) beat us and blah blah blah but if they wanted to keep us down they shouldn't have given us JESUS.

holy crap on a stick...I wonder if I can use that if I ever get accused of being racist. "now see here bubba,,we gave you jesus, so I can't be racist"...

[GSOgymrat]

Congrats, Triple Nine! You will love college, if for no other reason than getting some independence.

[Savior2006]

given that religion appeals to the poor and oppressed, it would seem a natural marriage.

As a black youth, I agree with this. It comes down to the fact that Christianity offers blacks a "judgement" where their skin color is not a factor. It's appealing in that way, and blacks that were forced to come to America were basically coerced into it regardless.

[Colanth]

given that religion appeals to the poor and oppressed, it would seem a natural marriage.

As a black youth, I agree with this. It comes down to the fact that Christianity offers blacks a "judgement" where their skin color is not a factor.

Unless they were Mormons in the past.  I'll never understand that one (how you can want to be a member of a group that considers you to be inferior due to what you are).

[FrankDK]

> They (whites) beat us and blah blah blah but if they wanted to keep us down they shouldn't have given us JESUS.

On the contrary, the white slave owners gave the black slaves Christianity expressly to keep them down.

"It's the will of God.  You wouldn't be slaves if it weren't his will."

"God made man in his own image - white."

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters..." Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22

There's a reason the US has a Bible belt, and that it conforms exactly to the locations where slavery had its greatest impact.  Christians made a concerted effort before the Civil War to have preachers bring the message of enslavement through Christianity to both the slaves and the masters.

The lie of Christianity is crueler than the iron manacles of slavery.  Emancipation broke the manacles, but the descendents of slaves are still mentally enslaved by false promises of Heaven.

Frank

[ApostateLois]

Let's not forget Christianity was forced down black peoples throats by whites. Christianity became big in Europe and didn't penetrate Africa for a long time. All blacks know this, but they suppress this fact SO MUCH they don't even want to hear brought up. I've seen it too many times, they act like the invented Christianity, LITERALLY. There is only one saying I know that addresses this is "They (whites) beat us and blah blah blah but if they wanted to keep us down they shouldn't have given us JESUS." I am forced to go to a black church every Sunday, I know they sort of factors that create this sad situation.

See, this is so baffling to me. I can understand the first African slaves being FORCED to turn to Christianity as a matter of survival, because if they didn't, they'd be beaten, raped, have their babies taken away, even be killed. When the guy with the whip says to worship Jesus, you either do it or suffer the consequences. But surely this couldn't be the case for all blacks. Why would they want to worship the God of the very people who enslaved them? Some of them are the very people who, even now, trample their rights and treat them as lesser citizens because of the color of their skin.  Jesus is the white man's god, the guy who gave them permission to enslave Africans even as Yahweh (Jesus' dad) gave the Israelites permission to take slaves from other nations. And that's right there in the Bible, so there is no way they can deny that the God they worship is in favor of slavery.

I often think the same thing of Native Americans who are Christians. Why would they want to adopt the religion of the same people who killed them by the thousands, stole their children to be raised in white boarding schools, and forced them to live on reservations in conditions sometimes indistinguishable from some Third World places? And all they have to do is read the Bible to find that God probably finds nothing wrong with this.

[Savior2006]

given that religion appeals to the poor and oppressed, it would seem a natural marriage.

As a black youth, I agree with this. It comes down to the fact that Christianity offers blacks a "judgement" where their skin color is not a factor.

Unless they were Mormons in the past.  I'll never understand that one (how you can want to be a member of a group that considers you to be inferior due to what you are).

Then again, one could say that to the Abrahamic faiths as a whole. The entire point of the religions is that human's inherently suck and there's not a single damn thing you can do about it. Except, of course, to follow my religion. :Hangman:

[Colanth]

I'm sure that most Christian blacks credit Jesus with freeing their ancestors from slavery, and give little thought to the fact that white slave owners used the Bible to justify owning slaves in the first place.

The same goes for Jewish, Christian and Muslim women and Christian Native Americans.

If you're born into a religion and brainwashed well enough and early enough, you accept the tenets of that religion as normal, even if they oppress you.  Voting for a candidate who aligns with your opinion on a single issue, even though he's for policies that make your life miserable, is another facet of the same stupidity.  How can women vote for anti-woman candidates?  But they do it in droves, justifying it with single issue alignment.  (Most people can't keep more than one thought in their heads.)

[Jutter]

I was hoping this was about some badass sinister shadowy breed of atheism. BLACK ATHEISM.

If fucky sucky racisism( erm I mean baptism) didn't exist it, could've been.  

[Triple Nine]

I encountered a strange mentality with the Green Party in Maine. I was sort of a new member, and I didnt know that they were all Christians! I never brought up religion and others didnt mention it overly, but I gradually sorted out that they were religious, and we argued about it, and one of them said "Martin Luther King was a Christian", and there was a black member of the party as well. I gradually realized that they were very pro-Christian and that atheism was considered almost a sort of racism toward black people and that if you went against Christians, Martin Luther King might be brought up in their defence, making Christianity not only about being black but about the civil rights movement. I left the Green Party after that, and I found another party by googling "atheist party". You can see it has a few black members. I immediately joined!  I see atheism as being more equal with black people, like the two races have thrown aside the clouds of religion and can stand on equal ground as normal people.

http://www.usanap.org/

Looks like a cool organization.