Field Marshall Bradley
Veteran
Idk man, I would have to disagree and say SOME chruches. I can only share my experience as a poor black guy growing up. I don't follow middle class black churches so I don't know what the congregation is like there.
I'm not gonna act like there aren't some churches that really lace brothas up and make sure they stay out of trouble, focused in school, provide stuff to do and set you up for colleges but these churches are a dying breed now in poorer black communities. You can read about them in books like Condoleezza Rice's memoir because her dad ran one.
I'm personally seeing a lot of more black churches going more evangelical/megachurch that gouge black citizens of their wallet, keep them pacified and causes them to hold religious commitments over their political ones. That may sound like a good thing in theory but it causes black people to lean republican and vote AGAINST their interest. I have an aunt that is a hardcore Palin fan and she is dirt poor, expecting the tea party to help pull her out of poverty. She's fiercely loyal to republican party after getting involved with the evangelical church. These churches are more interested in having these people sucker in more people than spread knowledge.
They churches have absolutely ZERO interest in creating strong black men, educating them and helping people rise themselves out of poverty. They are pretty much gigantic entertainment centers to peddle right wing evangelism or pentecostal theology that tell them DON'T VOTE FOR OBAMA BECAUSE HE SUPPORTS ABORTION!!! There is no use improving your condition because Jesus could be back any minute or you will die and finally get to heaven. This kind of "It Get's Better" pacifism doesn't empower ANYTHING.
Another problem is that there is too much of a slave mentality with Christianity. I believe in God, Jesus, I consider myself a christian but if you don't have a strong theologically accurate historical perspective, you are prey to all kinds of poor theology by charlatans riding in cadillacs in a ill fitted suit. There are contractions in Christianity but black people will buck dance and defend their white slave master's religion more fiercely than any white person ever would while crying out to a white Jesus. That's not a historically accurate perspective of Christianity and that has no basis in any legitimate church history. The pastoral role is not teaching any sort of accurate theology but lets some self-important loudmouth ramble for 2 hours about absolutely nothing going "BU- BU- BUTTTT YOU NEEEEEED JEEEEEEEEEEESAWSS!!!!"with the typical loud women on the sidelines shouting callbacks. They love passing a collection plate, fattening pockets, expanding the building while throwing the occassional crumbs back the the people's communities. It's not a church anymore but a den of thieves that operate like a pyramid scheme and expects them to waste hours of their time and give them their paycheck based off of a verse meant for Levite priest.
Sad to say, that this is what most black churches have become....I was fortunate enough to grow up in an era where older heads still ran the black church and the message was still love, sacrifice, strength, and perseverance.
Everything was about respecting righteousness and carrying yourself in tune with the creator and never dip below that standard. Also, what the preacher was preaching back then about male leadership would probably be considered sexist now...
Sadly, your post describes the majority of black churches now.......Prosperity messages and catering to the emotional pliability of black women has turned Sunday morning service into a reality T.V. show.......Mona Scott-Young would be proud....
