Baptists and racism

I think like every other church our forefathers were guilty of racism. I am saddened that there are still some who are racist. But it has been said and probably true that the most segregated hour in America is 11 am Sunday. Sad.

Bro Tony

 

It has?

 

You know this for a fact? Or are you dealing only with that which you have experienced and the group you know? Racism knows no boundaries of denominations. It is evil wherever it is found. Unfortunately it is found everywhere.

Bro Tony

 

There you go brother---that is what you get for listening to MSNBC and Chris Matthews.

Reparations to who? There is plenty of racism to go around and it is not just a Baptist problem, but I will agree with you it is a Baptist problem.

Bro Tony

 

The majority of black churches in the South are Baptist. So the Baptist = racism is a dog that won't hunt, as we say down here, unless you want to include the black Baptists in painting with a broad brush.

 

Agreed, most denominations in the South has a sordid history in its dealing with blacks and other people groups (I don't like the word race, as race is only a social construct and not a biological reality). You can't just talk about Baptists. And...let's think about this. MLK was...A BAPTIST, many of the Civil Rights leaders were...BAPTISTS. Racism (so to speak) isn't a Baptist distinctive. It was and is a reality in lives of people across the denominational Spectrum.

 

The funny thing is that is slave days in the South, the Episcopal Church was the more prominent Church and the largest. President Jeff Davis and General Robert E. Lee were all Episcopolians. Stonewall Jackson was a Presbyterian, General Bearegard was Roman Catholic, General Polk was a Episcopal bishop and Judah P. Benjamin (Secretary State for the Confederacy) was Jewish. Quite a mixture.

As was said, most denominations in the South have a sordid history in its dealing with blacks. Baptists are the bigger target because Baptists are more prominent in the South now. Of course most denominations in the North were not exactly leaders in Intergration either.

 

It is easy to target Baptists because as a denomination, we admit to being guilty of racism in the past. We admit to being sinners. We admint that we are fallible people who owe their salvation to the grace of God.

 

All people are racist, to some degree. But then, anything that is different than us is what we have issue with.

 

This is a stereotype based on the number of particular churches in a geographical region...nothing more/nothing less.

Max

 

Racism has been with the church since day 1.

Check out the history in the book of Acts. By the time you get to chapter 6:

AC 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

If Gomer Pyle could have been there, you would have heard his famous trademark line, "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise."

The Grecian Jews had figured out what was common knowledge among the native Jews. That is, that racism is alive and well.

The real kicker is how the apostles responded. They basically said, "We ain't touching this one. We got to catch up on prayer and scroll study."

7 men (Greeks, what a surprise) were chosen by the people so that the Grecian widows could have their proper food distribution. Amazingly, these 7 men began to eclipse the apostles by their actions. Stephen began to look a lot like Jesus walking around on the earth.

And yes, racism continued to be a problem long into the formative years of the church. In the book of Galatians chapter 3, Paul had to confront Peter over an issue of racism.

Racism is something we conquer one family at a time, one person at a time.

There are incorrect belief systems that Christians hold that lead to racism. But those who hold them would never admit that they result in racism.

 

Jesus was a Baptist. Here is proof :

Mark 7:26. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27. And He was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
(NASB, 1995)

 

***personal attack removed***

Moderator note: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."---Blackbird---anything less than total obedience to this verse as prescribed is a sin---and must be confessed and repented of!!!

[ August 20, 2005, 07:16 AM: Message edited by: blackbird ]

 

To their credit, the SBC have been quite active to apologise for what was done in their name in the past, what more can they do. It takes only a brave person to apologise, most people are to weak to admit they were wrong let alone apologise!

- SBC renounces racist past - Southern Baptist Convention
Christian Century,  July 5, 1995  

 THE SOUTHERN Baptist Convention voted June 20 to adopt a resolution renouncing its racist roots and apologizing for its past defense of slavery. On its opening day the convention altered its planned order of business in order to consider the statement of repudiation and repentance, prior to a celebration of the SBC's 150th anniversary the same evening. More than 20,000 Southern Baptists registered for the June 20-22 meeting at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

Continued
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n21_v112/ai_17332136

 

Racism is not a white, Baptist problem. It crosses all racial and denominational lines. I have heard it said that it is just as black at a black church on Sunday morning as it is white at a white church on Sunday morning.

About 20 years ago, I experienced a most hateful, racially motivated act. As a pastor in the ABA (have been SBC for almost 15 yrs) I was attending a national meeting of the messenters. A black pastor had been chosen to preach one of the messages. If my memory is correct, he had been elected the previous year to bring the "annual sermon" for that particular year. The word had gotten out that the delegation from Louisiana was going to lead a "walk-out" when the black preacher got to the pulpit.

Sure enough, as soon as he came to the microphone, many people (they were mostly sitting in one section) got up and walked out. I am sure that not all LA delegates left. And I am sure that those who left were joined by delegates from other states.

I remeber feeling embarrassed over what was happening. I thought, "These people must be real proud of themselves." Hopefully, by now they have seen the light and repented of their sinful deed on that day.

Yes, racism exists among Baptists...and all denominations. It also exists among all races.

 

That comment about 11:00pm on Sunday being the most segregated hour in America is meaningless in my oppinion. Our church, a small Southern Baptist Church in the Carolinas, was open to every one. We occasionally had black guest, yet all choose to attend traditional black churches. The Idea that if we open our doors they will come is flawed. And the old charge that modern SB churches are prejudiced is flawed; there is more to the picuture. Maybe we should allow the government to bus some minorities in. I think that more has been done in America in the last 50 yrs to deal with the problem than in any society in history. But there are those in both races who thrive on the specter of racisim. They need it to survive. Of course it has been a problem, and still is to a degree in both races. Yet you never hear any good news.

As Baptist our job is to be fair to every one, regarless of race. We sould lead the way. But we should also reject the propoganda concerning the issue.

 

***personal attack removed***

Moderator note: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."---Blackbird---anything less than total obedience to this verse as prescribed is a sin---and must be confessed and repented of!!! </font>[/QUOTE]It was not a personal attack. I simply stated that his purpose on this Forum seemed to be promoting dissension.