Hello All:
My brother friend, Jesse Jackson Jr., posted an article on FaceBook about the death of Religion in America. I responded to him below and posted it on Facebook. This is a copy of what I said, followed by a link to the article. Would be interesting to hear what your take is on this. Where do you stand?
Stay Blessed
Gloria
Interesting read, JJ - particularly since I stopped dealing with organized religion at the age of 18 - and once I got to college, I would have completely stopped going to church - especially Baptist church - had it not been mandatory to attend church at Hampton, and Vespers on Sunday Afternoon.
What I did do, temporarily, was decide to become Episcopalian. A class in World Religions was real eye opener, and taught me that Christianity was not the only benevolent belief system. I eventually returned to "Christianity," but through Religious Science - or Science of the Mind (not to be confused with Scientology) which supports "A power for Good in the Universe," and a Universal ONE GOD in, as and through all, whose Universal One Mind is a part of us all. It's also called "New Thought Religion" because it does not proselytize, is not dogmatic, sectarian, or denominational - but the message is based on the Bible and other principles that are in harmony with God the Living Spirit Almighty -
I've been a member since 1974. If I had not, I probably would have lost my mind. My children were raised in the philosophy of "What ever the mind can conceive, and man can believe, you can achieve." It does not negate Jesus - but acknowledges that there were other emissaries from God who also brought wisdom to us. The First Church of Religious Science in NY is one of their most prominent centers.
This was my second time studying world religions - and finding that at the base of most religious belief systems, there is a purpose to "do good," but the practice is in the hands of humans - therefore flawed. It does not change the nature of God - but since we all have choice and self determination, it can be filtered through our own human frailties. It's one of the reasons why in Science of Mind, they don't place their faith in the person, but in the basic principles.
That said - the sad part about us as Human beings and Human doings is that we have to have someone to follow. We claim spirituality, but we still have to see and touch something. It's why Moses had such a hard time with the people he was trying to save, and, left on their own, constructed Baal, because they couldn't "see" God.
And, coming to modern times, if you give people who are basically fascile minded enough rhetoric - they'll follow you to the ends of the earth. Give them a semblance of power wrapped up in piety, and it's a lock. And this is how they were able to manipulate the Christian rightwingnuts into thinking they were "pure" and doing something to "save mankind" - giving rise to such minions as the Fallwells, etc. It set progress and health and education back nearly 50 years. And since they were getting ooh-gobs of money and support from those who knew how to manipulate them, others who saw it as a plot were shot down - or they ended up joining them since they couldn't beat them. So, several of our Black churches, in an effort to get some of that white money, tried to become a part of the far-rightwingnut movement - only to find that they lost their Black congregation. So they had to step back across the line. This gave rise to the plethora of gospel choirs and primacy of the prima dona gospel singers.
For the record, I admire Joel Osteen, John Gray and their message - They make the Bible relevant to a jaundiced society. I also admire our Activist Ministers - the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who know that Faith without applicable works is dead.
America, in general, may have strayed away from its moral compass - expecially under T-rump; but the graphically embarrassing and repulsive results of his inhumane depravity is moving them back to the primary philosophy for which the Bible is so famous for more than 2000 years. You might be able to "kill" religion; but you can't kill GOD.
HE always wins in the end.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK -
Gloria
theatlantic.com
“Not religious” has become a specific American identity—one that…
https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/598843/?fbclid=IwAR3sjjYcZoRIigbboF1Qsj4jPigEftiB9LpP17qQwoZwarsUGdRtWiqCeTc
NOW THAT YOU KNOW
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
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