FREE Podcast Episodes Still Available

Will be upgrading, expanding and releasing new material in 2024, but AWESOME podcasts are still available. Check them out and become more equipped TODAY! 

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In Defense Of The Faith Forum ~ Are You A Cultural Christian?

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Supt. Harvey Burnett: "Culture In Crisis" at Brown Street COGIC, 2022

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Why Has The Western Church "White-Washed" Biblical History?

It may simply be a "sociological" phenomenon. The desire for a culture, any culture, to make the imagery and moral codes of historical, heroic figures their own. To identify themselves with the best and most heroic figures and acts in order to associate themselves with positive and virtuous ideals and ideology.

Is that the case with Western Christianity? Why has the influence and even inclusion of Black people in the bible, in significant roles I might add, been either reduced or overlooked in biblical discussions and studies? Then what of the contribution of African Christians and apologists during the early post Apostolic era? Why has their imagery also suffered from this "white-washing" motif? 

"The White Jesus. The God Of The White Man's Religion, Christianity"

One of the chants that have been reverberated over and over, quite in error, by groups such as The Nation Of Islam, and the Black Hebrew Israelites, and others who have held to Black Nationalism and Black Separatism, has been that the Bible and Christianity in general is the "White Man's Religion" and Jesus is a "White man's God".

In short the story goes like this:

The White man, took Black man both from his home (Africa), and his religion (Islam ~ at least in most cases) and stripped him of his cultural identity and re-indoctrinated him to believe in White superiority (aka: Christianity) and in the White man's god (aka: Jesus) and did this all as a control mechanism.

But the question is how did this "White man's religion" become a "White man's religion" and the Jewish Jesus become a White European in the minds of many?  

Author Forrest G Wood states this:

"Graphic portrayals of Christ had to be “as far removed as possible from anything that could suggest darkness or blackness.” The result was a Renaissance image of Christ that recorded his transmogrification from Semitic to Aryan, his dark hair and beard evolving into “the color of sunshine” and his dark eyes magically taking on the “color of the sky” from which he descended and to which he returned." ~  Forrest G. Wood, The Arrogance of Faith: Christianity and Race in America from the Colonial Era to the Twentieth Century (New York: Knopf, 1990), pg. 51.

So it seems that the evolution of the European Jesus and his association to a Eurocentric religion, where a cultural virtues were aligned with biblical values, was more of a sociological event than a biblical or religious or even migrational truth. 

White Christian teachers and preachers such as the late Billy Graham, noted relentlessly that Christianity was NOT a White man's religion, neither was it a Black man's religion, but a religion of ALL men, and that there was no cultural advantage/disadvantage to any race in accepting Christ or in repentance.

However, what some teachers did was severely reduce and downplay the influence of Blacks and Black culture from the biblical narrative itself. in the many places where Blacks or African countries and cultures are mentioned, they are nearly always downplayed when the teaching is positive and hailed when the teaching is negative. 

For instance...When I was in theology school, our Old Testament Survey professor taught a message on Moses wife, Zipporah without the mention in any form that Zipporah was or could have been a Black woman and that the reason that Moses sister Miriam and Aaron did not like her, or mocked and criticized her, was because she was Black. (Num. 12:1) 

Now, part of this stems from the fanciful conjecture that  Moses had 2 wives as opposed to 1, and that Miriam and Aaron were simply criticizing the one. However, there is no reason to think or believe that Moses had 2 wives from the text. There is reason however to believe that Zipporah, was not only a Midianite (Jethro or Reuel's  daughter) but was also a fine dark skinned woman of possibly Cushite (Kushite) or as the KJV says "Ethiopian" descent. Either of which would have led a faithful historian to conclude that the woman had African ancestry or heritage and therefore was a Black woman by heritage. 

Conversely, in Exodus 18, Jethro (aka: Reuel), Zipporah's father, being a Midianite, who by virtue of his lineage also had a historical Black heritage, was responsible for helping Moses to effectively organize his duties as a chief Judge to adjudicate the grievances of the People under God's direction. 

In other words, the first theocratic form of governance that the bible points to was, in part, organized by Blacks and people of color. 

This is hardly a narrative that anyone within Christianity preaches or teaches today. In fact it is often held that churches organized by Blacks are somewhat disorderly while churches organized by Whites are generally more orderly. (which is a completely different article) But the point is clear, Black people and positive Black culture over time, and even within the biblical narrative, has been downplayed or ignored and even cursorily stepped over in many instances. 

Very little effort has been given to pointing out the praise or positive contribution of Blacks within the pages of biblical writ and I personally believe this has led to the confusion, alienation and even anger of millions of Black people over time to conclude that they have no or very little positive place or history within the world and ultimately society itself.

Teach It In Schools. The Bible IS Black History

Most shocking to many is that Black people's place and history within the bible is certain and in many instances if not most, very positive. For instance, it was a Black man, from an African territory of Cyrene, that helped bear the cross of Jesus during the crucifixion. (Mk. 15:21, Lk. 23:26) That is certainly not coincidental. 

There is much more that can be said on this topic, but please watch this interview with Dr. Theron Williams. I believe you will find it eye-opening.    

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Regarding The Legalization Of The Casual Use Of Marijuana

Our local news recently ran quite a few articles regarding the administration of Illinois' legalization of casual marijuana in light of "420 Day". One one side the science says that marijuana is totally good for the individual with very little downside. On the other side the science and experience says that nothing good can come from the casual, non-medical, use of marijuana or any other drug. This is what I recently said regarding the legalization of the casual use of marijuana:

"My WORD for 420 Day:

Look, I am against the proliferation of illegal substances and even some that are deemed legal...BUT...if these people want to now make (the casual use of) Marijuana legal then I believe that the new industry should be made to pay reparations out of a significant portion of their profits based on what criminalization of the drug has done to the Black community historically. 

Secondly, there should be a REQUIREMENT to cultivate owners and growers from minority communities. Not just women, but racial minorities and Black persons more specifically. 

This whole industry stands in large part due to organized, but unsanctioned efforts of inner city peddlers and even suburban distributors and peddlers. I believe that the law should include provisions that make it a requirement to include economic opportunities for some of those individuals going forward... 

Why does a preacher say these things? Far too long the establishment controlled by the wealthy, White elite, has gotten wealthy off the efforts and backs of Blacks and minorities with no sharing of profits or consideration of why and how they have become so profitable. The cotton industry is a prime example! It was Black folk that by and large cultivated the fields with blood sweat and tears, while the White elite made the money. 

Here we have the State now considering implementing a new business and is automatically locking out minorities with high and excessive fiduciary standards and no consideration for those who have been effected generationally by the historic treatment or outcome of those who both sell and use this drug. 

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Above The Line Book Review Parts 1 & 2

I received a copy of the book "Above The Line" by Ohio State University Head Football Coach Urban Meyer, and boy did it add a dimension to my life and challenge and even change the way I approached various adversity. I recommend this book to every church leader and everyone that is attempting to lead just about anything, especially their family. 

I was so impressed and blessed by the concepts that the coach shared that I decided to do a live Facebook book review of the entire book in segments. I've placed segments one and 2 here for your review. I am also rewriting our coaches training for team culture for my track club, Peoria Inner City Track Club. 

I do not know Coach Meyer and I am certainly not receiving a kickback or anything for promoting his material and although most of my family in Michigan are everything BLUE (if you know what I mean) I am treading into waters that takes an act of God to navigate-LOL...(it's not really that bad, but then it is)

Anyway, hopefully you enjoy parts 1 and 2. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts as well. 

Part 1 "Above The Line" Book Review

Part 2a "Above The Line" Book Review

Part 2b "Above The Line Book Review

By the way, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

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