Black Lives Matter - secular?

[lpetrich]

Where are Christian churches in the Black Lives Matter movement? - Deseret News

Rep. John Lewis, who passed away on July 17, spent much of his childhood in church and even preached to his chickens for fun. His faith was a core part of who he was then, and it shaped the kind of political leader he became.

Religion also played a central role in the protest movement that made Lewis famous. The fight for racial equality in the ’50s and ’60s began in Black churches, and religious leaders remained prominent voices throughout, said the Rev. Watson Jones III, pastor of Compassion Baptist Church in Chicago.

“The civil rights movement was birthed out of the church,” he said. “Prayers and preaching led to protests and picket lines.”

The same can’t be said of the current battle against racial inequality, the Rev. Jones added. Religious leaders are generally welcome to be part of the Black Lives Matter movement, but they don’t call the shots.

“We’re in there, but we’re not at the forefront of it,” he said.

Susan Jacoby writes in her book "Freethinkers" that the religious component of the 1950's-1960's civil-rights movement was overstated. It was mostly the black community's churches that were involved. There wasn't nearly as much support from white people's churches, and there were plenty of Religious-Right sorts of churches opposed to it, and also the likes of the Ku Klux Klan.

There were plenty of more secular people involved, "spiritual but not religious", nominally religious participants, even nonreligious and agnostic and atheist ones, even if they did not want to draw attention to their heterodoxy. Among them was a Jewish atheist lawyer who was a close friend of MLK, though MLK would argue that he believes in God without knowing it. Another one was a certain Bernard Sanders.

 

[lpetrich]

The black churches were an important part of the 1950's-1960's civil-rights movement, in part because the black community had their churches all to themselves. But nowadays, black people have other ways of organizing. The article then described: "The growing gap between protesters and pastors"

For one, many Black churches have shifted their focus away from protest movements in general. ...

“Religion has retreated from being a force for social change,” he said.

I think that that was from the civil-rights movement becoming a victim of its own success. It took a massive amount of effort and organizing, and when it succeeded in some of its goals, it had a hard time continuing.

That's what happened to early feminism when women got the vote in 1920. It fizzled out, and it did not restart until the 1960's.

Scott applauded churches’ local service work, noting that activism doesn’t have to come in the form of large protests to make a difference. However, she acknowledged that some Black Lives Matter leaders and protesters have a more contentious relationship with religion than she does.

“I can’t tell you how many times I have said something about God only to be quickly told that God is not real or that worshipping God is a form of white supremacy,” she said.

I've never heard that bit about white supremacy before.

Many young people today assume churches only care about issues like abortion and religious freedom, Carson said. They don’t understand the depth of religious involvement in the civil rights movement or grasp what faith leaders could bring to today’s protest movements.

“I think young people growing up today have the notion that religion is a conservative force,” he said.

Over the last 40 - 45 years, the Religious Right has been MUCH more prominent than the Religious Left, to the extent that it can be said to exist.

Some protesters don’t have a relationship with a faith community or come from non-Christian traditions, Morris said. Religious leaders’ ability to unify members of a movement declines when participation is so diverse.

“The Black church continues to be a force in the movements of today. It’s just not as dominant as during the civil rights movement,” he said.

...
However, there are also benefits to relying less on religious communities and leaders, he said. The Black Lives Matter movement has been able to bring together a diverse group of people and lift more than just a few charismatic pastors into leadership roles.

“Movements today are more decentralized than in the past,” Morris said.

 

[steve_bank]

Turning the BLM into a religious issue, is their profit making and a book somewhere?

What we do not need is yet more divisiveness.

Not all but the majority of blacks I know and have known over the last few years are religious, churchgoing. It is part of their identity.

You can not separate faith and civil rights for blacks.

 

[southernhybrid]

Well, there is a rather large group, mostly female, in Atlanta which is called, "The Black Non Believers of Atlanta". ( I think I have the exact name but haven't checked to be sure ) I have met some of the leaders of that group. They are staunch atheists but I have no idea if any of them are involved with the BLM movement..

In my smaller city, south of ATL, the black churches lead the few BLM protest marches that were held here. They were joined by many white folks that joined them. I do have one white atheist friend that marched in a nearby town, but that's about all I know.

All of my local black female friends are very religious and none are involved with the movement, although they all support it. I discussed how much I valued the black female Christians that I know with the black female atheists. We all agreed that the Christians tend to be wonderful, caring people who have our mutual respect. I agree that this movement would be better off if religion is neither condemned or celebrated. It should be about protesting systemic racism in law enforcement and other institutions. Churches and secular groups should all be involved imo.

But, like with all previous movements and causes, factions seem to be breaking off and changing the original intention of the movement.

 

[DBT]

Here's a black non believers website. I've quoted from it from time to time.

 

[Politesse]

If I had to describe the ideological school most closely connected to BLM, it would be Marxism, not charismatic Christianity as was true of the Civil Rights movement. But it is such a heterogeneous group that I'm sure all manner of religious faiths are involved in BLM activities (and all races, btw, not everyone connected to BLM is Black)

 

[southernhybrid]

If I had to describe the ideological school most closely connected to BLM, it would be Marxism, not charismatic Christianity as was true of the Civil Rights movement. But it is such a heterogeneous group that I'm sure all manner of religious faiths are involved in BLM activities (and all races, btw, not everyone connected to BLM is Black)

And, that is probably regional too. I don't think that Marxism is what has motivate the movement in Georgia. From what I've seen locally, it's a very diverse group, both racially and ideologically.

 

[Politesse]

And, that is probably regional too. I don't think that Marxism is what has motivate the movement in Georgia. From what I've seen locally, it's a very diverse group, both racially and ideologically.

Good point.

 

[skepticalbip]

If I had to describe the ideological school most closely connected to BLM, it would be Marxism, not charismatic Christianity as was true of the Civil Rights movement. But it is such a heterogeneous group that I'm sure all manner of religious faiths are involved in BLM activities (and all races, btw, not everyone connected to BLM is Black)

And, that is probably regional too. I don't think that Marxism is what has motivate the movement in Georgia. From what I've seen locally, it's a very diverse group, both racially and ideologically.

I think that two different things are being mixed here. There is the official organization of 'Black Lives Matter' that has a defined platform that is associated with Marxism. Then there is disparate groups and individuals that like the slogan but assume different meanings for it that they individually like.

The problem I see with this is that by people using the slogan but opposed to the Marxist platform of the official organization, they are making the Marxist organization's platform look like it has much more popular support than it does.

ETA;
To me, it is kinda like if people really liked the slogan "Make America Great Again" but strongly disagreed with Trump's policies. They could wear the slogan emblazoned on their shirts and assume their own personal meaning for it. Who doesn't want a great (whatever each individual thinks is great) America? The problem is that it would make it appear that Trump's policies have much more public support than they do.

 

[ruby sparks]

I think that two different things are being mixed here. There is the official organization of 'Black Lives Matter' that has a defined platform that is associated with Marxism. Then there is disparate groups and individuals that like the slogan and assume different meanings for it that they individually like.

Indeed. Here, for instance, when the Premiership footballers have 'Black Lives Matter' on their shirts, it's not even remotely Marxist.

 

[yyr123]

You can not separate faith and civil rights for blacks.

One could argue if it’s true faith you “should not” be able to separate it...for any color

 

[southernhybrid]

I have no idea if this group is very involved with the BLM movement, but I'm posting a link about the Black non believers group that I mentioned earlier in this thread.

https://www.ajc.com/news/black-nonbelievers-launches-first-billboard-campaign/Q5UG4KXCYFHZZBLE2F72D6EXB4/

Two billboards in metro Atlanta may get a second glance from drivers.


Atlanta-based Black Nonbelievers, a support group for African Americans who are atheists or questioning religion, has placed two billboards encouraging people to free themselves “from religion and find true liberation.”

“In this environment of Black Lives Matter and as we talk about dismantling white supremacy and institutional oppression, we contend that religion is one area we should be looking at as well. It has been a direct contributor to that oppressive system,” said Mandisa L. Thomas, founder and president of the organization.

I"ve met Mandisa and several of the other women in this group over the last several years. Mandisa was the speaker at the AFS once last year too. These women are an amazing group. Oddly enough, I've never met any of the men in the group. It's always a joy for me to meet other atheist women who come from different backgrounds. I have no idea if any of these women would identify as Marxist, but they are obviously not fond of religion.

 

[DBT]

You can not separate faith and civil rights for blacks.

One could argue if it’s true faith you “should not” be able to separate it...for any color

What is "true faith?"