Thought Provoking Tuesdays

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A Plead for Responsibility

So many Christian organizations such as this one, attempt to rationalize and somewhat weaken the ties of Christianity with slavery.

It really disheartens me to know that many Christians refuse to acknowledge the church's wrongful participation in and agitation of enslavement in the Americas.

Not only because I am an African American does it bother me, but as a Christian, it really builds walls of separation when one feels as though he/she cannot speak freely about the past atrocities committed with full honesty and understanding being reciprocated.

One thing that really got under my skin about the featured article , is the fact that this "Christian" organization dares to say that the European- Christian slave trade participation was not nearly as horrible due to the fact that, "While the European involvement in the Trans Atlantic slave trade to the Americas lasted for just over three centuries, the Arab involvement in the slave trade has lasted fourteen centuries, and in some parts of the Muslim world is still continuing to this day."

For those who may have a hard time detecting my sarcasm used frequently throughout this post, I've especially noted the corresponding comments!

Oh, and before I begin to think how horrible it is to see the results of the slave trade, I need to keep in mind that (sarcasm) "While the mortality rate for slaves being transported across the Atlantic was as high as 10%, the percentage of slaves dying in transit in the Trans Sahara and East African slave trade was between 80 and 90%!"

My ancestors had it made then, right? (sarcasm)

I almost forgot that all American black slaves were lucky because (sarcasm), "While almost all the slaves shipped across the Atlantic were for agricultural work, most of the slaves destined for the Muslim Middle East were for sexual exploitation as concubines, in harems, and for military service. "

What? Were African American slaves not sexual exploited, whores of their masters, did many black men not fight in a American wars that only liberated their masters?

Oh and then it goes on to say that, "While most slaves who went to the Americas could marry and have families, most of the male slaves destined for the Middle East were castrated, and most of the children born to the women were killed at birth."

I must have read it wrong many times when it was stated that many forms of punishment were executed on slaves such as the separation of loved ones, branding, whippings, lynchings, amputations, and dare I add castration (sarcasm)?

How more noble are the Christians than the Muslims (sarcasm)? Well according to the article, "While Christian Reformers spearheaded the anti-slavery abolitionist movements in Europe and North America, and Great Britain mobilised her Navy, throughout most of the 19th Century, to intercept slave ships and set the captives free, there was no comparable opposition to slavery within the Muslim world. "

Not only is the article an obvious and horrible display of intolerance and hatred towards the Islamic people, but it also shows how much in denial many self-proclaimed Christians are in regards to the issues and effects of slavery as with many other things I plan to discuss in the coming weeks.

I could quote so many things that are easy to refute from this article , but nothing boiled my blood more than the author attempting to show how slavery has pagan roots, therefore cutting its ties from Christianity completely.

What I find is that although it's true that forms of slavery were practiced in many ancient civilizations such as the Roman, Egyptians, Grecian, and Babylonian empires, Christianity not only adopted the customs, but revolutionized it.

How?

It added the factor of race as a mark of inferiority. Yes, slavery is ancient and has been cruel for centuries before the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, but it was usually initiated by war, or greed for power, wealth, and/or land.

I don't find it surprising that the same racial method of separation used on African American slaves was later modernized a bit and used against the Jewish people. Another catastrophe!

European and white-American powers had to devise a way to sustain slavery amongst so many "conscience"- driven people. By claiming blacks, indigenous Americans, etc. to be inferior to whites and needed to be "Christianized" and "taken care of", many were somehow "released" from the guilt of such obvious hypocrisy of the Christian faith. The worst of this is that church condoned it and saw to it that the message was interpreted in such a way that it could be stated as Biblical!

Even the great and oft quote Martin Luther King, only a few decades ago, had to beg white moderates, including Christian ministers, to rise to task of ending segregation and Jim Crow laws in the South and join the now- famous Civil Rights Movement in his letter from Birmingham Jail. Please read in its entirety if you haven't already. You can read it here.

In 2009, I am pleading with Christian leaders, organizations, bloggers, and such to please acknowledge the wrong and show exactly how responsible Christianity was to the extinction of numerous tribes and people!

Although it may be hard to swallow, Christians must still rise to the occasion of attacking this issue with full out honesty and remorse for the tragedy that it is. To me, it's not a wonder why so many people have very radical views and opinions against Christians and their moral beliefs when some Christians still to this day try and rationalize Christian involvement in the slave trade and involuntary conversion of many people in America amongst many other questionable topics. Many others just ignore it all together.

The real irony of the featured article though, is that the magazine is based in South Africa.

Think about it!

Maya

The Seed of Mind-Changing Thoughts

I originally posted this on my old blog @ Xanga, but I think it is still relevant to the whole transformation I am currently undergoing. My mind has to be in tact in order for me to give my daughter what she needs from me as a mother and as her educator. This past summer I had started (and still haven't finished to much of my regret), a wonderful book. Here was the blog inspired by my readings.

I am currently indulging myself in the book titled: Classic African American Women's Narratives, which I find to be so disturbingly relevant to today. The book edited by William L. Andrews, spans narratives composed by pioneer African American female writers during the late 1800s. Being newly freed of the physical bondage of slavery, these women sought to evoke the spirits of other freed and enslaved women alike in a way to bring about a bold and daring self-confidence. They wanted for women to know their responsibility in the divine concatenation of revolution. An idealist myself, I find a distinct degree of relation to the shared mission of these various authors. I too feel the need to call out to our women to dig deep for that self-esteem that has been buried under centuries of oppression; to rise up and not only challenge society's influence and morality for our children, but to also be a seed in the foundation of progress. I firmly believe that everyone is capable of doing something incredibly revolutionary; being that we are created in the image of the Creator Himself which means we are modeled in supernatural greatness. For me, I find the struggle is not obtain the tools and skills necessary to bring about positive changes, but yet understanding and affirming your own identity and purpose in the struggle. As the narratives aim to touch the sentiments of women into soul searching, I want to stir the satisfaction of the mothers of africa for their sons and daughters alike. I believe that with God first, purpose second, and education a close third, there is nothing impossible for any single being to accomplish. Purpose again being the most difficult of the three to attain, is and has always I fear been the downfall of our past and present generations. When slavery took captivity of thousands of native African civilians, purpose began to dwindle into a near nonexistence. Without a reason to live, what reason do you have to change? Why would anyone care sincerely about, much less study and act upon a plan, which I believe to be divine, constructed to promote our community into fulfillment? Comfort is all too easily clenched and favored by the average African American, that we have begin to grow content with the mediocrity that has been pacifying us since the Civil Rights Movement. The need for change seems to be the only thing consistent and relevant from today and yesterday. It makes me wonder if things are really much different than the times in which these authors wrote with such passion and despair.

Looking back on my original post, little did I know at the time, but God had already placed the seed in me to begin looking for alternative routes for education. Initally, I wanted to start a private school with the efforts of like minds, but you know how that tends to go. Nevertheless, my dream for an ideal and Godly education has not ceased. In fact, my passion to pursue it has only intensified, thus homeschool. As an african-american mother, I definitely feel the need to sow so much positive self-image and Godly-habits and practices, that homeschool seems to be my only satifying option. I just thought it was highly interesting to see some of my development in just a few months...living proof that God is working!