I mean Southern Americans during the 1950's, of course. The majority of the white people that lived down their were notorious for their intolerance of blacks and black culture.
Doesn't anyone else find it ironic that the people there preached so much about Jesus' love and then they go out at night and lynch a couple of African Americans for enjoyment?
Some Christians down there went as far as to say that "God hates blacks...for their dark skin is evidence of their uncleanly souls..."
2007-02-05 10:45:26 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
ll when you put it like that i guess the answer is that religion breeds racism
2007-02-05 10:49:18 · answer #1 · answered by johnny.zondo 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am both Southern and Christian and not racist. In fact I my wife is of a different race than I. I found people up north to be more racist than down south. I have never heard the "N" word used more in my life than when I stayed with some family members for 3 months in Baltimore, MD. And where did Rodney King live? Where did the Hatian live who was beaten by NYPD a few years back? What about the 2 black guys that were killed in Queens for walking through a white neighborhood in the 80's? Racism isn't exclusive to one part of the country, nor Christianity. Not everyone applies Christian teachings. Not everyone is a Christian.
As for "atheism being the logical choice"...over 100 million people were killed by atheistic communists in the last century.
Some logic.
2007-02-05 11:03:34 · answer #2 · answered by The Notorious Doctor Zoom Zoom 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
People will use anything they can come up with to justify their stupidity. Religion, which in itself is perfectly harmless, can be a powerful tool and scape goat in the wrong hands.
Christianity is not the cause of bigotry, nor the other way around. Rather, they are both two potential side effects of something else--namely poor education. And the South, for economic reasons, has never had a very strong foundation in education, although this is finally starting to change in recent years.
As more businesses relocate to the South and as emphasis on education increases as a result, I imagine we'll see a decline in both religious adherence and racism in these states.
2007-02-05 11:12:38 · answer #3 · answered by Halley 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I went to a Southern Bible college. My roommate from was from Ghana, West Africa. Perhaps 25% of the student body was from overseas; African, Indian, from South and Central America, Japanese, Filipino, Finnish, Polish, and some from countries I had not previously heard of. many in the student body were also Afro-American and American Hispanic. We worshiped God together with all our hearts and I never saw nor heard a single instance of racism on the campus. When people get filled the Holy Spirit, race really doesn't matter much any more.
2007-02-05 11:04:07 · answer #4 · answered by wefmeister 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, humans have an amazing ability to justify horrific actions despite claiming strong moral convictions (like their claim that the dark skin of Africans is a "curse" from God). It was horrific and not at all Christlike. Unfortunately, those who acted in this way did not have a true understanding of what it means to be Christian. Many still don't. It's very sad!
2007-02-05 10:51:19 · answer #5 · answered by arcanefairy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having lived in the south all my life I can tell you that *some* of those attitudes still prevail today and it's terrible that the south has that for it's legacy. I was born in Alabama but live in Texas now...my granddad still lives in 'Bama and he is extremely racist. I get so embarrassed by him sometimes.
Holly Marie...someone should report you. You claim to be christian but your attitude just proves otherwise. It's christians like you that make me grateful to be an atheist (among other reasons).
Arewethereyet...yes Texas has had it's racist moments. Remember a few years back, I believe it was in Orange, Texas...the white guys that tied a black man to the back of a truck and dragged him until he was dead??? They had the trial in Bryan, Texas where I was living at the time. So yes...Texas does have it's racist areas. Maybe not as bad as Mississippi or Alabama, but it does have it's moments. Texas is not immune to racism.
2007-02-05 10:50:00 · answer #6 · answered by Stormilutionist Chasealogist 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I can't vouche for every bad Christian out there, but I can say Jesus wouldn't judge people like that.
After all, Jesus loves all the little children of the world (Black, yellow, red and white)
It still occurs today, much like other forms of discrimination. I have a lot of African American friends--most of which are Jesus-lovin' brotha's.
Woah... little too much ebonics there.
Good day.
2007-02-05 10:49:58 · answer #7 · answered by Doug 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
And to the north were zealous white Congregationalists who never had slaves in their entire history of America. I have relatives on both sides of the border though, in the Civil War I had one side of the family in the north, and another in the south. In fact we even have a letter from one of my family members who had slaves and he called Lincoln "the black Republican President" who was "worse than dogs" and that "hell is too pleasant a place for him"................ People just saw things differently back then, and do you know why? Because the government allowed them to have slaves for so long that they felt it was their inalienable right to own slaves. In the same way, if you grant things like abortion, no matter how genocidal it gets, people will argue for it just as they did for slavery, and they will say that having an abortion is an inalienable right, just as they are saying now..........
2007-02-05 11:07:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm more puzzled as to why you used the past tense when it's still true today (not all Southerners are complete bigots, mind you, but open bigotry is more common there). But that aside, the racism issue is residue from the slave era. Blacks were seen as sub-human so there was no moral conflict perceived. As for why where they more religious, in the 50's I'm not sure that there was that much of a difference. Sure, maybe more Baptists in the south and more Catholics or other non-Baptist types of Protestants in the North, but America was largely religious then (similar to what we're seeing today).
2007-02-05 10:53:19 · answer #9 · answered by SDTerp 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Why were the Southerners the Most Religious *AND* the Most Racist?
I just got back from New Zealand!
About as South as you can go!!
I found very little racism-- though I did find them quite religious.
Particularly the Aboriginal Peoples.
2007-02-05 10:52:46 · answer #10 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some people are idiots and twist the Word of God to suit their own ignorance and bias so they can feel holy about their own hate.
But your question would be like asking "Why are northerners the least religious and the most rude". One does not necessarily depend on the other.
2007-02-05 10:51:11 · answer #11 · answered by lizardmama 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋