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I was recently asked by a co-worker of mine about the Bible and my faith. This may not come as a surprise to you, but It was a surprise to me. While I do live as a Christian I do not attempt to publicize nor attempt to convert everyone to my religion everywhere I go. The question didn’t come because of genuine interest but the question came about in order to present a topic that I had heard all too often. The topic that I speak of is the topic of Christianity being a religion passed down from white slave owners to their black slaves in order to keep them in line & obedient. Basically, I was told I only worship God because of what I had been trained to do my entire life because it was passed down to me. My co-worker told me I was wrong & I should convert to his particular brand. I was intrigued.
Unlike many Christians, I am always open to listen & try to understand other people’s point of view. I like to listen & see if there is any validity & truth to what is being said, or if there is any way that I can test my belief in any way. I leave this avenue open because I believe that God doesn’t have to run from difficult questions, nor shy away from legitimate concerns. In order for Christianity to be the prevailing belief there is a need that it be thoroughly examined & tested. If Christianity is false or real, it will be proven. To me it’s that simple. For this reason I do not shy away from difficult conversations nor do I run or get defensive about what I believe. I’m not surprised that people don’t believe as I do nor do they want to. It is only my duty to know what I believe & understand why I believe it. If someone is open & receptive to what I believe, I gladly share, if not I simply do not even bring it up.
There have been so many instances in the past where Christianity has been known or shown to be the “bully” religion. Former Christians attempted to convert others by force, threats, or other ungodly means. This “bully” method is a method I believe was passed down from white slave owners to black slaves. This method is a forced religion from a twisted view of God & His requirements. I do not agree with this method. There is no person in the Bible that was converted by force. NOT ONE. This form of evangelism is not Biblical. This among other forms of Christian behavior I believe has shaped the negative way the world sees Christianity. I believe that my co-worker had this skewed view of Christianity which was his reason for coming to me that day to “enlighten” my mind.
“Christianity is not the true religion” he said. “Church as you know it is fake & the people who go there are all liars.” He spoke with such confidence. “You should seek to be enlightened by truth. Research it.” I did not get defensive as many Christians would. I responded by asking “So you don’t believe in God?” His response “God is useless!” These words didn’t anger me at all. He continued to tell me that I was operating with a slave mentality and that I needed to “wake up & ditch the white man’s religion”. I laughed. I must tell you that I do agree with many of the things he said. Christianity was passed down to slaves from their white slave owners. Many people who go to church are fake & liars (lol it’s sad but true). I did agree that the matter should be researched, which I had already done. I didn’t however agree that God is useless & that Christianity is not the true religion. I am going to share why I am a Black (African American) Christian & unapologetic:
There are many reasons I can COMPLETELY SHATTER the notion of Christianity being a slave religion, but I will only list a couple here for the sake of making this a quick read (lol).
1st of all Christianity was forced upon my people, however we weren’t allowed to read & research what was being forced upon us. The slave owners forced it upon us but didn’t allow us to learn about it & interpret the scriptures for ourselves. Why? Because within the 1st two books of the Bible is recorded the oppression of a people for no other reason than fear & prejudice. Also, within those books is recorded the LIBERATION of that people by God through Moses. It would have given every slave the idea that slavery is wrong & God would have all people to be free. It would have ignited a people enslaved similar to the Hebrews in the Bible. Christianity is not the type of religion that makes oppression ok. Christianity is all about releasing the captive & breaking the chains of bondage. If you read & research Christianity it has ALWAYS been about freedom & releasing those who were otherwise unable to free themselves. Furthermore, Christianity becomes the belief system that there is a God beyond our senses that is actually going to help me to accomplish whatever task I set my mind & heart to (theirs would have been freedom). How can Christianity be a slave religion if the Bible is filled with stories, circumstances, & scenarios that the God contained in its pages continually lifts, releases, redeems, & liberate oppressed people? The God of the Bible is not a God of oppression & neither is Christianity.
2nd: Christianity is built and based on two main commandments. These two commandments encompass the other commandments (as Jesus stated in the new Testament). The 1st one is Love God with all your heart, the 2nd love your neighbor as yourself. This speaks to how God would have us treat each other. Most of the messages from God had everything to do with how they treated one another. I would argue that if Christianity was a slave religion it would have to be the 5 star hotel slavery experience. God would not have one person treat another person with prejudice for any reason. Christianity teaches that as you do to the homeless person is as you have done to God himself. This is not a commandment that uplifts or upholds treating a person any kind of unjust way for any reason. God cares about how we treat each other. There were laws within the community of Israel that God Himself tells the Israelites that there was a period of time that a person could owe a debt to you. If 6 years pass & the person couldn’t pay you back the debt was to be forgiven on the 7th year. How can Christianity be a slave religion if the Bible plainly teaches AGAINST mistreating & exploiting people? Had slaves been allowed to read the Bible we would have discovered a God that is colorless & has NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS.
In conclusion, Christianity was used for something it was not created for. While I can understand why a person would think Christianity is a slave religion, I encourage you to read & research the essence of Christianity. What does Christianity actually teach? What is its intent? How can it be used to make one better? A person can take something that was made for one thing & use it for something else. I have used a butter knife to open a locked door, or a shoe as a hammer, some have even used a screwdriver which is clearly a tool as a weapon. All these items we created for one purpose but were used for a different purpose. Just because a person takes something created for good & uses it for evil doesn’t make the thing bad, it makes the intention of the one who used it bad. Don’t discredit Christianity because other people used it for an evil purpose. It was created for good. It was created to show us what love looks, acts, & sounds like, for God is love. Christianity is not a slave religion it’s a religion of freedom, bravery, courage, love, & peace. Everything America was intended to be. #beBlessed
Feel free to email me: MStewart@gmail.com
