Black Churches Hurt Detroit

[dtowncitylover]

Isn't it the stereotype that gangsters/mobsters go to church on Sunday but during the week do their business while their pastor/minister knows that they are part of an "organization" and always makes that sermon against doing evil in the community?

[gibran]

History has demonstrated the evil of people who hide behind religion to build nations on the back of others or do bad things. In the end; that is not practicing religion but using it to promote hidden agendas or control people... I am sure many of the benefits of religion done correctly [[notice I didn't say Right)..can help those whose needs are tied to their understanding of traditions that they find comforting...addiction for some;yes and hope for others..again it depends how much you read into it...and how you process it...but faith and hope have been seen as strong clinical supplements to people ...folkways also..natural healing it can all lead to results..can't always throw the baby out with the bath water..or use one's experiences as a total understanding of it's phenomenological results..

Science and faith is not a bad marriage when done correctly..flatlanders are the exceptions.LOL

I agree with dtowncity: many people trip over the homeless on the way into church and push aside the poor to get to their offices the next day to make business deals, legislation or laws that perpetuate misery...and still have the nerve to call themselves people of faith [[as long as it benefits their lives only)..
...if we can only take one passage from the Christians and keep it as our motto it should be "what you do to the least of my brothers, you do onto me" and that will cover just about all of our worries...yes we are our brothers keepers, and we need it in Detroit and in Haiti and other places where people are not finding "social justice" or even a sympathetic hand...so if people need structure to remind them or expose them to these rebellous thoughts..well ok..some do some don't.

[Detroitej72]

You made me laugh out loud Detroitej72.

I try to lighten the air whenever things get a bit heavy.

[Jarvis]

I was just reading about countries like Sweden and Denmark who have great economies and very little crime. They also do not practice religion or go to church a whole lot. They say they practice humanity instead of religion. It is strange how many churches are in Detroit. I've seen corner party stores turned into churches. I've seen "Pastors" dressed like pimps, driving there Cadillacs living large while the commuinty suffers. Makes you think.

[Detroitej72]

History has demonstrated the evil of people who hide behind religion to build nations on the back of others or do bad things. In the end; that is not practicing religion but using it to promote hidden agendas or control people...

Thats all too true...

Science and faith is not a bad marriage when done correctly..flatlanders are the exceptions.LOL

That is the teachings of the Catholic Church, minus the flatlanders!!!

If only everyone else believed and felt the same...

many people trip over the homeless on the way into church and push aside the poor to get to their offices the next day to make business deals, legislation or laws that perpetuate misery...and still have the nerve to call themselves people of faith [[as long as it benefits their lives only)..

Many Protestants tell themselves that the homeless are there by there own choice.

...if we can only take one passage from the Christians and keep it as our motto it should be "what you do to the least of my brothers, you do onto me" and that will cover just about all of our worries...

I hope and pray this will happen...

yes we are our brothers keepers, and we need it in Detroit and in Haiti and other places where people are not finding "social justice" or even a sympathetic hand...so if people need structure to remind them or expose them to these rebellous thoughts..well ok..some do some don't.

Gibran, I tip my hat to you and folks like you who see the problems of the world and actually help solve them....

May God Bless You...

[Sstashmoo]

Sweden doesn't practice religion? 73% of the population claims a church membership. Registered members. 81.5% for Denmark as of 2009. Registered church members.

[Detroitej72]

It is strange how many churches are in Detroit. I've seen corner party stores turned into churches. I've seen "Pastors" dressed like pimps, driving there Cadillacs living large while the community suffers. Makes you think.

Ah, gotta love those protestants!

[Mikeg]

Sweden and Denmark have great economies?

THE SWEDISH ECONOMY, DECEMBER 2009
Signs of Improvement at the End of a Gloomy Year
Sweden is in a severe economic slump, and GDP will drop by 4.4 percent in 2009.

DENMARK ECONOMY
Denmark entered recession in mid-2007 before the onset of the global economic crisis, and the slowdown has been considerable. The Danish economy contracted by 1.1% in 2008 and 5.3% in the first half of 2009.

[gibran]

Back at you 72... you see it only takes a simple conversation...I teach social justice at an HBCU...SJ: it has Judea-christian roots....but it doesn't get lost in the structure...

I have this image of the above description ..but then I went recently to a Hispanic Church as a guest for Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration...talk about funny costumes LOL...meaning the Bishop and his homies.

[kathy2trips]

And...ALL churches are tax-exempt. A city needs to have enough revenue to offset that void. Stafford, Texas had to put a limit of the number of churches in their city. They try to accommodate every denomination, but basically say to new churches, "Sorry, but we can't afford you!"

[smudge pot]

Cock-punch [[you nailed it, LD! Bring back those plaid skirts!). Time to cut off the oxygen. Let this thread slip off the radar. Stop replying. If you want to comment on black churches, do so in the context of some other topic. I've done it, and I lived to tell about it.

But this thread isn't the place, this thread is pure sucker bait, and don't be a sucker, and don't get banned. Wise up. I want you to still be around when I might need you. Let this thread die.

[Zacha341]

What always amazes me about blanket negative comments re. church [[black or white) is that often the persons posing the accusation has not been inside a church or attended a service. Specific to claims of what goes on within all churches as claimed.

One can always present the straw-man argument, and point to an extreme or characterize [[slick talking preacher as deity, with pinky rings, and caddy etc.) but to do that is somewhat anti-clerical at the onset as that is not whole quotient of church life within the city. There are many healthy churches and ministries providing food and financial relief as well as a spiritual base of hope, providing a world view from which people and families can be empowered.

Examples? That's a pretty wild statement to throw out with no elaboration.

[southsider]

Thanks for the feedback. I will admit that the hypothesis was and is absolutely anecdotal. When I did the original post I anticipated some pretty vile and emotional responses, but I have been delightfully surprised with the amount of consideration and humor relayed here. There's no way to scientifically link the two. It was and is a passing observation and just wanted to get the perspective of the forumers.

Again, I anticipated much more harsh responses to the post that would essentially translate into humor.

[East Detroit]

Who cares what you anticipated?

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "Again, I anticipated much more harsh responses to the post that would essentially translate into humor."

Translated: Hello everyone, I'm a troll. Dude were trolled out.

[maxx]

If the churches you mentioned are teaching that evolution is some sort of evil conspiracy, they are doing their members a disservice.

[terryh]

I don't think the number of churches is the problem, nor the number of attendees to those churches. I also don't think that churches themselves are the source of Detroit's problems. If anything, they are probably a positive force. However, the disempowering philosophy is very prevalent throughout Detroit, so I wouldn't expect Detroit's churches to be immune.

Churches are a problem because they teach mind numbing superstitious nonsense and cause divisions among human beings.Let go and let God= dont take responisbility for youre own actions. Dont think for youreself.

[terryh]

What always amazes me about blanket negative comments re. church [[black or white) is that often the persons posing the accusation has not been inside a church or attended a service. Specific to claims of what goes on within all churches as claimed.

One can always present the straw-man argument, and point to an extreme or characterize [[slick talking preacher as deity, with pinky rings, and caddy etc.) but to do that is somewhat anti-clerical at the onset as that is not whole quotient of church life within the city. There are many healthy churches and ministries providing food and financial relief as well as a spiritual base of hope, providing a world view from which people and families can be empowered.

They are being good altruistic human beings. Church members do what many atheists like myself do, and that is volunteer to help the less fortunate. In many cases the members are benefitting themselves by assisting the homeless at churches: its a public safety issue. Several of the clients at the shelter office where I volunteered were taken aback and seemed slightly annoyed when I told them I didnt have any religious beliefs. The clients who thought they were there because "God had a plan" tended to be shiftless and lethargic..obviously full churches in Detroit have little impact on the overall state of the place....countries with high percentages of atheism have high standards of living; long life expectancies; universal health care; low crime rates etc.....

[East Detroit]

....countries with high percentages of atheism have high standards of living; long life expectancies; universal health care; low crime rates etc.....

Which came first?

[terryh]

Which came first?

What are you asking? Which came first? Elaborate please...

[rb336]

Sweden doesn't practice religion? 73% of the population claims a church membership. Registered members. 81.5% for Denmark as of 2009. Registered church members.

official membership means --- nothing. church attendence is under 10% in sweden, very slightly higher in denmark

[Sstashmoo]

So why then do they bother joining a church? A person doesn't have to go to a "church" to have faith.

[terryh]

There are mryiad black denominations and sects. Nation of Islam; Church of the Black Madonna; the black Israelites are particularly creepy and spacy;Baptists-born agains; Catholics; Jehova Witness etc....the literalists in every religion scare me...In reality there are no christians jews hindus or muslims just human beings who make an identity for themselves and think they know a truth or have a special connection to a higher being that the rest of us don't have. Many of the catholic churches and synagogues now house baptist and non-denominational congregations.

[Retroit]

Several of the clients at the shelter office where I volunteered were taken aback and seemed slightly annoyed when I told them I didnt have any religious beliefs. The clients who thought they were there because "God had a plan" tended to be shiftless and lethargic.

So, I suppose if you worked in a scientific laboratory with a bunch of believers, you would conclude that all believers are self-motivated geniuses who invent or discover things?

[Mikeg]

Someone's belief in atheism is just as valid as the beliefs of Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. Just as religious believers cannot provide definitive proof of the existence of a divine being, neither can the atheist prove the non-existence of a divine being.

Why is it then that some atheists feel compelled to denigrate those who have differing beliefs? Is it because they are bigoted?