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The Black Church Taught Me To Be A Docile Victim And I Renounce It's Lessons

Started by Pasta Chick, December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM

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Pasta Chick

There are a lot of groups I follow in which the use of organized religion as a tool of racial oppression is a frequent topic. Not belonging to these groups myself - in fact belonging to the groups that have historically used religion as such - it is not something I have a right to offer commentary on. But being athiest and having grave concerns over church abuse as a whole, it is a topic that I find extremely important and often overlooked. As part of this forum section is for the sharing of personal stories, I thought bringing some off-forum voices in to be heard would be meaningful.

GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.

The Black Church Taught Me To Be A Docile Victim And I Renounce It's Lessons

QuoteI was raised in a traditional southern Black Christian household, and I suppose that there are times when I venture into a sort of "cultural Christianity" because it is easier to use familiar cultural terms in order to express myself to others.

There are many reasons that I have become more and more disillusioned with religion as I have gotten older, the most profound of which is the trauma that I have associated with Christianity and the things surrounding it.

Much of religious doctrine, especially the form of Christianity that I was taught and continue to witness, goes directly against my fundamental belief system, which is that every living being deserves the right to exist free from violence and oppression. And I will not compromise these beliefs for anything.

Biggus Dickus

Seems to me that I've been coming across similar stories and personal experiences such as these posted by the author more in recent times than I did before...seems like more and more people are stepping outside the cultural traditions, especially those of the church which they feel have been traumatizing or forced them to be docile as Sherronda mentioned in the article.

Especially among younger folks...
"Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair."

Sandra Craft

Best argument against mindless forgiveness I've seen yet: "To them, I say: I cannot heal from something that never stops hurting me."
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Dave

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on December 15, 2017, 04:32:28 AM
Best argument against mindless forgiveness I've seen yet: "To them, I say: I cannot heal from something that never stops hurting me."

Yes, some things you can never just forget.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Magdalena

Quote from: Pasta Chick on December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM
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GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.

...

I totally understand.

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Tank

Quote from: Pasta Chick on December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM
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GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.
...

Mags. I need a .gif for a marching guard/soldier.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Pasta Chick

Quote from: Papasito Bruno on December 15, 2017, 03:38:41 AM
Seems to me that I've been coming across similar stories and personal experiences such as these posted by the author more in recent times than I did before...seems like more and more people are stepping outside the cultural traditions, especially those of the church which they feel have been traumatizing or forced them to be docile as Sherronda mentioned in the article.

Especially among younger folks...

It's one of those things I'm not quite sure if it's new, or if there's just more exposure to it now. Certainly the more people do it, the more will feel safely able to follow.

It is worth noting the author does not identify as athiest, which is something I've seen among survivors of religious trauma in general. She doesn't get in to the whys for herself personally. The two most common explanations I see from people who do are that the violent church teachings leave a residue of fear on them that stops them just short of actually renouncing belief entirely, or that they do not feel they are athiest but are so traumatized by religious practice they can not bring themselves to associate with any part of it at all. Both of these things infuriate me to an extent I can't even put words to. Fuck any institution that does that to people.

Davin

Quote from: Tank on December 15, 2017, 08:22:13 AM
Quote from: Pasta Chick on December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM
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GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.
...

Mags. I need a .gif for a marching guard/soldier.

Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Tank

Quote from: Davin on December 15, 2017, 03:07:02 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 15, 2017, 08:22:13 AM
Quote from: Pasta Chick on December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM
...

GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.
...

Mags. I need a .gif for a marching guard/soldier.


Good start. Needs to be one one their own.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Davin

Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Pasta Chick


Tank

Quote from: Davin on December 15, 2017, 03:11:03 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 15, 2017, 03:08:34 PM
Quote from: Davin on December 15, 2017, 03:07:02 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 15, 2017, 08:22:13 AM
Quote from: Pasta Chick on December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM
...

GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.
...

Mags. I need a .gif for a marching guard/soldier.

https://i.makeagif.com/media/9-07-2015/UfvdSc.gif
Good start. Needs to be one one their own.


Good one. Can you find one marching?

Edit: the second one hadn't loaded when I made this comment  :mb lol:
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Davin

When I was religious, the church, family, peers, well pretty much everyone in the church, taught that things were black and white. If you sinned, then you're a sinner. If you forgive someone, then you have to act like they did nothing wrong, and you have to forgive people.

Then the exceptions started to hit, but they kept on like things were still black and white. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, they say things are black and white, but the reality of it is much worse. It's taught as black and white but it's treated like perfect or tainted. Which as we know is impossible, but the justifications for some reason defy logic.

Ones forgiveness must be perfect forgiveness, which means one is supposed to wipe the slate clean. But this makes seemingly gullible people. They let people walk over them, but they don't do it simply because they don't see that they are being taken advantage of, they do it because they have faith that perfect forgiveness will eventually work. There were a bunch of stories about how a humble church follower would forgive and forgive and forgive until eventually the aggressor felt bad and finally stopped doing it. Then these stories, even if true, are held of as the standard even though these things occur that way very rarely if at all.

I could never reconcile the problems with this kind of thinking, especially when church authorities wouldn't practice their preaching and would hold people in contempt even after said people asked for forgiveness. It's not a good way to live anyway, and these leaders could understand it, even when they professed otherwise.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Bad Penny II

I can't say I fully understand this forgiveness business but if I let ignorance silence me I'd seldom say anything.

A hugely expensive commission looking into institutional abuse has after many years just concluded.
There are Catholics who say that they forgive people but that doesn't mean they have to trust them.  People can be forgiven but they still have to face jail time.
People might have souls and worldly bits, and the soul bit gets forgiven. 
Does that sound weird? Well don't blame me, I didn't make this stuff up.
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Bad Penny II

Quote from: Tank on December 15, 2017, 03:08:34 PM
Quote from: Davin on December 15, 2017, 03:07:02 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 15, 2017, 08:22:13 AM
Quote from: Pasta Chick on December 15, 2017, 01:51:28 AM
...

GIVEN RECENT FORUM EVENTS I AM REALLY FUCKING HESITANT TO DO THIS AND SO HELP ME I AM RIGHT ON THE EDGE. FUCKING BEHAVE IN THIS THREAD.
...

Mags. I need a .gif for a marching guard/soldier.


Good start. Needs to be one one their own.

Are those soldiers Nazis? 



Take my advice, don't listen to me.