Blog Purpose

I just want to say a few words about what Im reading on this blog the past two days. There will be no more race-related comments in a negative manner…. period. I have asked the respective parties before and my tolerance is now passed.  Rev. Al and anyone else of color that may be reading this you have my sincere apology. I acknowledge, and am keenly aware that it does not matter what I think is offensive in this manner but what you think, as your people are the ones with one of the most tragic histories of all time.

I do want to say something further on that subject though. I am from the black belt region of the South and my forefathers fought in the Civil War, and owned slaves. This is not a fact I am proud of, and I also acknowledge that this war was not only fought to keep slaves by a lot of Southerners. We, or  many of us Southerners, do have a conscious and are mortified by our region’s own past. We collectively as well, celebrate the amazingly beautiful things that have come from there such as Jazz, folk art, and some of the world’s finest literature. And frankly…if I had a choice we would not be part of the United States but our own independent  country.

I encourage anyone to visit the South, and Martin you and your family especially. There are not many small towns in America that are laid out from an architectural perspective any better than where my friend Robbie lives in Eufaula.

That nor none of the South’s accomplishments culturally though, will ever make up, or even compare to the horror and agony that took place here against a specific group of people for over a century. The ignorance and continual denial of responsibility has largely been what has kept us a undeveloped and backwards region for quite some time. As for the numbers, let me set the record straight on that once and for all. There are different scholarly opinions and these vary widely as does the statistical methodology behind them. The most qualified people I know in this area are those at the W.E.B Dubois Institute at Harvard University. I do not have a PhD in history, but that said I have studied with several at that level who are and are published credentialed scholars both at Auburn University and Harvard. With the exception of one Civil Rights expert at Auburn they have not, and are not in the same league, in terms of academic rigor and research as Harvard. I have also had Dr. Cornel West as a thesis advisor and his scholarship I trust more than anyone else with the possible exception of Dr. Leon Litwack at Berkeley. 

The current count per Dr. Cornel West, who is a professor at Harvard and previously at Princeton, is seventy five million. There are less than five people in the world who are remotely qualified to dispute this and not one of them has been on this blog and not one of them has written anything on Wikipedia.

So yes this is an atrocity beyond all comprehension and makes what happened to my people the Jews seem minor. To stubbornly not acknowledge that or make excuses for the cultural responsibility is cowardly at best.

I do not like the current doctrine of evangelical Christianity and this has nothing to do with the people who believe in it. I readily acknowledged in some instances, and with some people, it has made the world a better place and pointed people towards what I think is what we call G-d. I believe there is a divine creator of the world. if you do not then that is fine, no one will judge you from my household or tribe, especially if you use your mind. And if there is a G-d, and those of us who believe  are right, and you are wrong, I would guess he would hardly fault you if you used your mind to the fullest of your ability and honestly came to this conclusion. Only you and him know this. I hope like Dr. Dawkins though, you will always leave out some odds that one just might exist [ his is 6.9 on a 10 he does not by the way].

The reason I do not like evangelical Christianity is because “it”- the religion- not faith or a belief in Jesus as some sort of messenger or messiah- has developed into something that is very much not what “it” (Christianity) originally was. In doing this it creates a system of thinking that excludes others as being able to connect to G-d. This doctrine says Judaism is wrong, Buddhism is wrong, Occultism is wrong…and they are all going to hell if they do not see Jesus exactly the same way they do. And by the way starting with Thomas Jefferson and current to Pastor Shane Claiborne, there are many who feel this same way. 

I want no part of this and many clear-headed religious followers of Jesus feel the same way but do not voice it. But know in no way, except for the occasional jab at my spiritual brother Robbie, ( which is a form of humour between the two of us) do I criticize the person. If it has ever come across that way it was certainly not intended. And I do not expect anyone who posts on this blog to attack any one individual or generic group of people or I will delete the post. If it happens twice I will make the blog inaccessible to you. If it happens thrice then I will take liberty with your hard drive on whatever system you use and humble you a bit- this I promise.

Attack the idea all you care to, challenge , debunk, share what you think and be prepared to explain why. This is the blogs purpose to discuss and debate topics of faith that are not normally spoken of between those of different faiths. It moves Robbie into the discourse of a synagogue and me into the world of snakes in a church. Fascinating, bizarre and riveting and above all deeply faith-affirming.

Above all whether a man handles a poisonous snake or a woman cuts her genitals (willingly ), or a Rabbi decides to slice of part of a boys penis for a reason of faith, I am  in awe of the power that lies behind human belief in G-d. How we express it is what we discuss here. Not anything else.

And we attempt- even when heated discussions are present, to never make it personal and the test is if both parties walk away with internal questions then we have succeeded.

 If not…do not write it.

 

John

~ by Moshe on March 10, 2009.