While catching up with a college friend this weekend, she told me about a new guy she’d met. Everything was going fine – that was until after dinner when he told her about his atheist beliefs.
Let’s just say that changed the course of the evening. She was in shock. “I’ve never met a black atheist,” she said. “I could never be with someone who didn’t believe in God.”
“I could be with someone of a different faith,” I replied, but I couldn’t see myself with an atheist either.
We could think of friends or family members we knew who have issues with the Black church. People who just don’t go to church regularly. But no atheists or agnostics.
I wondered: Are there just not that many, or are they just not outspoken about their beliefs because it’s not acceptable in many parts of the black community?
Many of my close male friends are gay, and I always take issue with how homophobic the black community can be. So, I felt some type of way about the fact that I’d never thought about this part of the black community before.
I did some Googling and found this interesting article written by Sikivu Hutchinson at afro-netizen.com.
Here’s an excerpt of Hutchinson’s article:
In some Black communities it’s akin to donning a white sheet and a Confederate Flag. In others it’s ostensibly tolerated yet whispered about, branded culturally incorrect and bad form if not outright sacrilege. For Black atheists like myself, proclaiming one’s non-belief amidst genial wishes to “have a blessed day” is never easy in the seemingly innocuous context of casual chit chat between Black folk.
No matter one’s actual deeds, life path or personal mores, to be unquestioningly religious in some quarters is to be inoculated from criticism. Noting this historical irony in his blog, The Black Atheist, Wrath James White states, “In these (black) communities you find more tolerance towards gangbangers, drug addicts, and prostitutes, who pray to God for forgiveness than for honest productive citizens who deny the existence of God.”
Many black secular community-based organizations still look to the Black church as a coalition partner and resource. Disturbingly, the church is often uncritically perceived as the “backbone” of the Black community. However, as the debate over California’s Proposition 8 demonstrated, the notion that there is a monolithic “marching in lockstep” Black community is terminally outdated.
On issues of gender and sexual orientation, the overwhelming opposition of many prominent Black churches to granting civil rights to partnered African American gays and lesbians is morally indefensible.
On the national level the contradictions between American secularism and religion have produced a schizoid tension in the U.S., whereby religious fundamentalism and intolerance for secular thought have become the norm. When it’s practiced in the non-Western world Americans routinely brand this kind of propaganda as backward and extremist. Yet, in this, the most swaggeringly “liberal humanist” of all nations, “coming out” as an atheist in a culture that parades religious dogma as a substitute for true morality may be one of the final ideological frontiers for African Americans.
The discussion with my friend, and Hutchinson’s article made me do some thinking.
The worst thing I could probably do in my family’s eyes would be declaring I didn’t believe in God. I could come back to my hometown a married lesbian with five kids, a drug addict, an Alan Keyes-style conservative, or a double murderer in hiding and all of those would probably be more acceptable. But I couldn’t even imagine the response if I came home agnostic or atheist. Hmm.
What do you think? Do you know any black atheists or agnostics? Do you think coming out as an agnostic would be more or less difficult than coming out as homosexual in the black community?
Article by Ebonie
Ebonie, based out of Atlanta, is the author of the blog, WhatLooksLikeCrazy [whatlookslikecrazy.wordpress.com]. She’s a recent journalism grad, and WLLC is a mix of opinion and reported stories about the black community, politics, music, and current events.
Ebonie has written 10 article(s) for us.
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*Raises Hand*
For all intents and purposes, I suppose I would be called an Agnostic, being that I believe in a Supreme entity that created everything that is everything, yet I do not subscribe to a religious practice such as Christianity or Islam, as many people in my life thought I would end up a Muslim. I struggled for years with my faith in Christianity so much that I never told anybody that I never felt comfortable in my spirit as a Christian. Once I started trying to confess to people that Christianity makes me uncomfortable, I was told that the devil was sowing seeds of doubt in me.
In my mind, I would forgo every bit of my true self if I started faking the funk and calling myself a Christian so as not to be abandoned by my own people, but these days, I no longer care what people think of my spiritual choices, because in the end, I have to pray for my own salvation.
Having an aberrant spiritual belief can be extremely difficult for people who already don't fit anywhere in the status quo. Many African-Americans hold so dearly to their canonical beliefs that someone who doesn't believe as they do is an alien. Being castrated and shunned by another fellow African-American in a church with about 60 more human beings that are the same shade and complexion as me was enough to make me claim non-denominational status. The sad thing is that it's almost the same as being called a lame for not being a trend follower in high school or college…
@ Epsilon and Uppity: I completely understand where you're coming from. It is often hard to have religious conversations in the black community if your views are different from others. It can be like Epsilon's comparison to fitting in in high school/college. I also always find it interesting how much in common the major religions have, yet a lot of people don't learn about any other beliefs because they feel that would make them doubters of their own.
BTW, I gave this two stars, but they didn’t show up.
Okay… I am a non- denominational Christian. I believe God is LOVE. He sent Jesus to earth to set standard, end His wrath, and establish the kingdom of God here. God (most high) did that b/c the people he sent prior (moses, abraham, etc) were un able to fulfil his will completely. Never in history did Jesus say that he was greater than the father(most high), or taking his place. In order to believe in christ you must have 100% FAITH in God. If you rely on human intellect alone, one would never beileve (rightfully so). Its is by faith and faith alone(history, and prophecy backs it up tho'). We have "faith" that our birth date is correct, but Y? B/c essentially someone told us that – when we were old enough to comprehend it…. rite? Same thing… God is so simple.. we just try to make this concept so difficult to fit our own needs and desires, intead of complete surrender to a superNATURAL God that will never fail (human intellect will). Ultimately we are NOT in control…If we were we would never die….. ALL THAT TO SAY THIS…. No matter what you beileve or don't believe.. God loves you know matter who you are and where you are in your life. Spirituality boils down too a personal relationship between you and God. So be confident until your confidence begains to fail… Then continue to open your heart to the possibilites of God and watch where you will go… In the word it states "Trust in the lord with all thy heart, and lean NOT on your own understanding". Watever you beileve dont get caught up with wat people think… search after what is true and can not be challenged. I have and Im secure in my belief in Christ… b/c he has shown his self evident in my life multiple times… There is not enough preachin in the world… to trump my experience with God… So DO YOU…
Gotta keep God 1st or you will stay in mediocracy.
I’m consider myself a Christian Universalist–in other words, I don’t necessarily believe in hell (or heaven some days), and I still receive flak on my own blog from other blacks in a weird way for my beliefs not to mention from my parents. Seriously, I’d be afraid to state my beliefs in a bunch of black folk.
No offfense to you Laci, but I think your comment is evidence of why some people are turned off from church people. For you, your life begins and ends with God–and that's fine, I'm not knocking that. But that doesn't make sense for every one, for some people it does begin with human intellect. I think once both sides begin to realise this, then perhaps some dialogue can begin.
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Lexi: Okay… I am a non- denominational Christian. I believe God is LOVE. He sent Jesus to earth to set standard, end His wrath, and establish the kingdom of God here. God (most high) did that b/c the people he sent prior (moses, abraham, etc) were un able to fulfil his will completely.Never in history did Jesus say that he was greater than the father(most high), or taking his place. In order to believe in christ you musthave 100% FAITH in God. If you rely on human intellect alone, one would never beileve (rightfully so). Its is by faith and faith alone(history, and prophecy backs it up tho’). We have “faith” that our birth date is correct, but Y?B/c essentially someone told us that – when we were old enough to comprehend it…. rite? Same thing… God is so simple.. we just try to make this concept so difficult to fit our own needs and desires, intead of complete surrender to a superNATURAL God that will never fail (human intellect will). Ultimately we are NOT in control…If we were we would never die….. ALL THAT TO SAY THIS…. No matter what you beileve or don’t believe.. God loves you know matter who you are and where you are in your life. Spirituality boils down too a personal relationship between you and God. So be confident until your confidence begains to fail… Then continue to open your heart to the possibilites of God and watch where you will go… In the word it states “Trust in the lord with all thy heart, and lean NOT on your own understanding”.Watever you beileve dont get caught up with wat people think… search after what is true and can not be challenged. I have and Im secure in my belief in Christ… b/c he has shown his self evident in my life multiple times… There is not enough preachin in the world… to trump my experience with God… So DO YOU… Gotta keep God 1st or you will stay in mediocracy.
Great post, thank you! I pretty much agree with what everyone has said thus far. I am a practicing Buddhist and while I do hold the notion that there is some form of a "higher power" out there, I do not believe that praying to this "higher power" for instance will solve or end my suffering or make all things in my life right. I also do not believe in Hell nor Heaven for that matter (especially as it is described in the bible, a book written by Man). I as well feel nervous discussing my religious views with other black people again mostly for the reason stated above. In my opinion, it is very rare to meet a strongly religious (or sometimes even a mildly religious) person, black or otherwise, who is open and willing to listen to a religious point different than their own, without attempting to convert the other person, attacking the person's religious views as invalid, or telling them how wrongly their living their life, going to Hell, etc. These types of reactions prohibit the ability of people to carry on civil intellectual conversations about religion and/or the existence or non – existence of God, which we should be able to have ("faith" should not preclude intellect). In my opinion, not having "faith" in God or practicing a religion other than Christianity does not mean that there is something wrong with an individual or that there is something missing in that person's life. What it does mean is that that person simply has another viewpoint or perspective which should be respected; we should not all be forced or coerced into "groupfaith". Again, great article! I love this website!
I think most of us(myself being an Agnostic Atheist) won’t say shit because of the vast majority of Black Christians. The Black Church is still very powerful and it’s hard to come out and state that you have a spiritual opinion that is different. Especially when people say that Christianity was one main things keeping the Black community together through all our hard times.
Spinster —>HERE<— Epsilon, uppity negro, Jamie, Sekigahara
Lexi's comment is quite inappropriate and reeks of proselytyzing.
I must admit, this post hits close to home. I'm also one of those people that believes in God/a God, but doesn't affiliate with any particular church. I try to stay out of religion and spiritual conversations completely because I or someone else will usually end up angry or offended. One thing it particular that turns me off about church/black church goers are the people who look at you as if you're an injured puppy or in distress because you don't go to church regularly. Black church folk can be very condescending without even knowing it.
And a little bit off topic, but what is it with women needing a man "that goes to church and worships God? As if one cannot be a good partner without doing that. And I'm gone.