Racial Segregation is Alive and Flourishing in the US

[ZahZoo]

Saw a segment on a local news station here. The statistics surprised me. Over 90% of all churches in the US remain racially segregated. In other words... we only want to worship with people who look like us.

Kinda shocking when the basic constructs of all western religions is love thy neighbor... I don't recall any scripture advising only worship with those similar skin tone or ancestral DNA.

Why is it... the predominant social groups that teach and preach tolerance don't intermingle based on race?

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/articl...o-unite-races-

[VAiN]

I'm not a church guy, but my guess is it's the community. People go to church with people they know and/or have similar lifestyles, interests, live in the same neighborhood, etc..

[Kristy]

Ever been in a black church in the south? I haven't but the point is black people know how to party in church where whites are so...so...SERIOUS about Jesus. I don't see it as a racial division as I do an attitude is how one chooses to worship. Just south of here there is a Rethuglican shithole known as Colorado Springs where a lot of the batshit crazy evangelicals live. Apart from Colorado Springs being a big military town it is also predominately white in terms of religious worship where even the signing of hymns is considered to be blasphemy and everyone knows blacks love to sing in church. I know little on the subject of what goes on in Protestant circles being raised predominately Catholic for about 23 years of my life but even in my own church the middle class whites were suspicious of blacks. I'm not sure why other than there were Catholic churches in the "inner city where they could go." If there is racism in terms of loving your neighbor I believe it's due to white churches don't want blacks "slumming up" the place with feel good worship in relation where whites love to push guilt, shame, and to a larger part extortion of funds from the(ir) congregation.

Then again, my roommate is highly religious and attends Denver Seminary (which is one expensive graduate school) and I've been on that campus and can tell you I saw a lot of Asians and their families running around there but no blacks, Latinos or martians. Maybe higher religious principles are divided between races where, even when I was in Catholic school, we were taught Jesus was white, middle class, worked out and had a personal barber that traveled with him and that he could have possibly been one of the founding members of the 90's rock act Collective Soul. Don't think blacks are down with 'dat.

[Zing!]

I'm not a church guy, but my guess is it's the community. People go to church with people they know and/or have similar lifestyles, interests, live in the same neighborhood, etc..

Really not all that different than the local pub, except the pub has better music.

[BigBadBrian]

Really not all that different than the local pub, except the pub has better music.

But not necessarily beer. Some of my church-going friends brew their own beer and it's some of the best tasting stuff you can drink. I've bought a few books and it's got me intrigued to brewing as well.

Click image for link:

[Nickdfresh]

Get off the Bud and drink better beer...

A lot of church going is local and of course denominational. I haven't been in years, but I don't recall there being all that many black Catholics...

[Kristy]

Heh, "black Catholics."

[BigBadBrian]

Get off the Bud and drink better beer...

Never drank Bud, always gave me a headache. Tastes like shit, also.

I like the Sam Adams varieties and Michelob if I have to go to the ultra-commercial stuff.

Beach Brewing here in Virginia Beach has some decent stuff as well.

http://www.beachbrewingcompany.com

[Kristy]

Why doesn't that surprise me? Sam Adams is cliche Rethuglican-drinking swill. Sam Adams is for Rethuglican lawyers/douchebags who after a long day of chasing ambulances become thirsty so they sit in over priced yuppie bars where they become belligerent drunks while listening to "smooth jazz" somehow makes them more cultured. Sam Adams is expensive dog urine for Rethugs in suits to feel better about their miserable lives.

[Satan]

Black folks will probably stay out of white churches as long as white folks are in charge of the music. It's probably not even about racism in most cases.... just avoiding falling asleep in church.

But then, I'm the Devil so some might interpret any comments I make on religious issues as "biased".

[Nickdfresh]

Why doesn't that surprise me? Sam Adams is cliche Rethuglican-drinking swill. Sam Adams is for Rethuglican lawyers/douchebags who after a long day of chasing ambulances become thirsty so they sit in over priced yuppie bars where they become belligerent drunks while listening to "smooth jazz" somehow makes them more cultured. Sam Adams is expensive dog urine for Rethugs in suits to feel better about their miserable lives.

Sam Adams ain't bad, it ain't great. I stopped drinking it for the most part and now usually like Sierra Nevada, which is actually good for you (in moderation obviously) as it lacks the headache inducing preservatives Bud is notorious for. I'll give Sam Adams and Koch this, they started the trend towards retro better beer...

[Nitro Express]

Yeah. Those black churches are pretty boring.

[Kristy]

Sam Adams ain't bad, it ain't great.

It's overpriced east coast Rethug beer. That's all it is and ever will be.

[Nitro Express]

Black folks will probably stay out of white churches as long as white folks are in charge of the music. It's probably not even about racism in most cases.... just avoiding falling asleep in church.

But then, I'm the Devil so some might interpret any comments I make on religious issues as "biased".

There's more truth to that than you think. It's not that they aren't welcome in many so called "white" church's it's just that the culture is different. Black comedians for years have made fun of white people because they tend to be more stiff and reserved. Who cares who goes to what church. As long as they don't start fighting each other and cause trouble for the rest of us. We just need to leave everyone the hell alone and stop trying to ram everyone into one central concept.

[ZahZoo]

Mandating who goes to which church isn't really the point I was making... Nor would I advocate any such thing. Let the choice be with the chooser...

What drove me to post was the irony of the association... Religion preaches all one family. what happens in the church is that great as long as we look alike.

Y'all need to come visit the South and quit thinking everything you see in the movies is an accurate depiction of reality. The quality of music and festivity at a church service is more influenced by the quality of who's singing/performing. White churches can party it up just as well as black churches... plus bad quality knows no bounds as well.

But as others mentioned... locality drives much of this. Churches tend to reflect who lives in that neighborhood more than whatever faith drives them.

[jhale667]

Heh, "black Catholics."

Still a far easier concept to grasp than "black Republican".

[VAiN]

Why doesn't that surprise me? Sam Adams is cliche Rethuglican-drinking swill. Sam Adams is for Rethuglican lawyers/douchebags who after a long day of chasing ambulances become thirsty so they sit in over priced yuppie bars where they become belligerent drunks while listening to "smooth jazz" somehow makes them more cultured. Sam Adams is expensive dog urine for Rethugs in suits to feel better about their miserable lives.

Drink it in.

[jhale667]

[Kristy]

Drink it in.

[VAiN]

[Nitro Express]

Mandating who goes to which church isn't really the point I was making... Nor would I advocate any such thing. Let the choice be with the chooser...

What drove me to post was the irony of the association... Religion preaches all one family. what happens in the church is that great as long as we look alike.

Y'all need to come visit the South and quit thinking everything you see in the movies is an accurate depiction of reality. The quality of music and festivity at a church service is more influenced by the quality of who's singing/performing. White churches can party it up just as well as black churches... plus bad quality knows no bounds as well.

But as others mentioned... locality drives much of this. Churches tend to reflect who lives in that neighborhood more than whatever faith drives them.

Most churches are international. Go to Africa and you are going to see plenty of black catholics and black members of other faiths. Our church in the states was pretty much all white. In Hong Kong most the congregation was Chinese.

It depends on what country you are in and how long the missionaries have been around recruiting people.

[Nitro Express]

I've never tried Samual Adams. Funny because over the years I have seen plenty of advertisements and even remember them bragging about their special beer glass that makes the beer supposedly taste better. It's in the stores but for some reason, I never felt compelled to buy it. I guess this is the classic case of advertising not working.

[Nickdfresh]

Most churches are international. Go to Africa and you are going to see plenty of black catholics and black members of other faiths. Our church in the states was pretty much all white. In Hong Kong most the congregation was Chinese.

It depends on what country you are in and how long the missionaries have been around recruiting people.

I know recall that there are large congregations in and around New Orleans...