Religion Propagating Racism

[JadedAtheist]

I was wondering if anyone else has even seen this tract that was from somewhere in the 19th century (maybe even early 20th) where it was promoting racism against blacks as they were the descendants of Cain who was born of Eve via copulating with the devil and thus were sub-human?

 

I was reminded of the picture after thinking about how so often in church I heard we were the salt of the earth, the light in this world and how we were influencing the world for good and that the world lay in sin and shame as it departed from the good that Christianity brought. In actuality, religion lags behind the world's standards of morality. While religion is still promoting racism, sexism and homophobia, the world is discarding these and moving towards tolerance and acceptance. Religion doesn't even accept willingly these things but fights violently against them in fear before eventually succumbing to the world's views. Then, given the time, it rewrites history as if it were the champion of things like the civil rights movement and the abolishment of slavery et cetera. It really is perversed. Anyways, I was looking for the picture as I wanted to post it on my blog so if you know the image I'm talking about please share!

[Ro-bear]

Quotations by learned men from the 19th century:

"[slavery] was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation...it has existed in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization, and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts." Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America.

"There is not one verse in the Bible inhibiting slavery, but many regulating it. It is not then, we conclude, immoral." Rev. Alexander Campbell

"The right of holding slaves is clearly established in the Holy Scriptures, both by precept and example." Rev. R. Furman, D.D., Baptist, of South Carolina

"The hope of civilization itself hangs on the defeat of Negro suffrage." A statement by a prominent 19th-century southern Presbyterian pastor, cited by Rev. Jack Rogers, moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

"The doom of Ham has been branded on the form and features of his African descendants. The hand of fate has united his color and destiny. Man cannot separate what God hath joined." United States Senator James Henry Hammond.

 

 

http://www.religioustolerance.org/sla_bibl.htm

[Vomit Comet]

Religious folks were on either side of the slavery/black question. In fact, that was the cause of the great split between the urban Northern (Liberal) Protestants and the Southern (fundie) Protestants in the 1850s as the pot began to boil over. Northern Protestantism used to be the great counterbalance to their reactionary counterparts down South, but they got hammered pretty hard during the first Red Scare of the 1920s and became a shadow of their former selves. And now you have the ineffectual liberal Protestants of today, standing lamely by as Senators take their marching orders from fundie preachers who boldly swing their dicks on national television.

[★ Citsonga ★]

I haven't seen that particular tract, but I personally have never understood racism. In my religious upbringing, while there was major prejudice against gays (though I disagree with the term "homophobia," as the opposition is much broader than simply those who actually fear it) and a level of sexism, there has always been a clear message against racism. In fact, one of the songs we sang regularly as children says, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight."

 

The claims that racial minorities are descendents of either Cain or Ham is something read into the stories, not something found in the stories. Granted, the stories are mythology anyway, so in that regard it doesn't matter, but still the point is that those particular stories don't actually say what some claim they say.

[YellowJacket]

I've heard the book of Mormon has some anti-black sentiments but I don't have that book here to look up chapter and verse. I've just heard it said by recovering Mormons.

[chosendarkness]

I expect Christians to be homophobic, racist, sexist and any other kind of intolerance there is.

 

Their whole religion is based on intolerance. People who want to be tolerant and Christian have to ignore about 99% of it. It's pretty dumb imo to be so afraid of leaving 'the truth' that you create a totally new Christianity that's 'tolerant. Get over the fear and leave it completely.