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A Gallup Poll Social Audit on black/white relations in 1997* showed that blacks in America had relatively high levels of contact with whites across a variety of settings. Blacks lived with, worked with, and sent their kids to school with whites, and they had close friends who were white. The one exception was worship -- Sunday church service was still the "most segregated hour" in America.
Seventy-three percent of whites, according to this audit, attended mostly white or all-white churches, while 7% attended churches that were approximately half white and half black. Virtually no whites attended churches that were mostly or all black. Among blacks, 71% attended mostly or all-black churches, while 13% attended churches that were equally black and white, and 6% went to churches that were mostly or all white.
Well I find it very strange that blacks have their own churchs and whites have their own churches in the USA. I never see anywhere where Jesus endorses racial segeration.
Why many Americans prefer their Sundays segregated
Americans may be poised to nominate a black man to run for president, but it's segregation as usual in U.S. churches, according to the scholars. Only about 5 percent of the nation's churches are racially integrated, and half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, says Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of "United by Faith," a book that examines interracial churches in the United States. Why many Americans prefer their Sundays segregated - CNN.com
For a variety of reasons religious practices in America, elsewhere too really, often became ethnic/culture specific. There are entire denominations whose names highly indicate African or German origin.
This is somewhat less true of Catholics, Quakers, and I think Moravians. However most Quakers are white. Although Catholicism emphasized universality many parishes became highly ethnic. There's also the language issue. There are several Catholic churches in the US that are Spanish-speaking and this might limit their appeal largely to Hispanics. Moravians are too small to be very specific.
I would guess church is also one of the most "localist" hours. People may go to work in another city every day, but go to church in their town or suburb. Or they may work in one part of the city, but go to the local neighborhood church. This could also contribute as cities are often segregated in population clusters. I think it's possible church is one of the few places left where being different kinds of white people also still matters. I think there are still Lutheran congregations that are on ethnic lines that separate Germans from Swedes. There are still Catholic parishes that are Polish dominant or Italian dominant. Then there are churches of ethnic origin like the Polish National Catholic Church, the Dutch Reformed, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Old German Baptist, Korean Presbyterian, Indian Shaker Church (American-Indian instituted Christianity), and so forth.
Why many Americans prefer their Sundays segregated
Americans may be poised to nominate a black man to run for president, but it's segregation as usual in U.S. churches, according to the scholars. Only about 5 percent of the nation's churches are racially integrated, and half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, says Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of "United by Faith," a book that examines interracial churches in the United States. Why many Americans prefer their Sundays segregated - CNN.com
This is more closer up to date.
The church needs more time. It's only been about fifty years since they were accomodating the remains of slavery in the United States. While the Ku Klux Klan was still in it's hay day they had two requirements for membership...White and Christian.
Traditionally people attended the Churches that their parrents attended. So if you were white, that would be a prodominantly white church. Things have been changing over the last few years in Christianity and I think that things will be radically changing in the near future. Christians mainly do not care about racial differences, since it is spoken against in the bible.
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., once said "it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."
Well its not the USA that most of the churches are not multiracial but South Africa, as the effects of appartheid still linger there.
Well in the USA its usually the non christian religions that are more likely to be multiracial in their places of worship such as mosques for muslims (except for Nation of Islam) and kingdom halls dedicated for jehovia witnesses.
Last edited by other99; 01-22-2010 at 05:25 AM..
Reason: edit words
Christians mainly do not care about racial differences, since it is spoken against in the bible.
Really? Then why did the church tolerate and sometimes accomodate slavery for thousands of years? When I was a youngster I heard southern preachers do sermons which included their assertions that Blacks were offsprings of apes and that they had no soul. There are so many contradictions in the bible that folks who are looking for support for just about any position can find something:
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. (Ephesians 6:5)
Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2)
The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given." (Luke 12:47-48)
However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46)
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6)
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11)
When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21)
I don't see this as anything racially motivated but rather the passing along of religious traditions that have existed for many generations. I also see nothing wrong with this situation and nothing that needs to be fixed. Black churches often have beautiful gospel music as well as more modern blends of music. White churches tend to be more influenced by European classical music and composers such as Bach and the atmosphere is probably much more subdued. It's just a different cultural approach to their religious faith and part of the patchwork of American society. I actually see it as a positive thing because it would be pretty dull if every church service were the same.
[quote=MontanaGuy;12561750] I actually see it as a positive thing because it would be pretty dull if every church service were the same.quote]
You should attend a Holiness snake handling...that's anything but dull.
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