Church closes racial divide

[cbayer]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-04-29/religion-racial-divide/54629552/1


By Tom Krattenmaker Updated 1d 21h ago


Lawrence and Trenton are adjacent. But given the different racial demographics of these two New Jersey towns -- the former is predominantly white and the latter 52 percent black -- they might as well be a hundred miles apart. Such is the magnitude of the chasm crossed by Lawrence's David Moriah and Trenton's Shiloh Baptist Church, where Moriah is not only the sole white male member but also has been accepted into the highly respected rank of deacon.

Credit goes to the black congregation in Trenton and the new white deacon for their commitment to racial reconciliation. Too bad a story like this stands out as such an anomaly. The Christian church in this country remains disturbingly segregated. But as Moriah has learned, connecting with the black church tradition can transform your perspective on race -- whether you're religious or not.

-snip-

The tendency of many progressives to be dismissive of faith, Moriah says, "misses a natural connection to communities like Shiloh that share progressives' commitment to economic and social justice." He now believes we have "three separate and non-interacting orbits in America today: secular progressives, the 'Christian Right' and the black church. Seldom do they even talk with each other, much less learn and grow from meaningful interaction."

White progressives with a religion grudge would do the liberal tradition prouder if they recalled the strength the church has provided to many African Americans, and if they honored what the black church has done for all of us by serving as a catalyst for human and civil rights.

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[Angry Dragon]

1. No such thing as the Christian Church

I am a progressive and I am not dismissive of faith