Why do African Americans & Native Americans practice Christianity?

Question

Can anyone explain it?

lyrem04 · Accepted Answer

Okay well first of all, you have it all wrong. Christianity wasn’t created by colonizers or enslavers—it existed long before that. Christianity comes from Judea, not Europe, and it was never meant to be a tool for oppression. The fact that people twisted it for their own gain doesn’t change what it actually is. And most Christians follow Christ because of His Word, not because of who brought it to their ancestors bc it’s not the faith of enslavers it’s the faith of Jesus Christ!! The people who enslaved and oppressed others weren’t truly following Him—they were just using religion as a cover for their own evil.

Jesus literally called out people like that:

“Woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” (Luke 11:46)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23:13)

And WE (as you said native people and African American people), along with all followers of Christ, get that!

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Accepted Answer

Colonization combined with an erasure of their culture combined also with traumatized ancestors who had no choice and then passed that down to their kids, who feel they also have no choice

Knightwatch27 · Accepted Answer

When you're offended that people do not act like you want them to as aligned with your false worldview. Getting strong virgin vs chad meme here. "Nooooo you can't be a minority and be Christian you have to feel oppressed". Lol.
Among the earliest Christian non-Roman states we have, there is Ethiopia (Armenia was first). Evangelization and Colonization did not go hand in hand (and furthermore colonization was neither wholly bad, nor a new thing when Europeans started during the 1500's, not by a long shot). Christian abolitionists where the ones to abolish the institution of slavery which soon led to the whole British empire crusading against the idea as common as breathing for most of the history of human existence. Christians have never sought to exterminate any folk group. Do yourself a favour and read an actual book. You're embarrassing.
Did some people abuse or twist Christianity at times, yes.
Is Christianity when you read the Bible and its message the best thing possible for society, also yes.

Douglas1180 · Accepted Answer

I think about it like this. Let's say you had a island of wolves whose population was dwindling due to inbreeding and genetic defects. As a conservationist, you decide, 'Hey I'll put some fresh wolves on the island' to strengthen the population. Not all of the relocated wolves are going to survive. Some will die during transport. Some will not be able to adapt well to their new environment. Some will even be killed. Despite these losses, the overall population will be successfully revived. Are Africans better off now than they were practicing voodoo in the desert? Absolutely. So, some of them had to die.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

Why does anyone buy a car designed or manufactured in Germany when that country tried to exterminate Jews during WW II?

Dargil · Answer

The Christian faith, particularly Baptism kept the hearts of slaves alive during that period. Listen to the pastor and listen to the music and you'll see why most black Americans are more Christian, even Pentecostal, than the white ones.

Many Native Americans, Including my ancestors, were monotheistic. As I understand it, The Great Spirit was a component of the belief system of the so called Civilized Tribes. I have attended worship services at the Methodist Church in the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina. Although they have adapted their liturgy to their ancestral forms of worship, they are still very much Christians.

I will say that President Andrew Jackson did us no favors and that Custer gut what he deserved.

SmokinAces2000 · Answer

Because even tho the Bible and Christianity has been used to justify horrible things, people are drawn to the religion itself rather than the parts people tried to use to justify atrocities. However with that being said I think devoting your life to religion is stupid no matter what race you are because I would never let some shit that no one knows is real dictate how I live my life but that’s just me.

Anonymous · Answer

So I was going to say “religion can be something you subscribe to because you personally have a positive feeling with it, it speaks to you, and you have the right to practice any & all religions” though yeahhh looking at the broader picture, why would you push away your cultural heritage for a religion that led people to torturing, killing, mistreating, and humiliating your people in the name of religion?

Like, it is really disgusting stuff. Highly doubt Jesus would blame people for not subscribing to his religious endeavors over heinous people using his religion to promote & spread harm against other human beings. “We are all God’s children” except of course the ones that are ‘uncivilized’, better beat them to near death and force them out of their ‘barbaric ways’ I guess. Like Jesus & God are forgiving so, therefore they would forgive those that were persecuted and mistreated against the word of God itself.

Dongie · Answer

Christ visited the Indians here a long time ago. The Great Spirit is talked among them. Christianity had a firm grip in Ethiopia 2 millenia ago. The ones leading the colonization here were not Christian but military folk from Britain and they also purchased slaves from dominate tribes in Africa. Don't place ALL blame on white people it's such a liberal thing to do.

DJB72 · Answer

Christianity was in Africa before most of Europe. In Açts it talks about the Ethiopian Eunuch who became a Christian. The Ethiopian church is far older than any other than the Armenian church - no thanks to Turkish attempts.

Christianity was twisted into a rod to oppress people. It was also the motivation for the Abolitionist movement that ended slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade decades before the US got there. Pity Islam didn't get the memo - it took the Royal Navy to destroy the Barbary Slave trade in the Mediterranean.

captain_voidwalker · Answer

Because you are blaming Christianity for things politicians did not the church.

And as for the native Americans of which I am part Cherokee you have a shit version of history. When European settlers arrived in america they didn't just go around executing natives. In fact the settlers lived quite peacefully among them for a long time and both improved each other's lives. Obviously there were a few exceptions on both sides such as the Spanish conquistadors and the apache and Azteca.
What caused a lot of the death was disease and you can't fault anyone for that back in those days , understanding of how illness spread was damn near non existent. In fact a lot of the atrocities committed to native Americans didn't happen until you beloved democrat party came into existence. Because much like they are today they love treating certain groups of people as "lesser".

jshm2 · Answer

Because they are deluded into believing White people (who have murdered, enslaved and exploited each other before and during Christianity) have their best interests at heart.

It is rather tragic as most don't know any better.

OneViewpoint · Answer

Ummm... forced conversion under threat of death during colonialism followed by 300 years of brainwashing in Christian dogma and culture. That may have something to do with it.

AviatorTom · Answer

Why does anyone follow a religion? Because it's something to believe in. There is nothing logical about religion... but a lot about beliefs.

Anonymous · Answer

Why wouldn't they. Christianity was in africa before it was in Europe.

Native Americans i guess for the same reasons pagans in Europe stopped worshipping sun Gods and wind Gods and auit certain pagan rituals that didn't align with certain cultural practices.

Anonymous · Answer

As a Native American I don’t practice Christianity. My tribe still follows our traditions religiously. Some tribals members are Catholic. I don’t know too many tribal members who are Christian. We actually have a Pueblo revolt day, where the Pueblo people fought back against Spanish colonial rule which was pushing Catholicism.

NaultD · Answer

So Christianity was founded by slaves of Roman's. They we're the oppress group of Jewish slaves people.

https://youtu.be/t_ggS5fKtEQ?si=-PBNJvpJYkUmIUYa

Look as the prisoner takes a quote from the perspective of a fellow slave. While the warden picks a quote from Jesus as if he is Jesus.

If you were to go to church go to these churches first is all I'm saying.

lightbulb27 · Answer

Come talk to people at church and find out, it's filled with diverse faces.

PhillyPhil · Answer

Why does anyone practice it? Why do people follow Trump? Or why did they follow Jim Jones? It’s called psychosis

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Anyone suffering wants to be led. In the case of African Americans, the anti-slavery movement was driven by liberal Christians. In the case of Native Americans, boarding schools didn’t give them much choice.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

Wonder that myself, though the original mass murderers and enslavers are long dead.(Besides, though some African Americans are Muslims, they also enslaved us, even more harshly than the white "Christian" Americans).

NathanDavis · Answer

only live people can worship... that's why...

Sono83 · Answer

Christ is the savior of all mankind- he is truly inclusive.

Likes2drive · Answer

I guess it was a faith to give them at the time since it may have been the majority at the time

standardguy · Answer

They found the son of God and had a real living relationship to him. Nobody can rob that from them. Christianity teaches that humans are all sinful and bad and only God is good. So there is no place for revenge in Christianity.

Anonymous · Answer

The fact that Christianity was introduced at the expense of trafficking, slavery and torture is irrelevant. So was education, some healthcare and democracy. Does that mean those values are wrong? If you believe Christ rose from the dead on the third day, you should believe, regardless of anything else. Christianity is not based on the actions of humans, but on Christ.

Anonymous · Answer

I wonder the same.  But I think most Native Americans never accepted Christianity.  African Americans on the other hand had to, they were slaves.

Anonymous · Answer

Because they live in a Christian country, and whatever the majority does, the minority must follow the majority.

Lilly1979 · Answer

Probably what they were around. They were to “assimilate”.

Anonymous · Answer

Because Christianity is the way, the truth, and the life, and the only possible way to be SAVED

slatyb · Answer

I think that's more an African-American thing.

jimmy2 · Answer

He came to His own His own did not accept Him That brought Christianity to the Gentiles

jahaims · Answer

I would assume because they are Christian

alice55 · Answer

colonization

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Because it's the truth.

Cubus · Answer

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