CNN Special Reports - Black in America
As African American Buddhists gear up for what promises to be another pounding of "Black America as Christian Nation," I again ponder a historical issue I raised my book Black Buddha.
Both slaveholders and abolitionists argued their positions based on the bible. Whether a slave remained in bondage or was "freed" their only faith choice was Christianity. The dominant religion in the black community has no origin other than this.
From then until today a black person who choses any faith practice or lifestyle not sanctioned by the black Church is considered to have "strayed" not only from the church but the interests and survivability of the black community itself.
To be black and Buddhist is to be seen by some as one who shows contempt for the African American covenant with Christianity, the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement. In black America every Sunday from 10am to 2pm being Buddhist and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or polyamorous is to be considered misguided at the very least and in extreme cases a navel-watching race traitor.
There are some exceptions such as when spending money in black businesses or being courted for the vote. But where does the child of a black Buddhist family fit into the Christian solution for Black America? How does the Buddhist parent explain the chant, "One nation under God," to their child in a so called secular non-denominational school?
How can the potential of a black Christian president provide so much hope for America yet a duly elected black Buddhist Congressman remain relatively unnoticed?
Can CNN handle the responsibility of inclusion and objectivity around issues important to the black Buddhist community?
I'll be blogging daily on each installment of this series.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
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7 comments:
I read that the black buddhist congressman you reference does not want to make his religion " an issue." I think one has to choose when and where to bring it up. We should allow the congressman that much. I rather know about his stand on issues then where and when he prays. I feel that before the documentary has been aired, you already have blasted it for "what it may contain." Let the documentary air and blast it later. If you do not like what was featured, then go beyond your blog post and create your own documentary on what was not covered. Remember the documentary is airing on CNN not PBS, so they do not have the "luxury" of doing a "Eyes on the Prize".
I am an American descendant of Chattel slavery and I have NEVER felt any feelings of pride for my spiritual life, which blends the beliefs of different faiths.
Anyone that is true about faith and spirituality can fellowship with anyone regardless of religion. The plight of humanity is our common binding thread, and in America Christianity of various strains inspired every day Americans to seek that all who lived within the borders of this nation had the opportunity to obtain liberty.
Dr. King was very heavily influenced by the works of Gandhi, a Muslim. Anyone that criticizes me for stepping out of her/his conception of faith I quickly educate about the traditional beliefs of our African ancestors that predate Christianity. But at the same time I respect Christianity for the good it has done in inspiring people to be good and create a wonderful cultural icons.
It is easy to explain "One Nation Under God" to a child. One America was founded by people who were and still are primarily Christian. Plain and simple. It must also be explained that the phrase was added during the McCarthy era.
Then finally you can also explain that we say "One Nation Under God", but "god" featured on our money is an ancient Egyptian god, and the prayer Annuit Coeptis that asks ancient Rome. That's the real issue we need to do some explanin' on!
s. beasley,
Thanks for your comments. I'm glad we're having this opportunity to better understand one another. We are already in development on a documentary regarding Buddhism and the African American experience. Read more here about it here:
http://www.myspace.com/lamachoyinrangdrol
We will be releasing more information on the project soon.
It is very sad to see the Bible being used to justify any number of crimes against humanity and especially slavery.
As well as continued discrimination from reconstruction, Jim Crow, KKK, etc.
All claim(ed) to be "good Christians."
It is unfortunate that many use religion to control and hate people.
It saddens me to see and hear of the African-American Christian community who have faced so much discrimination themselves in turn discriminating against African-Americans who choose a different path than Christianity, heterosexuality and any other decision that isn't seen as "traditional" to the black community.
It reminds me of the Jews in Israel who faced so much suffering and discrimination who now often discriminate against non-Jewish Israelis.
I look forward to reading more of your insights. You have a unique view on not just Buddhism but on so many other issues. I'm glad that your voice is out here in the blogosphere.
citizen politician,
I certainly agree and appreciate the contribution Christian’s have made to our nations success as a modern society. Without their efforts and sacrifices I would not be able to exercise even the basic freedom to read and write, let alone have a blog in the cyber world.
I was a Christian for many years and look back on those times as a period of growth, education, and inspiration.
This does not preclude me from being aware of facts that contradict what seems to be your over simplifications about faith in America.
I'm not sure those from the Native American tradition, Hawaiian culture, and so on would agree that there has been a “blending” of different faiths.
We fought a bloody civil war in which more Americans were killed (by Americans) than in any other war in our country's history. Slaves were freed from bondage but were they free to practice something other than Christianity? No. In fact, the post Civil War period was one of intense evangelism of former slaves.
The black Church was founded and institutionalized during this period and has remained the sole pillar of survival for black America ever since. This explains in part why Obama’s faith is repeatedly questioned today. Could a non-Christian black man or woman be elected to our highest office?
I also don't think that Jim Crow and its night riding Klan were necessarily an interfaith program. And burning China towns down in the Pacific West did not exactly send a message of appreciation for cultural and religious differences.
John Kennedy, his brother Bobby, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers were agents of diversity and integration who attempted to blend different beliefs into our society. The ultimate response they received was not one of inclusion.
My sense is that all those I have mentioned above and many more were everyday Americans true about their faith and spirituality. They too were capable of fellowship with any one regardless of religion. But their story is very different from the one you present in your comments.
I feel it’s fair, on behalf of their descendents, to consider exactly what the opportunities to obtain liberty truly have and have not been. We have to also be fair in considering the extent racial, cultural and religious differences played in their experience of being blended or not blended into American society.
I don’t believe Christianity is to blame for any of this. I think it is more a question about what people have done in the name of Christianity. I make this distinction in my book Black Buddha.
The underlying issue is the conduct of a faith’s believers, not the religion itself. From this view I feel it is fair to say that no faith tradition is inherently better than any other. I realize that this is a heretical view in Christianity because synchronism is considered a sin second only to idolatry.
As a Buddhist however, I believe that whenever human beings practice faith they also bring with them the potential to act out all the ills of humanity. In this respect the problem is a human problem, the challenge of living without contradicting the doctrine we say we believe in. American history and human history for that matter is the litmus test that helps us to understand how we are doing and where we must go from here if the is to be any real change.
In terms of telling my children about the founding of our country I think it’s important to share with them the fact that millions of Native Americans and indigenous people we now call Mexicans, millions of African slaves, and hundreds of thousands of Asians also founded this country and they were not primarily Christians like the Europeans who conquered the land. This is the truth and does not preclude me from telling them about Christian contributions to our country as well.
Your final point about God in America, Egypt, and Rome brings up the issue of antiquity. But, again your view seems to be God centered and does not allow for beliefs outside that confine.
As a Buddhist it is possible for me to celebrate the God you speak of as well as the many Gods, Goddesses, and non-God religions that humanity has believed in throughout time.
The burden of what believers have done to themselves and others in the name of their own God is not mine to bear. I do understand the desire believers have to see their faith as one of openness and inclusion. We must simply be sure that the truth is not eclipsed by that desire, IMO.
My goal as a human being is to remain open to you and others despite our different views. I thank you or honoring my blog with you heartfelt comments.
Best wishes,
The Original Black Buddha
s. beasley suggested that I make my own documentary rather than complain about being left out of CNN's investigative report on black America, so I did.
http://rainbowdharma.com/festivalscreening/theater1.htm
Support the voice, because I too am black America,
Lama Rangdrol
Citizen Politician's comment on the CNN Buddhism special report is partly incorrect. Gandhi was not a Muslim. Ghandi was a Hindu. Ghandi was heavily influenced by Prophet Muhammad (saws.)
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