After Ferguson and Eric Garner decisions, white Christians say it’s time to stand with blacks

[loyalsister]

Pleasantly surprised to see this!

“It’s time for us in Christian churches to not just talk about the gospel but live out the gospel by tearing down these dividing walls not only by learning and listening to one another but also by standing up and speaking out for one another,” said Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

Other white evangelicals issued similar pleas.

“I weep & pray for his family,” tweeted Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the day before he led a prayer for justice at his school in Wake Forest, N.C. “I beg our God to bring good out of this tragedy.”

“’Love your neighbor as yourself’ means you picture yourself being choked and surrounded by five men while you say, ‘I can’t breathe,’” tweeted Scott Slayton, a white Southern Baptist pastor in Chelsea, Ala.


http://www.religionnews.com/2014/12/04/ferguson-eric-garner-decisions-white-christians-say-time-stand-blacks/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=After+Ferguson+and+Eric+Garner+decisions+white+Christians+say+its+time+to+stand+with+blacks&utm_content=After+Ferguson+and+Eric+Garner+decisions+white+Christians+say+its+time+to+stand+with+blacks+CID_a8edaf372ff4e93e0f04f81da72fb023&utm_source=Campaign+Monitor&utm_term=VIEW+STORY+AT+WWWRELIGIONNEWSCOM

[appalachiablue]

1. I'm heartened by their compassionate comments. It helps in this time. Thanks for posting.

[roguevalley]

2. It is hard in the darkness to see the lights. They were there. This is wonderful.

we must never forget that the freakshow is not the only show and that many, many are compassionate and loving. At the head of every peace march that Martin Luther King was on, preachers, nuns, priests and rabbis were there with him. thank you for this.

[babylonsister]

3. "the freakshow is not the only show"

Thanks for that; I have wondered, and this post gives me hope.

[roguevalley]

10. It actually made me feel infinitely better tonight. I am suffering for the world tonight

and this helped me immeasurably. Have a great night, babylonsister.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. I like that phrase too, thank you!

The freakshow is not the only show. There are many more who are compassionate and loving.

Thank you, yes.....they don't get plastered all over media. Thanks for the reminder.

[99th_Monkey]

4. Hallelujah!!

It's about fucking time.

[merrily]

5. On the one hand, it's about damned time. On the other hand, decent people of all religions

have stood against injustices of all kinds all along, including injustices to African Americans. Trouble is, they have not always been the largest churches or the loudest. Thank goodness more are joining the core, though.

[Derek V]

6. "First, they came for the blacks..."

And we damn well better say something!

[AverageJoe90]

7. That says something to me.

It means that there are still a fair number of good religious folks out there willing to help their fellow humans, just as in the Sixties, with the original Civil Rights Protests. God bless 'em.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. The Southern Baptist Convention was started to be a white only church....

If this is their statement, that's a huge shift.

[salin]

20. IIRC, In the early 90s - many Baptist churches - made a public appology

for not speaking out against, or supporting the members of, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963. It took 30 years for a voice of solidarity. However, among those voices was not the Southern Baptist Convention.

I share that memory - to agree with you - and underscore your point. If this is a statement on the organization's behalf (not just an individual), this is a gigantic and historic shift.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. Maybe they're suffering from low attendance.

[zeemike]

9. And we should support and encourage them

the way that the right supports and encourages those who preach division and hate.

The real truth is that the teachings of Jesus is the natural friend of progressive and liberal political thought because Jesus was liberal in every way.
But we have let them hijack religion for their dark purpose.

Glad to see some are coming forward with this...hope we don't slap them away because we don't like people who believe in "fairy tails"

[loyalsister]

16. This athiest does welcome it

In my city, an inclusive organization of local clergy have been the speakers at our rallies. So many people lean heavily on their religion especially at a time like this. I have seen how soothing it can be for people, and I am happy that they have it.

One of the speakers from a Baptist church gave one of the most riveting talks I have ever heard.
He preached black history. He gave a clearer picture of how people are feeling in the context of the history of fits and starts that we continue to have in working towards equality.
There was singing and chanting in the traditions of the civil rights movement. It was really lovely, and I think a very positive element of our rally.

[zeemike]

18. Good for you...

What the right fears most is coming together for common causes...and there is a lot of common causes out there.

[Cha]

11. Wow, this is great, loyalsister.. My sister in NY does and she fits into that category.

“’Love your neighbor as yourself’ means you picture yourself being choked and surrounded by five men while you say, ‘I can’t breathe,’” tweeted Scott Slayton, a white Southern Baptist pastor in Chelsea, Ala."

Lovely~

[loyalsister]

15. I was so thrilled to see it!!

This is the kind of thing that could hugely contribute to positive change in this country. I just hope it will ripple.
It's great to see even the tiniest steps while so many of us we are wrestling with despair.

[Cha]

19. KICK!

[JDPriestly]

12. Southern Baptists? I am heartened. Thanks for posting. Even if it is a small minority of

Southern Baptists, this is great.

[marym625]

13. Well! How about that!

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah:

[HappyMe]

17. This is excellent.

Too many times the crazies of religion screech the loudest drowning out the truly decent people that care and want to help.

[steve2470]

21. k&r! nt