Slavery and Religion

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ylu01's picture
Slavery and Religion

As the title suggests.
No Racism intended.
As we all know, long time ago black people were brought as slaves from Africa to America. The first ship that was sent to Africa was called The Good Ship Jesus, or also known as The Jesus of Lubeck.

The question now is: Is it right to say that slaves are brought from Africa on religious grounds? If that is the case, then is it right to say that black christians are uncle Toms that sells out their own kind for this "white lie", or that they don't know enough history to know why their ancestors came to America in the first place?

what do you think?

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CyberLN's picture
If you want to use the term

If you want to use the term 'uncle tom' (often thought of as an insult) to describe black xtian americans (not, btw, all of whom descended from slaves), then what would you call Richard Gere, Cat Stevens, Sammy Davis Jr., Madonna, Julia Roberts, Tina Turner, John Travolta, Shia LaBeouf, Bob Dylan, Snoop Dogg, George Harrison, etc.?

algebe's picture
@CybreLN: "what would you

@CybreLN: "what would you call Richard Gere, Cat Stevens, Sammy Davis Jr."

Did any of those people adopt the religions of people who'd enslaved and oppressed their ancestors?

That's the puzzle with black Xtian Americans. I think slavers used the Bible to justify enslaving people, and I think Xtianity was used to keep the slaves quiet by giving them hope of justice and freedom in the afterlife. Perhaps the need for the afterlife myth persisted because emancipation certainly didn't end oppression.

Sammy Davis Jr--what a talent, and what a life he had. I once heard him tell a joke about being a black Jew. He said he got on a bus, and the driver said "N-----s down the back." Sammy said "but I'm Jewish." So the driver told him to get the hell of his bus.

MCDennis's picture
Slaves were brought to

Slaves were brought to America for economic reasons.

xenoview's picture
Americans needed the slaves

Americans needed the slaves for free labour. They also used the bible as them being justified in having slaves.

Usagi's picture
lol The Jews are God's people

lol The Jews are God's people but everyone else needs to feel special too. I like seeing black Jesus just as much as that handsome blue eyed hippy.

algebe's picture
@Usagi: "I like seeing black

@Usagi: "I like seeing black Jesus just as much as that handsome blue eyed hippy."

In "Jesus Christ Superstar" (the movie version), they had a white hippy Jesus and a black Judas. I found Judas to be the most sympathetic character in that whole story. He tried desperately to keep Jesus and his followers safe, and he wanted to help the poor. And at the end he realized Jesus had used him.

SecularSonOfABiscuitEater's picture
I've often thought their

I've often thought their strong faith for the "white god" (as they say in the caribbean) was quite Paradoxical and strange.

Sky Pilot's picture
Anytime you mix race and

Anytime you mix race and religion it's not going to go very well.

LogicFTW's picture
Just about everything

Just about everything revolved around religion back then, when slavery of Africans being transported to the Americas was in full swing. Even kings frequently had to bow to the power of religious leaders.

Slavery would not have happened without what ever religion of power of the winning side giving slavery its consent and/or approval. But yes it was motivated by greed/economical reasons, but allowed by religion. The oh so great christian church could of easily stopped slavery in its tracks, it had the power to do so back then, but it did not, instead it encouraged the thought process that white people were somehow better than, closer to the perfect image of god and thus superior.

Sky Pilot's picture
LogicForTW,

LogicForTW,

Slavery was a local political and economic issue. Religion played a minor role.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_abolition_of_slavery_and_serfdom

ylu01's picture
Ok fine, if not using

Ok fine, if not using insulting terms like "uncle tom", then just "black people told to sell out their own kind to give in to the white man"
As in "You need Jesus, and you should convince your people to give in to our ways"

But ok, so I can't say it this way. Thanks for the input.

human being's picture
Slavery is sanctioned in

Slavery is sanctioned in Abrahamic religions. People who are desperate to believe, tend to form various excuses for horrible teachings in scriptures. All religions hate women,still women console themselves with various excuses and keep believing,same with slaves

Sky Pilot's picture
human being,

human being,

It pays to remember that the Bible says that Gentiles will be the Jews' slaves and that the Jewish Babylonian Talmud says that each Jew will get 2,800 slaves in the afterlife.

Kataclismic's picture
<3

<3

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