THE Lord IS PUNISHING us therefore we have COURSE hair...

[Heavenly]

...and other statements like these have been PREACHED to us in church, y'all.

I was raised strictly Pentecostal as a kid, and for those who are not familiar, the Pentecostal faith is extremely strict... well, from where I am, it is.

By strict, I mean... we (women) could not come to church without a head covering.

We could not wear makeup. Nada. Not even lipgloss. You were ashes forever.

Now, as for the thread title... yes, we were preached this nonsense.

And we were told, that when the second coming takes place, we will be transformed, and our hair will be sleek and smooth.

ALSO, we were not to put our hair in braids, because according to some scripture PAUL(?) talks about physical vanity and that women should not partake of it (?) The preacher used to have the deacons check underneath the scarves of the ladies he suspected of braids... and he told them to undo the braids... in church... while the service was in session.

Y'all, I am here, writing this post, because I cannot believe the nonsense I went thru in church.

We were also told that our skin and hair is what it is because we fell out of favor with the Lord. I know, I know... I am flabbergasted.

Is it any wonder I do not attend church today? Of any sort?

As a little girl, I used to watch Creflo Dollar Ministries on TV with my mom and I used to say "Look Mummy, they don't wear any hats. And they wear lipstick to church. Are they saved, Mummy?"

Anyone attend a church that preached their own brand of hair craziness?

 

[Esq.2B]

*Coarse*

...

 

[LisaLisa1908]

The church my father and his wife were members of made girls that were unmarried and pregnant come up in front of the whole church to apologize.

Mind you, the baby daddies were nowhere to be found. That always rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[Heavenly]

*Coarse*

...

OY. spellcheck is in my future. You know whadda meant....

 

[LynnieB]

Not much difference between some of our own Christian extremist views and those in other parts of the world, are there? For whatever reasons, many fail to see the obvious similarities.

Extremes are bad news for everyone involved but that's JMHO.

Said with all sincerity: I hope you've reached a place of internal peace.

 

[ChristmasCarol]

Girl, don't be giving Pentecostal's a bad name! J/K

I'm a life-long member of COGIC- Church of God in Christ - the largest Black Pentecostal denomination in America and we DO NOT preach any nonsense like that. As a matter-of-fact, some of the ladies get really carried away with the hair, makeup, jewelry and clothes. Don't even get me started on the fancy hats! We were taught to avoid being confused with hookers, but other than that, everything goes.

I think the behavior you are describing sounds like some sort of cult. I woulda run away from that mess, too.

 

[LadyLeoSmile]

thankfully I have never heard this in my church. I think that would be the thing to make me question why I'm there. That's enough to make young black women hate themselves.

 

[MsBoinglicious]

I am a spiritual person NOT a religious one. I believe in a God (he, she, it, they).

Any time in this day and age you still preaching God is a MAN with a white robe, white skin and a Santa clause snow beard with some Roman sandals on...*rolls eyes* I just can't believe in that. Sorry, it doesn’t sit well with me.

OP I am sorry they told you those things about your hair and skin. Just terrible!

 

[Heavenly]

Not much difference between some of our own Christian extremist views and those in other parts of the world, are there? For whatever reasons, many fail to see the obvious similarities.

Extremes are bad news for everyone involved but that's JMHO.

Said with all sincerity: I hope you've reached a place of internal peace.

I agree LynnieB. Extremists are everywhere.

I am at peace, yes. Not everything was crazy. Going to church gave me healthy respect for life and God, and I'm better for being a part of it. It was all good, except for the hair stuff... and the ashy lips.

 

[Heavenly]

I am a spiritual person NOT a religious one. I believe in a God (he, she, it, they).

Any time in this day and age you still preaching God is a MAN with a white robe, white skin and a Santa clause snow beard with some Roman sandals on...*rolls eyes* I just can't believe in that. Sorry, it doesn’t sit well with me.

OP I am sorry they told you those things about your hair and skin. Just terrible!

Infuse that with the Apartheid climate of the day, and you have a nice teacup of insecurity and loathsome brewing...

 

[EbonyHairedPrincess]

:scratchch That's funny, I though we have coarse, curly hair because God loves us and wanted to protect our ancestors heads from the African sun.

 

[BlackMasterPiece]

This should not be surprising. Our ancestors were indoctrinated with Christianity and taught to relinquish their old "uncivilized" African religions and now come to worship a blonde haired blue eyed God. It was intended to destroy our self-image as this is the antithesis of our Blackness.

Our ancestors were told by Priests not to have any aspirations in this life, for they are ugly cursed and destined to be slaves, but to wait for death for salvation. They were incredibly successful and eventually the slaves even opened up their own churches to worship in on sundays.

When you think about it, it was a vey clever way to keep the slave population obedient, when you obliterate someone's self-worth and connection to their heritage, you can easily manipulate and control them.

I always found it hilarious that the preachers, priests and ministers preaching to us that blessed are the meek, are the same ones that are driving mercedes and wearing Zegna suits. Its important to know your history and not just blindly follow in tradition.

 

[shinyblackhair]

I have never heard this preached in Church, but I've heard this "theory" being thrown around by Black people...like why did God give us this hair? I was watching the Chris Rock movie the other day, and it was mentioned that we are a people who have hair that no one else has...why are we not the ones who are held up on a pedestal? We are the unique ones! We are "exotic" (hate that word, lol)!

 

[msdeevee]

No, I did not learn such nonsense in church or in my religion.

I believe that people that are of African descent were given the type of hair we have to better protect our heads in the climate that we were born in. That is not based on anything that I learned in my religion that's just a simple breakdown from my non-extensive research . African hair is not a curse nor is our skin color.

The scripture that you are referring to is at 1Peter 3:3 "do not let your adornment be that of the external braiding of the hair and of the putting on of gold ornaments or the wearing of outer garments "

If you read the scripture in it's entirety and in it's whole context (the whole chapter) it is not saying that we should not braid our hair or wear jewelry or wear clothes it goes on to say from vs. 4 on that our adornment should be who we are inside , not just dressing up and being beautiful outside.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that any one group of people over are hated by God. Acts 10:34 says that "for a certainty God is not partial but in every nation the man that fears him & works righteousness is acceptable to him"

When someone tells you something that doesn't ring true and they put it on the Bible read it and research it for yourself if your so inclined.

ETA: I'm glad you came back to say that there were some positives that you took from your religion. I'm not Pentecostal , never have been.

 

[EbonyHairedPrincess]

This should not be surprising. Our ancestors were indoctrinated with Christianity and taught to relinquish their old "uncivilized" African religions and now come to worship a blonde haired blue eyed God. It was intended to destroy our self-image as this is the antithesis of our Blackness.

Our ancestors were told by Priests not to have any aspirations in this life, for they are ugly cursed and destined to be slaves, but to wait for death for salvation. They were incredibly successful and eventually the slaves even opened up their own churches to worship in on sundays.

When you think about it, it was a vey clever way to keep the slave population obedient, when you obliterate someone's self-worth and connection to their heritage, you can easily manipulate and control them.

I always found it hilarious that the preachers, priests and ministers preaching to us that blessed are the meek, are the same ones that are driving mercedes and wearing Zegna suits. Its important to know your history and not just blindly follow in tradition.

PREACH! *throws a hankerchief across the church pew*

 

[Irresistible]

The things people will have to answer for later

woe to them!

 

[almond eyes]

Black/Africans people are not the only ones with coarse hair. If people would get out of their comfort zones and see more of the world they would know that there are many races who have coarse hair. I have seen Jewish, Russian, Fiji, Indians with coarse hair. So are those people cursed too?. Knowledge is key so that people don't get fed rubbish.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Duchesse]

I've never been taught that nonsense or heard anything like it at church. Good for you that you didn't absorb that junk.

This makes me think of that scene in the film Beloved where the woman is holding church in the woods, and telling everyone to love their themselves and each other. We need some more of that in chuuch.

 

[brownbean96]

Exactly, just like cacuasians were born with oily hair and oily skin becuase of the cold limate that they originated from. That's what bugs me about some Christians - a) most don't do any additional reading apart from the Bible, which is sad because history backs up the Bible and learning about history will give additional important FACTS b) how can you call yourself a Christian and believe that your GOD does not love you and did not create you in HIS/HER perfect imagine. GOD does not make mistakes. Every other race is Divinely created but ours? What sense does that make. We have to learn to live outside of the 4walls of the church. I am a Saint but a independent thinker. No one can 'preach' to me things that don't make sensee. The Bible even says to read and show yourself approaval.

And I'm not speaking to you OP, I'm speaking in general terms. Besides you were a kid. But even as an adult, I've heard things preached that don't make sense to me and I affirm it right there in my own Spirit that it is not true. I have left many of services where a 'preacher' keeps speaking about things that I don't agree with.

:scratchch That's funny, I though we have coarse, curly hair because God loves us and wanted to protect our ancestors heads from the African sun.

 

[goodmorningruby]

Ugh...

 

[LadyRaider]

One of the most disappointing things I have seen are black churches with a framed picture of a "white, blue-eyed" Jesus on the wall.

Most society's make Jesus in their own image. I saw a Time article that showed the different images of Jesus around the world. In Africa, he was African, in China he was Chinese. It makes sense because God said he made us in his image. So MOST cultures took that to mean that Jesus looked like them.

It is only a few poor African American churches that pick up the "white Jesus."

Of course we know that Jesus was a Palestinian Jew. We have an idea what he might look like and the chances he had "coarse hair" are fairly great.

I will have nothing to do with a church that has a picture of white Jesus on the wall.

Anyway. I wish I could find the link to the TIME magazine picture. It was a collage of all the faces of Jesus from around the world.

 

[Platinum]

I attending a Pentecostal church back in the 90's for a short time. I had a female pastor that preached the same thing OP (well, not the punishment for Coarse hair but everything else you mentioned). One day in bible study, I was "called out" for wearing lipstick. I didn't see anything wrong with it especially when I saw women in other churches (including female Pastors, Bishops, Deaconesses, and TV Evangelists wearing it) The pastor made the statement about people coming to church and being "painted up like Jezebel".erplexed I asked her why we weren't allowed to wear make up and braids and she said that she would find the scripture and show me. I never got my answer and soon after that, I stop attending that church.

 

[Heavenly]

I attending a Pentecostal church back in the 90's for a short time. I had a female pastor that preached the same thing OP (well, not the punishment for Coarse hair but everything else you mentioned). One day in bible study, I was "called out" for wearing lipstick. I didn't see anything wrong with it especially when I saw women in other churches (including female Pastors, Bishops, Deaconesses, and TV Evangelists wearing it) The pastor made the statement about people coming to church and being "painted up like Jezebel".erplexed I asked her why we weren't allowed to wear make up and braids and she said that she would find the scripture and show me. I never got my answer and soon after that, I stop attending that church.

I find comfort in your testimony, sister.

I have to say, I put up a big rebellious fight when it came down to the hair thing. Hair was my life, ya'll. And some deacon is going to tell me to not style my hair and make it pretty? To the left.

 

[SweetSpirit86]

Anyway. I wish I could find the link to the TIME magazine picture. It was a collage of all the faces of Jesus from around the world.

Is it this one?

It's uncanny the timing on these sorts of topics. We were just discussing this the other day in Sociology, and some of my vanilla classmates got a little upset because a black professor with a Ph.D. flat out told them that the images of a darker Jesus around Europe were replaced after they started colonizing Africa. There are still a few in Europe that remain untouched, but most, unfortunately, are gone. I'm not a religious person either. Spiritual, yes..I don't think we got here all on our own, nor that we derived from a bunch of apes...but the topic of God is so interesting it's hard to stay away from.

However, I will say I'm sorry your had the misfortune of hearing that mess in church while you were at an impressionable age. Thankfully none of it stuck. I stopped going to church in my teens because of the nonsense some of the churches I went to were preaching as well.

 

[shunemite]

Ignore it. False teaching happens all the time. There's always gonna be someone preaching a crazy doctrine in the name of God. Do what I do: evaluate and read the Bible for your self. The bible says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". It also states in Genesis that when God created man, he said that "it was good." That's what's in my bible. Any hang ups that someone has because of their own self-hatred and the internal need to control you as a woman falls into the category of that's their problem. Case and point, I went to a church where they taught that giving $100 is better than $1. That's not in my Bible. In my bible is a story of a poor widow who gave her last cent and Jesus honored her more than the rich guy who was giving millions. I evaluated that church, left, and I haven't been there in 5 years.

 

[robot.]

The church my father and his wife were members of made girls that were unmarried and pregnant come up in front of the whole church to apologize.

Mind you, the baby daddies were nowhere to be found. That always rubbed me the wrong way.

It's always the woman's fault.

 

[vainღ♥♡jane]

whatever. my hair is a gift and i love it.

 

[maghreblover]

this i so different to many pentecostal churches in africa where sunday is almost like a fashion show, its like who can wear the largest, most colourful hats or traditional headtie and the most stunning clothes. the whole idea is you come before God looking your best

 

[DarkHair]

I grew up Pentecostal as well. In the 'old' church we couldn't wear makeup, sleevelss tops (showed our chest walls), jewelry, and all that stuff. But then again those were the days of jherri curls. In the 'new' church anything goes. I feel that what your/some church say to people is only meant to keep you how they want you. I've learned that whomever your leader is, no matter what they say or if it sounds 'off', read the Word for yourself.

 

[BostonMaria]

Oh that's horrible.

I've never been to a church like. I can guarantee you I couldn't last 2 minutes in a church like that. Shame on the congregation for blindly following a person. That's what happens when people don't read the bible and just do what the other person says. Most people are too busy being religious and don't have time to actually do what the bible says. Even Jesus was annoyed by this.

I was brought up Catholic and we were not allowed to dress like we were going to a club LOL The priest would call you out on it in a heart beat. I go to a non-denominational church now and haven't encountered this. When I lived in the Dominican Republic I did see a few churches that would not allow their female congregation to wear pants, make-up, no dancing, no shaving, and they weren't allowed to relax their hair. Not the most attractive congregation LOLOLOL