Author Says: 'Jesus Worship' Emasculates and Devalues Black Manhood

[Laela]

I'm glad you posted this, because that seems to be what this man's personal issue is: race -- which stems from deeply rooted hurt, pain from his childhood. Just read his bio.. So his article is a farce.

As for what you wrote here.. ITA..

Like this black preacher once said "Hey, the White Man did not wake up at 12 o'clock"

Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.

We have got to take the neighborhood back.

People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now.

We have millionaire football players who cannot read.

We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We, as black folks have to do a better job.

Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us.

We have to start holding each other to a higher standard..

We cannot blame the white people any longer.'


Dr.. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed..D.

I missed this.. but yeah, he's a Unitarian Universalist. I see no one has posted the source of this man's belief system, and I like to sometimes consider the source, so I'll do i there. Here's what UU's believe (from uua.org)

Existence of a Higher Power
What do Unitarian Universalists believe about the existence of a higher power?
Diverse beliefs about the existence of a higher power are welcome in Unitarian Universalist congregations. Unitarian Universalists may be Atheists, Humanists, Christians, Pagans, or identify with other theological and philosophical traditions.

Inspiration and Guidance
Where do Unitarian Universalists find inspiration and guidance?
Unitarian Universalism affirms that inspiration and meaning may be found in many sources, including experience, history, and religious tradition.

The Unitarian Universalist faith draws from six sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love.
• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves.
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

I guess the Word of God isn't considered a source...

'Free' Thinkers

Wow, the devil is a lier.

According to John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me", we can't just cut Jesus out of the picture and try to down play his role in our lives.

This happens to correspond with the post that Leala made: Beware of the Angry Watchman. His guy is spreading a false idea of Christianity and it is going to lead a lot of people away from the true gospel.

 

[Laela]

Well, what about your great-great-great grandparents??

Weez gon haf'a dis-agree on dis here, Shimmie...

I was born here, and so were my parents and grand parents and, very likely my great grandparents. I don't have any connection to Africa, no more than white Americans have to Germany , Scotland , England , Ireland , or the Netherlands . The same applies to 99 percent of all the black Americans as regards to Africa . So stop, already! ! !

 

[Prudent1]

First thing I wanted to share:
Exo 20:4
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below."
Why? In addition to ppl of the time period making idol gods, ppl will have long heated debates on what God the son looks like and become distracted and angry. They will not be able to see the game being run on them by the enemy nor the time lost incurred while debating on possible appearances. Divide and conquor- still works in 2010.

Second thing:
Jesus was not feminine. He was very meek. Sometimes meekness is not understood.
Meekness=power under control

Those who truly have it going on do not have to constantly prove it. Wealthy ppl, intelligent ppl, grown ppl, or whatever do not have to shout it from the roof tops. You know it when you run across them b/c they exude it w/o saying a word.
Apple trees do not announce with pride that they are apple trees. We know they are apple trees b/c they have apples on their branches. Grown folk don't need to announce their adulthood b/c their actions speak louder than words. Wealthy ppl don't announce their wealth b/c they don't need our validation. Usually the ppl being flashy are 1 check away from financial ruin. They are leasing that car. They live on plastic. They have esteem issues so they literally try to wear their self worth for all to see.
As we work through renewing our minds from the many lies we were told about our self worth as AA females, let us not believe this myth of the feminine Jesus. Essentially that is no different in practice than the historians all over the globe who depicted Jesus to look like whatever ethnic group they belonged to.

 

[chicacanella]

This author just seems like another person making up excuses for his lack of relationship with God.

I say this because truly none of this has ever stopped my Black Son; my Black Father, My Black Grandfather, My Black Uncles, nor my Black Male Friends, nor my Black Male Pastors, from being strong holy men who love to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

Folks have to go beyond the 'flesh' and just see God for who He truly is which in God who is a Spirit which has nothing whatsoever to do with color. Just worship God and get on with life, instead of creating reasosn for separation and strife. Stop creating excuses or allowing the enemy to place hindering nonsense in the path of righteousness which Jesus is leading one upon.

Geeesh....

:Rose: Spidergurl, my comments are not 'at' you, babygirl.

It's just the way I feel when I see book after book and article after article on this same theme. So I hope I haven't appeared to be speaking against you. I'm not. It's the theory of the author. Okay?

Man, the devil tries to do all in his power to stop you from worshiping the Most High God.

He tells some, he doesn't exist.

For some blacks, "why are you worshipping a white Jesus." I also wanted to not, why when we obviously know that Muhammed was of Middle Eastern descent and not from West Africa, does this author not write about the effects of idolizing him? Why is it always some trying to talk about the effects of worshipping Jesus?

Others, "Why wasn't God there when XYZ happened."

It's like, he only gives you part of the truth and twists that in such a way, where one who has never encountered Jesus ends up believing a lie.

I doubt all of the many people healed of cancer, herpes, HIV, incurable diseases because someone who believed in Christ Jesus laid their hands on them are saying, "Oh, I know I'm healed because you prayed in Jesus name, but I still don't believe he's God." When you are sick, and on your death bed, you get over the flesh issue and want to be well again. If you know that Jesus healed the person next to you, you don't care if he was blue or green. You want to know the God that Heals, Jehova Rapha. Physical pain can change a person's mind real quick. You let me see a person with a debilitating illness tell a person, "no" after seeing someone else healed. Puh-lease.

I don't know how many times I have to scream, it's not about his race, because if people only see that, then it's real superficial. If Jesus would have come as a literal white man, I mean really white lilke Anglo-Saxon, then people would still have something to say. Whatever race, someone could write an article about how, if he came looking West-AFrican, "Why White Men Feel Exclusion In Worship To Black Jesus." Oy vey!

 

[chicacanella]

I think that there are aspects in which Jesus of Nazareth presents a very countercultural type of masculinity that is not going to satisfy many people. Remember, the Jewish people were expecting a militant leader, and yet they got a Man of whom it is said "A bruised reed He will not bend, and smoking flax He will not quench."

It is not uncommon for black men in Islam to talk about Christianity being feminizing. There's a lot of talk even among white evangelicals about whether the church is too feminine. But still, at some point we have to recognize that we don't need to change our theology or worship, but we need to accept God as He presents Himself to us--even if that presentation does not match our expectations or political agenda.

Wow, I'm just really curious to know whether all of these people talking about feminizing ever really had a convo with Jesus? Because until I really had a convo with him and he begain to talk back to me, I didn't know who he was. And Jesus is teh one who told me, not to get a nose job 2 years ago or I would suffere the recompense. I had no idea what recompense meant until the Holy Spirit led me to look it up. THe way Jesus said it, I knew I better not do it or it wasn't going to be good for me. I have otehr times to but it was in no way femine, but all the way masculine and even then some. You don't want to be on the receiving end of an angry Jesus.

 

[SND411]

Wow, I'm just really curious to know whether all of these people talking about feminizing ever really had a convo with Jesus? Because until I really had a convo with him and he begain to talk back to me, I didn't know who he was. And Jesus is teh one who told me, not to get a nose job 2 years ago or I would suffere the recompense. I had no idea what recompense meant until the Holy Spirit led me to look it up. THe way Jesus said it, I knew I better not do it or it wasn't going to be good for me. I have otehr times to but it was in no way femine, but all the way masculine and even then some. You don't want to be on the receiving end of an angry Jesus.

What's wrong with Jesus having a feminine side? Why "all masculine and then some?" What is feminine and what is masculine?

No wonder why some men think they're God......

 

[SND411]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH A "FEMININE" JESUS? He held babies for goodness sake! He imagined Himself as a MOTHER HEN! He made parables of a woman REPRESENTING GOD! He came to be acquainted with out griefs and experiences that that includes the FEMALE EXPERIENCE!

Gosh, some of you are acting like being "feminine" is a negative thing. So God is all male and masculine now? So how in the world are women also made in God's image?

 

[Guitarhero]

My problem is that this man is attempting to dissuade people from worshiping Him when they don't need an outside "source" to do that. They believe it for them, inside.

 

[Poohbear]

That's why it is so important to follow God's commands. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4).

I never seen worshipping Jesus as devaluing Black manhood. The black men who worship Jesus are not focusing on his color. That would be dumb. Dr. Bell is focusing on all these graven images and likeness of Jesus that other men have created. Most of these images have Jesus with fair skin, blue eyes, blonde hair, or with dark eyes and dark brown hair. It is wrong for people to make images, pictures, and models of Jesus. That's why there's been confusion on his race and color when it really does not matter at all. Jesus was both human and divine when he dwelled on this earth to show us how to live right. That's what the focus should be on... the life of Jesus Christ, not his physical appearance.

The only thing that's devaluing Black manhood is the lack of values and standards of living right, and not being imitators of Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh.

 

[Prudent1]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH A "FEMININE" JESUS? He held babies for goodness sake! He imagined Himself as a MOTHER HEN! He made parables of a woman REPRESENTING GOD! He came to be acquainted with out griefs and experiences that that includes the FEMALE EXPERIENCE!

Gosh, some of you are acting like being "feminine" is a negative thing. So God is all male and masculine now? So how in the world are women also made in God's image?

I struggled with understanding how and if God valued, loved, cared about women in my 20's largely b/c I believed a lot of lies I'd been taught by other ungodly women (ERA movement during my time) who had been subjected to all kinds of false teaching by men using their power the wrong way. They will be held accountable. I also did not understand many things in the bible and so I ended up taking them out of context (mulitilple wives and side peices etc). At this point in my life I understand how loved I am by Jesus so there's no need to try to project a more 'feminine' image onto his person. Your statement here is dead on-"He came to be acquainted with our griefs and experiences that that includes the FEMALE EXPERIENCE!" That still doesn't make him feminine nor does it make being feminine a negative thing. This next question is rhetorical, "What does being feminine mean to you?" I had to pray and spend some time with God to get my answer. I would wager if that question was asked we would get a plethora of different answers/ meanings. Hmm, it would probably be very enlightening. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. If femininity was negative, why would a perfect GOD have bothered to make distinctions between male and female. That would make him something he cannot be and that is a liar. That would mean that he created something that does not fit his normal MO of doing all things decent and in order. I love, love, love being a woman. All of it, every single day of the month We are special:reddancer:. We each have specific purposes. To illustrate, there is a difference between what a hammer is used for vs what screwdriver is used for. Yet they are both tools. You may be able to accomplish the job of the hammer by using the screwdriver but not w/o unnecessary additional work. You are equal to any man, yet you are not a man. Your purpose is different than that of a man. Different does not mean belittled or less than. Anyone trying to tell you otherwise is lying. Yeah, God is all male and masculine now and forevermore:hero:. What does masculine mean to you? When you hear of someone being masculine or manly how does that make you feel? What does that look like to you? God is not harsh, insensitive, egotistical, bragadocious, a jerk, loud, abusive, does not abandon us, does not break his promises,does not disregard and show a lack of appreciation for our feelings, nor any of all of the other things we can't stand about the males (cause I refuse to call them MEN:angry who present themselves as godly but act in those blatantly ungodly ways. God never instructed them to behave that way. This involves some more trying of the spirits by the Spirit. Just b/c someone says they are Christians does not make it so! We must be wise and discerning females with these frauds. He is not happy/amused when ppl misrepresent him. It hurts his daughters and causes all kinds of thick scabs to form in our lives. It perpetuates an ugly cycle that ends in divorces or better yet OOW births and other forms of death and pain. There is a verse from an old song, "Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pains we bear. All b/c we do not carry everything to God in prayer." Pray, Lord what do you say it means to be created woman? Lord show me any and all lies and untruths I have ever been fed regarding femininity! That type of behavior from males clearly does not line up with the word, yet some of us internalize that junk and end up mad at the world:heated:. This is another divide and conquer tactic of Satan that we really need to stop falling for:kneel:. With a godly man in charge, there is no reason to fear abuse. That's what all of this is ultimately rooted in fear of abuse, unappreciation, a lack of being in control, being emotionally open to a man who may take advantage of that openess. God loves and values women and He does not have to be portrayed as feminine to do so. God has not given us a spirit of fear. Spend some time thinking about what you think about. Who told you you were less b/c you were a woman? What instances happened where you saw women being treated as second class citizens? These ppl who say women are less than, what does there life look like? Are they truly happy, successful, etc? Ppl love to give advice when their lives are as raggedy as can be. Misery loves company- all day everyday.

That's why it is so important to follow God's commands. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4).

I never seen worshipping Jesus as devaluing Black manhood. The black men who worship Jesus are not focusing on his color. That would be dumb. Dr. Bell is focusing on all these graven images and likeness of Jesus that other men have created. Most of these images have Jesus with fair skin, blue eyes, blonde hair, or with dark eyes and dark brown hair. It is wrong for people to make images, pictures, and models of Jesus. That's why there's been confusion on his race and color when it really does not matter at all. Jesus was both human and divine when he dwelled on this earth to show us how to live right. That's what the focus should be on... the life of Jesus Christ, not his physical appearance.

The only thing that's devaluing Black manhood is the lack of values and standards of living right, and not being imitators of Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh.

^^^ Because one thanks is not enough. In more recent times ppl ahev created images to be divisive on purpose but back in the 15th century when you had Rembrandts, and Michaelangelos painting their depiction of biblical events (although they shouldn't have for the above reason) I don't even think they were being insensitive. This was during a time where all they knew of and saw looked just like them. They probably thought everyone looked just alike. They didn't know the about other cultures and continents as a whole.

 

[Poohbear]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH A "FEMININE" JESUS? He held babies for goodness sake! He imagined Himself as a MOTHER HEN! He made parables of a woman REPRESENTING GOD! He came to be acquainted with out griefs and experiences that that includes the FEMALE EXPERIENCE!

Gosh, some of you are acting like being "feminine" is a negative thing. So God is all male and masculine now? So how in the world are women also made in God's image?

I'm not sure why people feel like Jesus is feminine, but I don't see Jesus as feminine. And being feminine is NOT a negative thing as long as you are a woman. Women are made in God's image for sure.