Video clips from a recent bi-monthly Black Skeptics Group meeting. Audio of Sikivu Hutchinson on KTYM in Los Angeles describing the intention of the group she formed.
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Book Review of “Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars”
By Don R Barbera
Sometimes, preaching to the choir is necessary to make it aware they may be singing in the wrong key, from the wrong hymnal and in the wrong church. Black atheist author Sikivu Hutchinson removes the ifs, ands and buts from that thought by demonstrating that the right religion is often wrong for the black community.
Her new book “Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars,” dissects the complex relationship between religion and reality as it relates to the black community. A PhD who teaches in South Los Angeles where life can be cheap, she understands the mean streets and even more so, she sees a clear dichotomy in race and religion where actual behavior often falls far from the tree of belief.
This book is filled with relevant information regarding Christianity and its magnetic relationship with the African American community, as well as explanations of the segmentation of nonwhites, including Latinos, Asians and Native Americans. Although written in a scholarly fashion, the book is accessible, relevant and straightforward. If understanding the nature of genderphilia, racisms role in morality and the coded world political pandering, this book is for you.
The author presents a view few African Americans ever think about and if they did, it would be dismissed out of hand because it comes from an atheist, a black female nonbeliever unafraid to speak openly of her humanistic views and the problems she sees in Christianity’s role in disabling the black community. The feminist author wastes no time in getting to the issues facing the black community when it comes to Christian religion and its affect on nearly every resident.
Some might wish to argue the point, but starting with the black community, the author presents an accurate portrayal of African America’s overwhelming attachment to Christianity. The author demonstrates how the patriarchal structure Christianity blocks the advancement and growth of women by using “holy” scripture to lock women into perennial second-class citizenship. Although the book acknowledges the historical beneficial aspects of the Christian church, it does not back away from tying today’s black church affiliation with the Evangelical Right and its obsession with homosexuality and abortion. Even though women are the backbone of most churches and the black church in particular, the author makes it clear that women of the church play a secondary role behind men by biblical decree, a position reinforced by the nearly all male hierarchy of most black churches. The book suggests that female independence is not possible under the sexist regime of the nearly all male clergy; implying that many of the female church supporters are unaware of the demotion.
From there the author presents a fair view of African American masculinity, how it is a product of the syncretism of male dominance and hierarchical religion inspired sexism all based on white supremacy and encouraged by the Bible. Ms. Hutchison also delves into the economics of Christian development by citing the construction of multi-million dollar religious complexes in the heart of urban squalor, citing the so-called “Prosperity Gospel” as an example of the materialism that is the modern church. The author connects the many ways the black church discourages many because of the constant conflict of reality, pastoral behavior and traditional morals, which seem negated by faith-based sexism.
Christianity and traditional morality fell by the wayside long ago according to current research, while nonbelief continues to grow. The author grabs this trend, introduces the reader to atheism and the black community, pointing out that atheists are considered outside the realm of blackness and is a white construct. However, the writer informs the reader of the long history of African American freethinkers and humanists who laid the groundwork for today’s growing ranks of nonbelievers in the black community. An old joke has it that there are 20 million black Baptist in the US and three atheists. It is no joking matter according to the writer as she points out not only the growing number of nonbelievers in the black community, but also the number of African American females contributing to this expansion. A portion of the introduction to black female atheists contains the writers own story of how she came to atheism at an early age.
A significant chapter talking about prayer is revealing of the author’s thoughts on the value of what stirs legal battles in schools and government procedures. The writer sees prayer as little more than a convenient refuge from problems that remain after the prayer ends. The author ties prayer to doing nothing, while giving an individual the feeling they have done something. Ms. Hutchinson debunks the idea by indicating that the number of unanswered prayers is often forgotten when coincidence provides a single example. The reader will find this chapter interesting as the author is relentless in showing that nothing fails like prayer.
Closing out the last three chapters, the writer explains the connection of race to traditional morals, indicating a connection with white supremacy, Christianity and the concept of morality. Once again, the writer goes to grea
t lengths to be fair, and then points out the racist elements involved in the Euro-American concept of morality and its links with slavery and the slaughter of Native Americans. Taking the reader of a historical tour of the injustice sanctioned by Christianity, the author reveals the greasy gears of racism, religion and the dissolute excuses used to justify inhumanity to other human beings.
t lengths to be fair, and then points out the racist elements involved in the Euro-American concept of morality and its links with slavery and the slaughter of Native Americans. Taking the reader of a historical tour of the injustice sanctioned by Christianity, the author reveals the greasy gears of racism, religion and the dissolute excuses used to justify inhumanity to other human beings.
Humanity braces Ms. Hutchinson’s resoluteness in dispelling myths about atheists and humanist, while offering humanism as a better way for the black community to move forward. The author also points out the need for atheist and humanist groups to work together in achieving people-based solutions and escaping the world of superstition for real progress.
Don Barbera is the author of Black and Not Baptist: Non Belief and Freethought in the Black Community
Moral Combat Featured in New Humanism
Excerpt from Moral Combat at the New Humanism:
Faith’s smorgasboard beckons irresistibly from America’s city streets. A cross-country drive tells the story of its market value and allure, its unshakeable hold on the schizoid psyche of sex and Jesus-obsessed Americana. There is a church for every family, every true believer, every providence haggler, and every fence sitter; a supernatural crack fix for every creed, taste, and predilection. In the one mile radius from my house in South Los Angeles to the corner of Florence and Normandie, there are fourteen churches. Most of these structures are storefronts, austere and unobtrusive, denominations flowing from Latino Pentecostal to black Baptist to multiracial Catholic. Woven seamlessly into the workaday facades of other businesses, they offer quiet testimony to the area’s shift from a predominantly African American enclave to a mixed Latino and black community. In the aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King beating verdict, Florence and Normandie gained national notoriety as a bellwether for black rage. There is an auto parts store on the northwest corner where white truck driver Reginald Denny was pulled from his vehicle and beaten by four African American young men after news of the verdict exploded across the city. On the other side of the street two gas stations bustle, fronted by a strip mall to the northeast. Emblems of the Southern California trinity of cars, faith, and quick cheap retail, these spaces each tap into different yet similar reservoirs of urban yearning.
In the seventeen years since the verdict and ensuing civil unrest, these streets have not dramatically changed. Whereas development in predominantly white communities to the west has flourished, the grand photo-op promises of federal redevelopment made about South L.A. by then President George H.W. Bush have gone largely unfulfilled…
http://www.thenewhumanism.org/authors/sikivu-hutchinson/articles/moral-combat
Black Skeptics to Dialogue with Baptist Church
The Black Skeptics of Los Angeles met recently to discuss directions for the new year. The group meets monthly and is comprised of a diverse swath of black Angeleno freethinkers concerned about social justice, civil rights, community organizing, and black cultural identity. As part of its outreach to the local African American religious community, the group will sponsor an interfaith dialogue with Zion Hill Baptist Church in South Los Angeles on April 20th. The dialogue will spotlight black humanist, atheist, and freethought traditions in contemporary African American culture, allow black freethinkers to talk about their lives as humanists/atheists, and debunk myths and stereotypes black believers have about non-theist belief systems. According to Zion Hill Pastor Seth Pickens, the dialogue is the first of its kind in the church’s history. Like many churches in South L.A., Zion Hill is located in a predominantly African American neighborhood, but had an all-white congregation up until the dismantling of restrictive covenants and ensuing white flight in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The dialogue is the first of a series in ongoing outreach to build community by educating and engaging African Americans about the social history of black freethought traditions and the cultural relevance of humanism to social and economic justice.
Black Skeptics’ Interview with Author Donald Wright
Donald Wright is a Houston-based freethought activist and the author of The Only Prayer I’ll Ever Pray: Let My People Go.
In recognition of the seminal yet historically overlooked impact of black freethought traditions, he has proposed the fourth Sunday in February as a “Day of Solidarity” for African American freethinkers, humanists, and atheists.
You were once a deacon and devoted member of your church. What was the catalyst for your journey to non-theism?
If I include being born into a Christian family, I have over 50 years of experience of being involved in religion. My parents and sisters were active members of a Christian church so I followed in their footsteps. Aside from the five years of college, which I did continue attending church especially since I wanted to maintain a relationship with my church going college sweetheart, I had been an active and devoted church member until September 2006. My church activities included: Sunday school, choir, usher, youth groups, fundraising committees, co-leader with my wife of new members’ orientation, and being a deacon.
To describe the catalyst for my journey to non-theism, I must provide some background information that represents my church/religious experiences. There is not a shortage of malfeasance among black church pastors and leaders. The claim against Eddie Long in Atlanta, Georgia, is a well publicized example. Describe it as naïve, but I expected pastors, men called by God, to be of higher character and dedication to the instructions of the Bible. Not that they don’t exist, but I had not been a member of a church with a female pastor so pardon my gender reference. I assumed that the God-calling provided a spiritual strength, humility, and godly insight that was unavailable to normal everyday Christians. A pastor’s inappropriate behavior was very disturbing to me and it was amplified when he lacked a display of remorse. To add to my discomfort, majority of the members were too tolerable and readily to forgive. I can’t count the number of times I heard “the pastor is just a man” as a reason to not demand accountability. Most pastors are arrogant and demand a stature position that requires hero worship and most members in black churches accommodate.
I was a member of this pre-dominantly black mega-church in Houston for 19 years. It was the church where I was a deacon. In 2003, the pastor’s involvement in a homosexual scandal was exposed. It found its way into the local and national media. The pastor was portraying a happy heterosexual marriage. This was devastating to the membership. A special meeting was held to determine his fate. The membership voted and by a small margin, the majority preferred him to remain as pastor with the condition that he would agree to counseling.
Our family was not alone in leaving, as a substantial number of members immediately chose to find another church. This situation was very disturbing because within two years the church membership decreased well over 50%. Homosexuality is a major theological challenge for most Christians and obviously I did not accept it as a lifestyle choice for a church leader.
This incident was the catalyst. Following the decision to find another church, I committed to becoming a greater student of the Bible and the religious practice of Christianity. I was no longer going to be dependent on the preachers and anointed Bible teachers for interpretation and instructions. The next two years involved intense self-study in addition to enrollment in a local Bible college to obtain a Bible teaching certificate. Some family members and friends suggested I was being called to the ministry. The study required me to ask hard and challenging questions. It required me to pursue the history and origin of the Bible. It led me to observing clear contradictions in Bible. Eventually I would find my way to reading the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine and in September 2006 my religious journey was terminated. Self-study led me away from religion and into a life-stance centered on Humanism and Atheism. I am glad I finally decided to scholarly study the Bible.
What kinds of advocacy work do you do around humanism/atheism in the Houston community?
I am an active member of the Humanists of Houston organization, currently serving as vice-president. The intent of my involvement with this group, in addition to the benefits of being among more like-minded individuals, is to encourage more community service and outreach as humanists. We must become more visible in the community to offset the service provided by religious organizations. Our society needs to learn that it is not religion that gives people the desire to help and care for others.
Also, I have organized a discussion group, Radical Forum – Houston. The group assembles monthly to examine various topics and issues through an open dialogue. The group decides the topic or issue and a volunteer will lead the discussion. The primary objective of the group is to promote a better society and lessen human oppression and exploitation. The forum serves to motivate and to be an intellectual resource. Our society cannot change until people change. People cannot change until their thinking change. Thoughts and attitudes are modified through new information. My individual responsibility is to make certain that the information shared during the discussion is tested through humanistic values and examined from a non-religious perspective.
How has your involvement in the emerging community of black non-believers changed your outlook on life?
My outlook on life began to change a few years before my escape from religion. Although I did not recognize this immediately, but the start of my new worldview was when I started my engineering consulting firm in January 2002. I discovered a freedom that transcends monetary wealth. I had acquired major control of my time and priorities. I can determine what truly is important. At this time my daughter was a sophomore in high school. I cannot explain the joy of attending her basketball games in the middle of the afternoon without having to get permission from the boss. She still treasures her feeling of knowing her dad was in the stands for the majority of games cheering for her and the team. I learned to value that experience more than the acquisition of a lot of money. My business objective was then and remains to keep it small but adequate. I was beginning to reject some of the ideals of corporate America and the capitalistic influence.
During the past nine years, my worldview on religion, politics, government, capitalism, our monetary system, health, and many other subjects has significantly altered. I have read more books, asked more hard questions, shared conversation with more extraordinary and brilliant people, and studied diligently to determine truth. The function of truth is to bring light to the hidden facts. Truth transforms humans only when we submit to it. Humans who seek truth cannot resist the need to transform. I may have to write another book to describe my reasons for becoming disenchanted with life in the United States.
Attending the African American for Humanism Conference, sponsored by Center for Inquiry, in Washington, D.C. in May last year was a huge impact. I have a photo of the group framed and mounted on my office wall. It was a historical event because it was the first major gathering of black non-believers in the Unites States. I met and established relationships with many other black non-believers from various cities across the country. I anticipate many of those relationships to solidify and last for a lifetime. There was so much comfort in sharing experiences and similar journeys. It was so surprising to hear the stories of individuals that had started their journey during their youth. Some of the individuals at this conference will be very influential in the humanist movement. My perspective on humanism and its place in the black community was broadened. I have more confidence and greater hope for the black community that it will lessen its dependence on religion. I look forward to the future for attending the first major gathering of black non-believers here in Houston, Texas.
What do you think are the main priorities for black non-believers?
The most important activity for a black non-believer is to make yourself available for establishing a friendship with other black non-believers. Because of the dominance of religion in our community, it is not unusual to experience a feeling of loneliness so a local friend is invaluable. Emails, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging cannot replace face to face communication. In preparation for befriending a fellow black non-believer, be certain you care enough to share your experiences and offer genuine support.
The next priority is to develop boldness in purpose because the religious institutions must be challenged. Their negative influence on our society must be exposed. When faith is tested through facts, logic, reason, or science it should fail. In preparation to confront believers, you must be solidly grounded in this life-stance and confident enough to discuss it with anyone interested in a conversation. As non-believers, we must become more visible and our voices heard. As non-believers, we offer an alternative that could make substantial improvements in our society and our community must know that we exist.
Also, we must participate with national humanist and atheist organizations to offer support as these organizations are confronting policies through the political process. The religious landscape of the United States must be removed and replaced with reason and free thought.
To my fellow black non-believers, I suggest sharing knowledge and speaking truth without any fear. Human attitudes, opinions, and behavior can be modified. A believer can become a non-believer. I am that example.
In your book, you talk about black male ambivalence toward the culture of charismatic male leadership in the Black Church. Does this ambivalence keep men away from the church and how does it encourage emotional/sexual abuse and co-dependency amongst women?
I will address the latter part of the question first.
I am almost certain that the majority of pastors in the black church are men. I have the same certainty that the majority of the members of black churches are women, which means they have the greater number in church service attendance and participation in church activities. Because of this dynamic, the pastors must cater primarily to the needs of the women. Black women are achieving more independence and earning larger incomes as professionals and business owners than ever before. Many have moved from the kitchen to the boardroom and their monetary contributions reflect this status. But note that surveys indicate that the largest segment of people that is religious and unmarried is black women. They love the church and adore the pastor especially the singles. This environment creates a playground for the unscrupulous men with charisma, authority, and fine tailored suits. These men have become celebrities and as a result of our society’s celebrity culture, many women become victims emotionally and sexually. What can be more problematic than a single woman seeking counsel and prayer for finding a husband or a companion in the dim lights of the pastor’s study? If they only knew that their best chance for a qualified mate is not in the church. Too many black women depend on and seek solace from the church.
A large percentage of black men struggle with the desire to attend church—simultaneously they lack the interest in supporting the pastor. In the black community the pastor is the church. It is not uncommon to hear a member say, “I attend Pastor XYZ’s church.” This group of struggling black men recognize these selfish and manipulative characteristics in preachers because of their own experiences and characteristics, making it difficult to ignore the negative possibilities. These negative possibilities include improper management of the building fund to justify a new car or receiving sexual pleasure from a distraught woman that attempts to show her gratitude to the pastor for paying her electric bill. In street language they see him the same as the “pimp” or “player.” The pimp controls and the player attracts. The need to attend church is ingrained in black culture. Most black men accept this as vital and prefer not to risk their soul’s salvation, but their social instincts alert them to [the pastor’s] con artist[istry]. They cannot ignore this alert so many of them stay away from church choosing instead to read the Bible and listen to gospel music on Sundays. Well, maybe not every Sunday.
You recently proposed a “Day of Solidarity” for African American non-believers. What was the motivation for this initiative?
The idea of a Day of Solidarity occurred as a result of me pondering Black History Month with more focus on black free thinkers and non-believers. I felt that an effort should be given to assemble black non-believers in our local towns and cities eliminating the need for expensive travel. I visualized a special day of observance once a year on the 4th Sunday in February to promote fellowship, share experiences, meet new non-believers, and discuss the lives of black non-believers that our typical history books omit. Also, this could be the opportunity to encourage community activism. The gathering is to be provided with minimum requirements and cost. Two or more people could meet in the park if the weather permits.
I was really hoping the fellowship would be the attracting piece in the purpose for the gathering. Since the beginning of my journey away from religion in 2006, I desperately needed and still need to meet more black non-believers. Fellowship, a sustaining characteristic of the church, is valuable in our society regardless of the group’s purpose. We need each other. Our technological advancements allow us to communicate with many people around the world, sharing information at the click of a button. We are meeting and making new friends online everyday. But no technology can replace the need for human interaction, face to face, the look into another person eyes during the moment of a true passionate expression, or the sight of sharing a gut wrenching laugh. We still need a hug or a little rub on the back when times get tough. Communicating through emails, Facebook, Twitter, and blogging can’t tell the whole human story.
So far, the response has been a little disappointing. It has caused me to reflect on what it takes to get people to support a cause. Our society needs so many positive actions to offset the decay and turmoil. In our celebrity culture, in order to initiate a peoples’ movement do you have to be a celebrity? Would the idea been received with greater interest if it was presented by someone such as Tavis Smiley? I was baffled by a number of people in particular that chose not to offer a simple comment, for or against the idea. For new ideas, criticisms can be a benefit. But I’ll be fine. I have no interest in becoming a celebrity. I’m only trying to make a contribution before my days are done.
I am hopeful that the gathering is received in truth and for its intent. So get from behind those computers and build solidarity with your fellow non-believers.
Many women of color and some men of color embrace humanism/atheism as part of a feminist and anti-heterosexist world view. What is your perspective on the relationship between gender equity and humanism/atheism? What specifically can black men do to advance gender justice?
The significant phase of my transformation was when I began to truly embrace humanism and atheism. Being humanist is much more relevant than being an atheist. An atheist simply is an individual that do not believe in a god. I don’t believe in a god because I don’t have to. I do not have enough evidence that proves a god exists. I am a humanist because I support the betterment of all humans and sustaining their innate ability to make rational decisions regarding life. I support peace and harmony in the universe and maintaining its natural order and resources. Humanism is my fundamental worldview. It is the guiding principle by which I use to take a position on all issues affecting our society. Humanism is tolerant and respects individuality. Humanism is fairness and strives for truth. I can’t be a humanist and support or practice any organized religion that exists in our world today according to my awareness. Religion is in opposition to humanism and most religions encourage the recognition of some type of god.
I hope to witness an overwhelming increase of blacks in the United States that make a rational decision to move away from religion and choose to embrace humanism.
In terms of gender equity, I think humanism is the means to assure its existence. There is overwhelming evidence of how religions, particularly the most dominant ones here in the United States, promote gender inequality with men being in positions of authority. The Bible is a collection of this ideology. Women recognized this fallacy and demanded a different society that acknowledges the rights of women, which is evident today, but some remain in bondage to their religious dogma and continue to be subjugated to a fictitious role. Our society fails, primarily due to religion, in the attempt to identify the roles of women and men and many of us become deranged in the struggle for adherence. We should allow science to help us to understand the true natural differences between women and men, then as individuals we determine our role as we adapt to our society. We should learn and understand personalities and weigh the factors that shape our character. This is especially significant when we are developing relationships or partnerships, more commonly known as marriage, with other humans. Religion distorts this concept also. Who should determine the make-up of the partnership and head of the household or the need for one, the church, Paul the self-proclaimed apostle, or the individuals involved? Humanism is not about defining gender or sexual orientation; it is systematic in determining what’s best for human beings.
For black men to advance gender justice, my primary suggestion is stay away from religion. Free your mind from the bondage of religious dogma. Become a free thinking individual. Black men must understand that gender injustice is a human malfunction just like racism. Our community cannot afford this behavior. Black men must relinquish this misguided attitude of the male authoritative perspective as practiced in the black church. Appreciate the qualities and skills of our black women equally without restrictions. We need each other operating at its highest efficiency to promote an equitable society. Human injustice, oppression and exploitation are inefficient.
Contact Donald Wright, [email protected], www.drwrightbooks.com
Poll: Who was the most influential female atheist of 2010?
A Call for Celebration…A Call to Action
By Naima Cabelle
After centuries of it being stated and accepted in many quarters that African people had no history, language, culture, or accomplishments worthy of recognition, efforts continue to be made to try to reverse that kind of thinking. It is for this reason that I am puzzled as to why people, particularly those of African descent, question the value of African/Black History Month. Every year, there are a number of articles and discussions which question the value of Black History Month, and at the same time voice the complaint that Black history is not “celebrated” throughout the year. Now, my father would say that as usual, I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, and giving an opinion no one asked for. If I were his son, I’m sure Dad would say that giving my opinion wasn’t only the right thing to do, but the manly thing to do as well. At the risk of offering my unsolicited two cents, I’ll once again ignore my father’s warnings because I think that open dialogue is healthy and can be constructive.
One of the statements I’ve heard, more than once, was that they put Black History Month in February because it’s the shortest month of the year. If by “they” someone means the government and/or the corporations which print calendars, it is time to set the record straight [again]. In 1924, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an African American scholar, author, and historian, chose a week in February as Negro History Week, in an effort to focus on the accomplishments of people of African descent. I understand that he chose the month of February due to the fact that both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were both born during that month. During the late 1960’s, the week became known as Black History Week, and as time went on, it was expanded to Black History Month. I cannot say when the month became nationally recognized as Black History Month, but it was celebrated as such long before it was nationally recognized!
Aside from many of events which occur during Black History Month, it serves for me as a reminder of what my role ought to be in society, that is if I am brave enough to live up those challenges. Recounting one’s history and reflecting upon those things which still have meaning today should also inspire people to take further steps because once the celebrating is over the work must be begin. Celebration without work is “child’s play,” and the adults of this world know what work must be done once the celebrations end. It is simply not enough to celebrate the past. We must create a legacy consisting of our own accomplishments in our own lifetime. We have many challenges before us. In the United States alone, the challenges of race, class, and gender bias will continue to oppress and undermine the emotional, physical, and economic well-being of millions in this country if we fail to rise to the occasion. These problems are overwhelming and many of us, regardless of color, class, or gender, turn away in despair and frustration as we look for ways to just get through the day hoping that we won’t have to deal with yet another personal crisis. Millions are just too worn-out from having to deal with their own burdens even as they continue to be impacted by unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence, the judicial system, military spending, etc.
There are however many brave women and men who appear on the frontlines every day, determined to make a difference in some way, determined not to accept things as they are, and determined to not turn away in the face of adversity. A few of these people make the headlines and the six o’clock news. The vast majority who will never be widely recognized, however, continue to do their work and leave their mark on those who they come in contact with in immeasurable ways. While I can read with pride about those who did extraordinary things in the distant past, I can focus much more clearly on my contemporaries who fight for decent jobs, create block associations, initiate neighborhood clean-up drives, run after-school program, challenge drug-dealers, find housing for the homeless, teach others to read, take on city hall, and stand up to the racists and sexists. These are the people I strive to be like. They walk with pride and conduct their lives in ways which show that they have purpose, direction, and integrity. Nope, they don’t claim to descend from royalty. They probably won’t come up with any new inventions or end up in any history books. But, what’s great about them, and I mean absolutely great is that they are all quite ordinary. This means that they are setting examples which are easy for everyone else to follow!
For me, the daily celebration of Black history must involve walking the kind of walk which will help to create the kind of community and the kind of world where peace and justice are woven into the life of every human being. It’s not easy, but it is possible. I’m proud to engage in both celebration and action.
Naima, an atheist, feminist, and socialist activist currently serves on the Washington Area Secular Humanist Board of Directors and is a long-time WASH member.
Call for Submissions: American Atheist Magazine
If you are a black Freethinking writer who would like to contribute an article, please contact Blair Scott, Communications Director for American Atheists, at [email protected]. We are not looking for a bunch of articles about what it is like to be a black atheist or why there are so few black atheists. We are looking for regular articles regarding Freethought and Skepticism written by black atheists. You can submit new articles, articles you’ve already wrote, blog entries, etc.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
• All articles must be received no later than 12/31/2010 to be considered for publication in the February edition of American Atheist magazine.
• We encourage articles to be no more than 1,000 words. However, we understand that some subject matter requires a more in-depth analysis and may therefore need more than 1,000 words to cover.
• Include your name, any titles or organizations your work for/with, and a working title for your article.
• Include a high resolution picture of yourself (headshots or torso/head shots preferred).
Heretics, Humanism, and “the Hood”
By Sikivu Hutchinson
As a radical humanist critic of America’s Christian slavocracy Frederick Douglass once wrote, “I prayed for twenty years and received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” What would Douglass, a trailblazing male feminist, have made of the brutal ironies of twenty first century black America? How would he have reconciled the “triumph” of its first black president with the travesty of crushing black poverty? The decline of mass movement liberation struggle with its prayer cult obsession? Or Black women’s second class citizenship with the sham of “post-feminism?”
In the spirit of Douglass, the black secular community’s moral obligation to social justice was the recurring theme of the L.A. Black Skeptics’ first “Going Godless in the Black Community” roundtable. Held in South Los Angeles, the heart of the West Coast’s Black Bible Belt, the meeting was one of the first L.A. gatherings of its kind in recent memory. The group was founded in March of this year to give non-theist and skeptic African Americans “congregating” online a real time community. Fifteen atheist/humanists from a broad array of backgrounds, ages and world views attended. The discussion ranged from critiques of the influence of hyper-religiosity in the African American community to practical strategies for developing humanist resources and social welfare institutions. I was recently reminded of the urgent need for humanist mental health and wellness alternatives at a black/Latina women’s conference I attended on “breaking the silence” about domestic violence and HIV/AIDS. Several presenters portrayed faith-based mental health and wellness “remedies” as the most viable approaches to healing. Prayer will “right you,” a woman who had been in a violent long term relationship declared to a literal amen corner of nodding heads. Relying upon prayer as an antidote to stress and trauma is a common coping strategy in communities of color, particularly for women of color. Race and gender-related stress are major contributors to stroke, hypertension and obesity in African Americans. Yet those who question faith-based healing remedies and belief systems are often marginalized as being “white-identified” and/or elitist. In some quarters evidence-based therapy is slammed as something black and Latino folks simply “don’t do” or can’t realistically afford.
The mental health crisis amongst African Americans is a devastating indicator of racial and social inequity, of which the prayer as therapy epidemic is an insidious symptom. During the Going Godless discussion participants focused on the importance of instilling black youth with an appreciation for critical thought and free inquiry. Reflecting on his K-12 education in L.A. schools Black Skeptics member Fred Castro said that he couldn’t recall ever being exposed to humanist curricula or anything beyond a traditional Western Judeo Christian lens. As the second largest school district in the nation, with skyrocketing dropout rates and youth who are homeless, in foster care and/or on probation, Los Angeles city schools are particularly challenged by the absence of systemic culturally relevant education. High incidences of “faith-based” bullying and harassment, degradation of young women and the culture of violent hyper-masculinity all underscore the need for anti-racist anti-sexist anti-homophobic humanist youth leadership initiatives. Atlanta-based activist Black Son spoke forcefully about having imbibed a culture of bigotry from the Bible, noting that African American youth are merely recycling the oppressive images and gender stereotypes they’ve been taught by “Christian” precepts. Parenting children amidst a sea of religious conformity and finding secular private schools with multicultural student bodies were also topics of concern. Children of color who come from atheist households—especially those who are taught to openly identify that way—are often subject to ridicule and ostracism as cultural traitors. In a world of public school Christian Bible study clubs, “mandatory” flag pledges, and teachers who violate church/state separation by using and/or endorsing prayer as a coping strategy, black children who don’t believe are marked as other.
The gathering also highlighted generational differences in atheist of color experience; from that of Clyde Young and Bella De Soto who linked religion to capitalist exploitation and spoke of the need for anti-sexist revolution, to Jermaine Inoue who suggested that socially conscious hip hop was a means of promoting media literacy. Jeffrey “Atheist Walking” Mitchell mused about whether atheists could be spiritual and materialist at the same time, eliciting a comment from artist Rachel Ross about having faith in empirical evidence versus “magical thinking.” The discussion became heated when some men wondered what it would take to make black women “less religious.” There was much debate about whether black women were entirely responsible for their overinvestment in religion or whether larger societal and cultural forces kept them overinvested. In response, I noted that there was relatively little social pressure/onus on black men to exhibit the kind of religious devotion that black women exhibit in their everyday lives and relationships. Hence, because black men enjoy patriarchal privilege, the real issue should be transforming masculinity to make men and boys more accountable for the care giving and nurturing roles that women are expected to fulfill. Merely criticizing the God-investment of black women without interrogating how patriarchy works in everyday space won’t change sexist power relations.
Reeling from recession, unemployment, wage decreases, foreclosure, homelessness and health disparities, black communities nationwide have borne the brunt of the global financial meltdown. Humanism can and should engage with the complexity of our disenfranchisement; otherwise it is a vacuous promise asking power to “concede nothing without demand.”
Sikivu Hutchinson is the author of the forthcoming book Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars (Infidel Books, 2011).
Humanity’s Child
By Shawn Brown
“Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
It is not self-seeking, nor easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongdoing.
It does not delight in evil,
But rejoices in the truth.
It always protects, trusts, hopes, and preserves.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Seldom have more beautiful words been written. To my mind, these few lines are amongst the greatest poetry ever conceived. Humanity has rarely achieved the level of insight contained in these simple words. So profound are these words that if we could, for a moment, free ourselves from the dialectic between faith and reason we would applaud them.
We do not experience anything as deeply absorbing as love. Nothing wraps itself around us, nor runs through us like love. There is nothing in the known universe as powerful as the true love of one human for another. It is the most radical and transformative of all human emotions. It is singular. Love is greater than euphoria; love is greater than courage; love is greater than anger; love is greater than fear; love is greater even than hate. Love commands all emotion, and, when genuinely present, she will summon or dismiss them all at will.
It is humanistic love, and not that of a God, which has elevated us from the lower ranks of the animal kingdom. Love is the preface to humanity’s story.
The writer of first Corinthians may be insightful, but he is not original. It is not the tone or tenor of these words which are not original, but the underlying idea. No matter how poetically pleasing these words are- they are not philosophically original. Neither is the bible’s treatment of love in any other place. Given love’s divine origin, how could this be?
Proudly, it is we who have invented love. We gave birth to her deep in our evolutionary past. We fed love; we taught love to stand; we showed love how to walk; and, finally, we taught her our mother tongue- perseverance. Since then she has spoken unashamedly down the ages.
Theism, and in particular Christianity, often claim the high ground of love. Followers bandy the word about, insinuating that there is no truer love than that experienced in the religious context. In the theistic mind love is a gift from God. How pathetic. How revealing of our conditioned self-loathing. How disrespectful of our ancestors. While we should not compete over ownership of love, we can make clear our understanding of its nature. Whether, because the world has tended to view theism as the standard bearer of love, or because we thought other things more important, the freethinking community has not paid enough attention to love.
I do not mean that we have failed to love, but that we have not spent enough time speaking about love. We have not spent enough time communicating our understanding of the importance of love. This is sad given the deep commitment to love that most freethinkers exhibit through their humanistic principles.
Traditionally, science has been the bellwether of the freethinking community. We have relied upon science as our gladiator in the battle with superstition. After all, this makes sense; it is science which has told us of human origins and even the origin of the universe. It is science which lifted humanity from the ignorance of our unenlightened past. It is science which has allowed us to understand ourselves in a truer and clearer way.
Scientific advancement is the story of human advancement. Scientific progress has rescued us from our own primitive impulses. But, before there was science there was love. Science is humanity’s most reliable methodology. Love is humanity’s essence.
We have hidden behind science, foolishly believing that it could tell the entire story of us. There is a beauty in science and it has liberated many people, but the battle between progress and superstition is too big for science alone to win. Science needs an ally. As freethinking icon Zora Neale Hurston once put it: “Love makes your soul crawl out of its hiding place.” We must stop hiding behind science and let our souls crawl out.
Advancement of freethinking principles will be made through our substantive commitment to a humanistic vision. A vision which can only be crystallized through the prism of love. Science is indeed the truest language in the universe, but love is the only language which all of humanity understands. We must embrace it enthusiastically. After all love is not a religious meme, but the muse of a once low animal which has elevated itself above all others.
Love is the fuel of human ascension, and not that of a previously earthbound messiah. It was love of one’s family that inspired our ancestors to stop following wild game and attempt to grow crops from the earth, thereby, giving ourselves a more dependable food source. From that development arose modern society, an idea which, while covered in sores, has allowed us to live longer and less brutish lives. As Robert Browning wrote so long ago; “[t]ake away love and our earth is a tomb.”
The freethinking community must relate to the world first through our love. We must show that we understand that humanity is more than an amalgamation of cells, but a repository of ideas, emotions and needs. We are measurable by science, but science is not our full measure.
If we are to convince the world of our rightness, we have to become comfortable with love. On the facts alone we have rarely lost, but, on the deeper understanding of the human psyche the question has been much closer. Religion knows nothing of our origins, and admitted as much when it told us lies of talking snakes and magic apples. But, it still garners more trust than we? Why? Because, we have not dared to push beyond our comfort zone. If the freethinking community could accept that most people are less concerned with the origin of life, than with how to fill their lives with meaning, a revolution would be at hand. Questions of meaning require answers based in love.
If we profess humanism, then let us address the full scope of humanity. This means accepting that it is love- most of all- that makes a human what she is. This means understanding that our scientific efforts are only for the edification of a being which is defined by love. And, that science is, like all other disciplines, in the service of humanistic love. Science is what taught us to build cities, but love is what makes us worthy to live in them.
“In a word, there are three things that last forever:
Faith, hope, and love;
But the greatest of them all is love.”
–1 Corinthians 13:13
Even as a skeptic, I am not afraid to accept these words as true and neither should you be. Gladly, in so doing, I need not accept the wrong headed assumption that love is supernatural. It is not the gift of a benevolent God to a pitiful humanity. Love is, however, a gift from our ancestors for the exaltation of humanity. Love is humanity’s child.
Shawn Brown is an attorney who has studied law both in the United States and England. He has been a freethinker for several years and currently resides in the southwestern United States.