I recently came across a few statistics about black women and religion that weren\u2019t surprising, but certainly can have surprising implications. According to one poll, Black women make up the most religious group in the U.S. This is no revelation\u2014one can rarely see a movie about \u201cblack life\u201d that doesn\u2019t feature some sort of \u201cCome to Jesus moment\u201d or a climactic scene scored with a moving gospel tune. Another study found that 55% of black women say that they view scripture literally, and since most Black women who are religious are Christian, I experienced a record-scratching moment when I considered the harm that biblical literalism has caused and continues to cause black folk, namely black folk who are not heterosexual males.<\/span> I recently came across a few statistics about black women and religion that weren\u2019t surprising, but certainly can have surprising implications. According to one poll, Black women make up the most religious group in the U.S. This is no revelation\u2014one can rarely see a movie about \u201cblack life\u201d that doesn\u2019t feature some sort of \u201cCome […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/span>But let\u2019s talk about the women\u2026 the same women who fill up most of the pews in the Black church; the same women who experience a call to ministry but are told, \u201cwomen are not to speak in the church\u201d and \u201cwere any of the twelve disciples men?\u201d (overlooking Mary Magdalene, and other women, who had to convince these men of Jesus resurrection and were the first to discover this good news); the same women who have thought-provoking ideas and when they voice them are told they are displaying a \u201ctake-over\u201d spirit or a \u201cJezebel\u201d spirit; the same women who are diminished and over-looked in the place where they give their all. Those women. Maybe, you.<\/span>
<\/span>But before I do, let me say that I find it quite hard to believe that 55% of black women view scripture literally. According to biblical standards, women are property and can be given by fathers in exchange for a dowry. Women are protected in the Bible and fought for, but often as a possession of her husband. Not coveting a neighbor\u2019s wife has less to do with honoring her or her husband, and more to do with not being down with O.P.P. That being said, I don\u2019t think most of us view scripture literally. For all the church functions I\u2019ve attended, I see that the people have not taken the anti-polyester and anti-pork sentiments of the Bible literally. And why not? Likely, because they do not make sense in our society and because many of us like pork and shrimp and catfish, and many of us know we are not property, but daughters of God.<\/span>
<\/span>Read the rest here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"