Black Religion: Hurting or Helping Us?

It seems we're at a point where we cannot advance without dealing with "The Spiritual." And no, I am most def NOT talking about religion. (Well ... I'm not recommending it, nor am I advising it.) Spiritual to me is a part of my body and my personal psychology. Take Yoga for instance. If my "life nerve" is tight, then my thinking is also tight... easily angered and reactive.

At my age, I'm forced to reflect that without mainstream Christianity, I would never have gotten sober and remained sane all these years. But I also see the limitations of the Black Church and ask: "If Christianity needs reformation--again, then do I have time to wait on it?"

• I reject the concept of a god that loves Baptist and hates Hindus. (What kind of god is THAT? That sounds more like the guy in the corner market down the street.)
  
  
• I reject the abomination of "Prosperity Christianity" that puts money at the forefront of God... even higher than the necessary concept of learning to love and accept ourselves so that we can love and accept others

• I reject the Christianity of The State ... this vile "religion" that tells us we must now kill Muslims ... because God wants us to have their oil. Naaa... don't sound right partna.
  
  
• The Christianity I got was almost a "Boogie-Man" religion. God wasn't just there to punish me, He didn't want me to think too much and would send me to hell if I took a Yoga class. ("Hmmm... if God created everything ... how come I can only put my money into the plate at the "JUmPin' JiviNg" Church"?)
  
  
• I love Gospel music ... but there's far too much externalization in service. Where's the time to, "Be still and hear my voice"? Meditation isn't owned by anyone. East and Western traditions do it. Jesus was both praying and meditating in the Garden of Gethsemane when they came for Him. And if Jesus is all of God, who was He praying to and why when we are to enter Heaven, are we expected to find Him sitting on the right hand of God The Father?? Bad theology for those who teach it and lazy theology for those who accept it.

To be a "Spiritual Warrior" means to go out beyond the fence line ... out beyond the boundary the "overly religious" warn you to stop. It is there we find the need to have faith because it is there we confront the archetypes of our minds and listen, learn what The Cosmic Christ ... the Great "I Am" is trying to teach us.

I advocate that we shed the limitations of the religion slaves were given by slave owners.
Explore the Eastern philosophies from whence our Western spirituality came from.
Accept yourself fully as you are... shadow and light... made in God's image...
Seek out people and places to guide you to your heart ... your own INNER Light and from there, connect to the One Soul that unites us all.

If "The Garden of Gethsemane was a state of mind ... a state of agony, then I likewise believe that "The Garden of Eden" was also meant to be a state of mind ... of innocence, virtue, and love. I want to spend more time ... "getting back to the Garden" than being lost in lust, pride, greed, envy, anger(fear) and sloth.

It's from here we can begin to rebuild bridges to each others hearts and minds... and begin to climb out of the dark prison that we've been locked in these past 30 years... or more...

An Argument For Black Spiritual Marriage

The state of relationships in America is bad enough, but in Black America, it's a train wreak. The Congressional Black Caucus produced statements that alluded to the numbers of African-American divorces being on par with the general population (about 50 per cent divorce rate) ... but the alarming co-statistic was that only about 75 per cent of blacks are even getting married in the first place. So, what's keeping so many black folks single?

While the stressors may be many, "the cure" seems to be all point back to issues of ethics, morality, and spirituality. In his book, "Blessings Of The Flesh, Sins Of The Spirit," esteemed theologian Matthew Fox correlates the Seven Major Chakras of the East with the Seven Deadly Sins of the West. Old news for spiritual seekers, right? Yes and no.

Lust simply isn't sufficient to carry an adult, mature relationship very far. Yet, within Black American cultures, the over-emphasis on sex and sexuality continues to be an over-value commodity. People still think sex alone will bring them happiness. While sex is an important piece to the human experience, determining what to do with that most sacred parts of our anatomies is best mapped out by centuries of spiritual exploration. (Notice my continued reference to the word, "Spiritual" rather than the word, "Religious.")

In their paper, "An Exploration of Factors Related to the Decline in Black Marriages," W. E. Harris, Jr. and Kelly D. Bradley assert:

When Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, married couples headed more than 70% of all black families. In 2002, the number had declined to 48% (Kinnon, 2003). One of the factors influencing the decline in Black marriage rates has been the rising rate of incarceration among Black men at all educational levels over the past 30 years (Kiecolt & Fossett).

It's odd, but when most people begin having in their relationships with others, they often first seek out the help of a therapist or a psychologist. But all of modern psychology sits on top of old world theology that it doesn't want to recognize. So why look to a watered-down set of instructions rather than seek out an experience in all it's fullness, it's majesty and its "AWE"?

The answers to that question are many. From, it's easier to take drugs to attempt to simulate a spiritual experience, to the willful decision to not be disappointed by one of the mainstream religions all too many have lost faith in. But spirituality involves our personal spirit along with whatever cosmology one finds faith in ... from Yoga, to Buddhist Mediation, to Greek Orthodox Meditation, Catholic Comptemplative Prayer, and on to religious metaphysical practices like the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah. Spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra enjoys using phrases like:

"We are literally made of start dust. Carbon. The process of photosynthesis nurtures us--is a part of us. We are essentially the eyes of The Universe in co-creation with God."

This is similar to fingerprints at the tip of each person's hand. We all have them, but each is different. Religion helps teach us the beginning practices that lead to spiritual experiences. But to be a Spiritual Warrior, one has to be willing to relinquish fear, and to relax in faith, surrendering every pre-conceived idea of what God the Spirit is. That can means work. But the work that we were born for. This fellow Space Travelers, is a of the journey too good to miss. May I leave you with this?

Anything you put in front of God, will either eat you—or you'll eventually lose it.

Meaning? In this alienated, pornographic age, we essentially have to even learn how to physically love our wives and husbands. To make an alter out of the body of another means creating yet one more "false god" in our life. One more demon.

Opening to spirituality means opening to a higher, deeper, richer experience in life than people who cling to crutches like alcohol, drugs, porn, and the delusions of power will ever achieve. We really are "spiritual beings have a human experience." Life is really amazing.

May you sincerely, be happy.