tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5990055.post114479855074583495..comments2024-01-26T01:52:53.198-05:00Comments on PolySigh: Religion, Politics, and Civil RightsPhilip Klinknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15559722693896372701noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5990055.post-1145718969333705592006-04-22T11:16:00.000-04:002006-04-22T11:16:00.000-04:00Anyone who seriously describes the Civil Rights mo...Anyone who seriously describes the Civil Rights movement as a religious movement is either engaging in wishful thinking or doesn't understand and appreciate the role that religion plays and does not play in the lives of African Americans and their culture. In fact, let me go a little further. This line of argument or analysis seems to draw its inspiration from the line put forth by Republican Party recruiters who are vexed by the fact that although black Americans are generally described as being socially conservative it has not resulted in any appreciable increase of blacks switching their party preferences to the GOP.<BR/><BR/>Religious faith did play a significant role in shaping the views, tactics and strategies of many black people who played instrumental roles in the Civil Rights movement. It is important to keep in mind, however, that while religious beliefs and faith certainly helped to shape their work in this struggle, it did not form an overarching boundary to their efforts. What they sought to achieve was influenced by, say, their metaphysical beliefs but what they accomplished transcended those beliefs as well.<BR/><BR/>To attribute the success or acceptance of the Civil Rights movement to its religious aspects is to ignore the peculiar genius that the American Negro people have displayed for nearly four centuries for taking what they have found in this still strange land and adapting it to usages that reflect their needs and world views. One can hear, for example, echoes of the black church throughout the music of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Cannonball Adderly, but it would be a mistake to attribute their music solely to the influence of the black church or to their personal religious beliefs. A careful listener can still hear a blending of the sacred and profane in the music of the great gospel composer Thomas E. Dorsey.<BR/><BR/>The influence of the black church is never far away even from those in the black community whose "lifestyles" (e.g., Bayard Rustin) would have placed them at some distance from the commonly understood teachings of the church. The Civil Rights movement was an American mass movement initiated by a people who have always striven to affirm the principles upon which this nation was founded. To point to religion as thoutstanding feature of this movement is to misunderstand its leaders, participants, goals and origins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5990055.post-1145368487430550192006-04-18T09:54:00.000-04:002006-04-18T09:54:00.000-04:00Interesting post. However, since I think at least...Interesting post. However, since I think at least the Declaration of Independence and the American Dream are religiously inspired I don't think King's reliance on them detracts from the religiousness of the movement. Also, I think the religious element made the movement acceptable to middle America in a way no protest movement had been since the Populists (hey wasn't that "cross of gold" stuff religious?) or has been since, except for the Pro-life movement (which may be too religious).jjvhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04223110296462634454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5990055.post-1144805359452581922006-04-11T21:29:00.000-04:002006-04-11T21:29:00.000-04:00How much credit would you give religion as a found...How much credit would you give religion as a foundation of the Civil Rights movement? Where do you think Dr. King and his followers found the courage to walk through the dark valleys they traversed? From the mere poetry of Dr. King's words? Religious words spoken without faith in their ultimate meaning are simply words. You may as well say that John Paul II was an OK guy, but those secularists opposing Communism behind the Iron Curtain were fed by his words alone and had no need for his quaint Christian faith.joefohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01420768615589869025noreply@blogger.com