What do you think? What's your suggestion?
I recently wrote a column on the 2006 Social Capital report issued last week -- an attitude and action survey of local residents. With places of worship ranking so high in a person's daily life, I wondered how places of worship could work with the city on shoring up its perceived weaknesses.
Here's one idea on helping to build trust in the community:
"Christians here practice their faith as if we're going to have a black heaven and a white heaven...if Christians here practice their segregation it carries over into the community.
"We needed the black church at one time but not anymore."
Comments (2)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
What's this? Asking people to de-segregate VOLUNTARILY? In their PRIVATE, SOCIAL LIVES?! Are you mad? Isn't de-segregation what the government is supposed to force on us? {;-)
Posted on March 19, 2007 12:25 PM
This so-called "segregation" is primarily the result of people being SO busy working two jobs, travelling all over to soccer practice, ballet lessons, etc. that they just don't have time to add a major anti-segregtion program to their already maxed-out schedules. Many people already have trouble giving sufficient time to thier faith activities.
I'm certain that "segregation" will be a non-issue in heaven; but here on earth it has always been, is now and ever shall be a reality which no one, even Big Gov, can eradicate. People just naturally aggregate around their familiar and preferred modes of community and religious expression.
What we should do is find ways to occasionally work and minister together across denominational/racial lines, coomunicate with one another and clear our minds of divisive and negative stereotypes. There are many mixed congregations in the area, but the differences in worship and relational aesthetics/tradition inevitably produce separate venues. And so, while accepting this as a social and earthly reality, we can, and should, make efforts to be together as much as we can in order to realize our unity in Christ. And there is also the benefit of cross-religious understanding and communication.
Posted on March 20, 2007 7:31 AM