Please, fellow black people. I beg of you. As an African-American, your brother in the grand struggle that unites all the world's opressed, whether or not you want to believe it, I beg you to please stop worshiping the religion of those that conquered you. Christianity is a flag of the European oppressors that have ransacked the world for the last 500 years. The same people that own your oil are the ones that want you to remain Christians.

First, remember that religion only exists in a place where it benefits those in power!

Here is the story, whether you want to believe it or not. Christianity was a small, unimportant sect among many other unimportant sects until the Roman general Constantine picked it up as a flag in one of Rome's constant civil wars between generals over who would be the next Emperor. He happened to win, and Presto!! - Christianity became the state religion of the most powerful empire in the European-dominated world. The church and the State were One. When the eastern part of the Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) split politically and militarily from Rome, the Eastern Orthodox versions of The Church automatically also separated from Rome. The Church and the State were still One; both sections of Christianity were organs of their respective State's power. (That's why the Roman Catholic Crusaders' first mass massacre, long before they conquered Muslim-ruled Jerusalem, was of the "Christian" inhabitants of Constantinople.)

Martin Luther's Protestantism spread throughout much of northern Europe in less than two generations because urban merchants AND dukes and princes saw their chance to break free of the political power of Rome, and to form other political, economic and military alliances. Like the General Constantine a thousand years before, they picked up a different religious flag to organize forces in their totally secular battles. Protestantism thrived because it served the interests of northern Europe's ruling classes: the nobility AND the rising merchant-capitalists.

Islam exploded like a nova-star on an Arabian penninsula that had grown far too chaotic for the sustenance and expansion of commerce. Trade caravans could not move unmolested in a sea of warring bedouins organized by clan, raiding and robbing each other, constantly disrupting commerce - all flying their own religious "flags" that were actually the pennants of a multitude of ruling families. Mecca and Medina were important, competing trade centers. Muhammad organized a war, (bloodily) uniting the two commercial centers AND the various tribal raiders of the area. This created the economic and military fuel for the Arab BREAKOUT from their sandy penninsula. In only a century, the "Islamic" empire (which initially meant "Arab" for all real intents and purpose) covered more ground than (pre-Christian) Rome's empire, and was even more deeply embedded, since THE PEOPLE of the empire were converted (!) to Islam, with its iconic-symbolic HQ in Mecca.

Judaism also flourished for the first time since the Romans crushed and dispersed the Jews in the early First Century, as an integral element of the Arab expansion. Jews moved as whole communities in step with the Arab Breakout - to Spain and far beyond. They were a favored people, not considered Infidels, but junior partners - a compact that continued in varying degrees of force until the advent of modern Zionism, in the late 1800s. Jews were, in other words, in league with the Arab State and its State Religion, Islam.

And of course, Christianity was the state religion of the Europeans when it came time for their BREAKOUT, after 1492, the year after the Arabs (and with them, their Jewish partners) were driven from Spain. Catholic and Protestant Euro-states planted their national and religious flags, simultaneously - as did the Pilgrim sect, in Massachusettes - which immediately established its own harsh, state religion.

See, religion is a FLAG. They carried the flag of your European country in one hand, and the cross in the other as they invaded people. Unfortunately, too many in the African diaspora chose to continue to be part of a religion that hasn't done **** for them.

Africans and African Americans and Afro-Brasilians, and everything else, we all, unfortunately, were trained to look down upon our native African religions and now embrace one that preaches individual survival and not rising as a group, which is the only way to the top for us. As individuals, we forever stay apart, which, again, is in the interests of the powers that be. While all types of Europeans trade with each other, we call ourselves African Booty scratcher and Akata. Christianity is not the answer for our people. We must find something that is more relevant. Instead of fighting Muslims, why not look at their belief system and see if it carries relevance to us. It may not, and then you can continue on searching for one that does. I just want to bring people together.

i learnt that it is better to be a giver than a taker! take !take! take! is all some people do.

Yes, but you must have taken something, at first, to be able to give anything. You can't give without having taken. It's a balance.

To the acata that came here wanting to start something, abeg take that some where else, the Topic is what did we learn at church today! Its not by force for everyone to post here, YOU ARE NOT bringing anyone together by posting you long drawn out post. The ppl that post here believe in the Almight God, and just wanted to share with others what they learnt. if you dont no problem, but dont come posting some rubbish like you know our history more than we do.

All these acata's coming and doing this its getting old and very tired.

Look I don't know YOUR history better than you do. But Christianity is not your history. You are tired of us black Americans coming on here and doing that? Doing what? My people are about as afraid of god as you people are. You are even afraid to have a discussion about if Christianity is relevant to the African. You just turn your nose up at the truth. Everything that I said, you ignored. You will continue to worship a god that is all about the individual while nearly every black majority country doesn't control it's own resources at all. I just want us to wake up. You, on the other hand, want to keep everyone divided. And that's cool. Keep worshipping as you wish, I can't stop you. But you have no good arguments for doing as you do, and despite being the most religious, god fearing people are earth, we are still in our current situation as members of the African Diaspora. We straighten our hair to look like Europeans, worship their religion, lookin down upon our languages, etc etc etc. I'll leave you guys alone, though, since no one wants to join me in the real world.

LMAO @ THREAD!!!

oh God!! here we go again!! We don't really care, Islam aint our history either. if you want to start a religious revolution, Nairaland aint the best place to start.

English aint your language or history so are you going to delete your post and use an african language?

By da way: good luck with your revolution. 

@topic,

After your complain against Christianity, what then? The racist idiosyncrasy from the onset is self-defeating! Blackman is in a sh*thole, the whiteman is to blame, and of all the woes, Christianity dunit??

The blame-game that a man hasn't woken up from (after 500 years) - whether that man is white or black - will continue to be his valium. Sleep on.

ghettochyk:

LMAO @ THREAD!!!

oh God!! here we go again!! We don't really care, Islam aint our history either. if you want to start a religious revolution, Nairaland aint the best place to start.

English aint your language or history so are you going to delete your post and use an african language?
By da way: good luck with your revolution.

Abeg make una tell am, me i tire o.
First its religon, next the clothes we wear abi? where does it stop?
Which real world are you talking about? I am not dwelling in the spiritual world as i type this.

Oh Lawdy Lawd!

Point of correction, the white man does not know God as much as the black man do. And besides Christianity is not a religion, it is a way God Himself institute to reconcile man unto Himself while religion is a way man device to look for God and that is Islam.

Have a nice day!

@ thecavsman,

u have a point, brother. u have a right to air ur views without getting insulted. the problem with us blacks is that we just can't see beyond our noses.If really look at the history of ALL religions, u sometimes wonder. I believe in God, no doubt and i worship Him the way my religion says i should. I absolutely believe that He exists and is in Charge. But again when i look at how the whites manupulated things in establishing these religions. i wonder,

i just wonder,

@Nicer,

Nicer:

But again when i look at how the whites manupulated things in establishing these religions. i wonder,

Just saying the same thing! Blackman is in deep s**t; whiteman is to blame! Una no dey ever tire with this blame game syndrome??  

-----------------------------

@locoman,

locoman:

Point of correction, the white man does not know God as much as the black man do. And besides Christianity is not a religion, it is a way God Himself institute to reconcile man unto Himself while religion is a way man device to look for God and that is Islam.

Have a nice day!

Hmmm. That reminds me - another thing that this blame-game thing conveniently avoids: Islam! So, the topic should have been broad enough to speak to a wider audience:

             Should Nigerians Also Drop Islam?

Don't forget that the Hadith says Muhammad was a whiteman!  

i'm not palying the blame game. i don't blame the whiteman. if we weren't stupid, they wouldn't have succeeded in bamboozling us so it's our fault for being so daft.

@Nicer,

Nicer:

i'm not palying the blame game. i don't blame the whiteman. if we weren't stupid, they wouldn't have succeeded in bamboozling us so it's our fault for being so daft.

Okay. I don't want to keep harping on the same thing. However, I wouldn't quite agree with your summation that the blackman is stupid and/or daft. There are a lot of intelligent black people in every field you can find on the face of the earth.

What we should try and do is contextualize what is behind us, and then look at what is before us, so we can properly handle what has been thought of as being beyond us.

White or black, life returns only what we make out of it. Shalom.

I suggest some more indepth research on your part.

Christianity was started by Jesus and propagated around the world at the time by the disciples who were all JEWS !!! The Jews at that time were tanned just like the Arabs ( their cousins ). The Bible was written by JEWS and translated into different dialects by various peoples.

So to say that Christianity is a white man's religion is a prejudiced and biased statement without any logical foundation.

Jesus is no respecter of persons , he is for us all , especially if we are for him.

Caveman, generations come and generations go. In my earlier years, when black power and socialism was the rave, we also felt that Xtianity was one of the weapons the Whiteman used in plundering and enslaving Africa. We supported the 'an eye for an eye' posture of mr Little (Malcolm X) to the 'foolishness' of rev King. Fela Kuti made more sense to us, not so much for his music but for his strident posture against colonialism and support for everything African. To this end, a group of my friends came together and formed the (aka the ) with the principal aim of producing the black bible as a basis for a truly African religion that will unite blacks. The present notoriety of the in Nigerian campuses is a testimony of the 'lofty' project. Is Xtianity to blame for the black predicament? I say NO. (to be continued)

Christianity teach you how to think from their point of view;the white man's point of view. That's one of the African's problems. We always had someone else's point of view.
Once you begin to think with a liberated mind, free of beliefs and falsehood, no one will be able to feed you lies and garbage. You will have learned to question everything.

Rather Xtianity has been the force behind black - and indeed, I dare say, human - emancipation and freedom. Christian whites, yes, whites , were the major protagonists for the abolition of slave trade then being practised by their church attending people. The freedom marches of rev King did much more to liberate our black (and colored ) brethren in America than the rhetorics and postures of Elijah Mohammed and the nation of islam. Mahatma Ghandhi's actions against the twin evils of apartheid in South Africa and colonialism in India were greatly influenced by xtian attributes and tenets. He said so himself. And it is the same story all over. The practice of Xtianity brings freedom and real emancipation to a people, however oppressed. Not sure if I can say the same of islam, which you no doubt forgot to mention is not an African religion- no offence meant to my muslim brothers in the house. In all this time of our travails, islam was very much in existence. Perhaps I will shock you to mention that slavery is still very much being practised in Africa and a very lucrative trade at that- under the managerial and enterprising direction of our Arabian friends. (to be contd)

Ignorance is really a hindrance to progress.

When peoples lives are been ruled by unproven concepts and childish arguements, it is little wonder why Nigeria is the way it is today !

these people have come again. which one is black man religion? hmm. What is religion sef?

But doesnt Xtianity make us think like the White man as frosbel will have us believe? Not at all. I doubt if he has read the bible. The American founding fathers believed in it and lived it - and it helped them in building un doubtedly the freedom capital of the world - where a great many people (including muslims) run into and discover the liberating joys of true freedom. Dont know if same can be said of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan- notable Islamic states.
How can one discover this real and true emancipation? Easy ol chap. Just look away from the Whiteman. He is is just another human like you, weaknesses and all. Look to the one who came to liberate the world, including you. His name is JESUS.

He came as a jew but only a few recognised and accepted Him. A great number of black and White folks have placed their trust in Him and are finding the relationship very rewarding. You invite Him to be your friend- yes He hears because He is alive - and you'll an experience so very enriching. Hate will give way to love; bitterness to peace; suspicion to trust; enemity to friendliness and many more. That's my experience.
Xtianity, whiteman's religion? No sir. Still dont agree? Ok, your choice ol chap; free world. I refuse to let go - but understand, your living in America is a confirmation of the beauty of Xtianity. GOD bless you

I think we should all collect money and make separate forums for both the akatas and the East Africans since they have so much problems with Nigerians.

@Cavsman

Because you are African-American and your ancestors were enslaved by Christians,you want us to consider Islam.What about those Africans who were enslaved by Muslims and are still enslaved in Sudan?    

Africans were enslaved by both Muslims and Christians so if we shouldn't adopt Christianity for that reason,Islam is not the answer either.

What  African-Americans don't know is when a Cassius Clay changes to a Mohammed Ali,he is switching one slave master's name for another slave master's name.The latter might not have been your particular slave master but he was the slavemaster for other Africans .

Since the slave-master is an enemy of the slave, if the slave prays to the same God as the master, he is praying to the God that enabled the slavemaster to enslave him. Therefore, that God is the enemy of the slave or captive just as the slave-master is.

Horus:

Since the slave-master is an enemy of the slave, if the slave prays to the same God as the master, he is praying to the God that enabled the slavemaster to enslave him. Therefore, that God is the enemy of the slave or captive just as the slave-master is.

Presumably,you have no problem with Black ppl in the US adopting the religion of other African's slave master.

I wonder.

Frosbel, you were wrongly mentioned in my post. My apologies pls - I actually was referring to Horus.
2. Caveman, we do not quarrel with our muslim brothers, they remain our African brothers. We only try to persuade them, albeit at times quite heatedly and passionately, to open their eyes and see the error of their ways and what islam is turning them to - from friendly and caring neighbors and brothers to butchers/bloodthirsty folks. Those of them who have not been caught by the kill kill bug apparently still retain a major part of their African values but the islamic bug sure eats away every virtue quite quickly - and that's why our passion.
3. We still love our African American brothers but then your view of christian history as encapsulated by this thread exposes your innate bitterness against White folks and trying to put the blame on Xtianity. Wrong approach friend.

Weren't the Arabs the ones who started the whole slave trade thing in the first place? Look at Sudan, Mauritania? Zanzibar? Why should we take their religion?

@topic,
i've come across this uneducated rambling one too many times lately.
first off, christianity is not a 'white man's religion' whatever that means. it was started by Jews who were middle-easterners. In the divine order of things, the europeans accepted christianity earlier than we africans, (and not just africans but south americans and asians) and their missionaries brought it down here.  it was only a matter of time before we accepted Him. Now the case is the reverse especially in europe and you can see a lot of africans in europe pastoring whites. Pastor Adelaja is a noted example.
Salvation is of the jews, but in Christ there is neither jew nor greek, we are all one in Him. I pray one day your eyes would be opened to see beyond the divisionism, hate and bigotry you're spewing and embrace the One who is able to save your soul. Cheers

ricadelide:

@topic,
i've come across this uneducated rambling one too many times lately.

You can't blame the 'topic research'. In the originator's mind, his problem with the whiteman is a mere 500 years old.