US Muslims rally to help US Black Christians from the concerted onslaught of US White Terrorism against them

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think it's quite interesting that the Orthodox couple didn't surmise that perhaps Evangelical Churches, who don't necessarily rely upon tradition as much, have a greater following around their Pastors (I could be less generous and say "cult of personality") rather than it's a way to advertise for black churches.

[Elok]

We did not see a single white pastor all the way down through VA, NC, SC, GA and FL. I'm pretty sure they got white evangelicals down here too. I'm not denying that such billboards might exist. Just that we didn't see any. Now, I don't actually, sincerely believe they were trying to scare off white guys--that was badly chosen tongue-in-cheek. Just a way of signalling a culturally delicate subject. Which I should not have joked about, it being so delicate.

EDIT: I feel compelled to add, for the record, that my wife has been Orthodox for less than ten years. She grew up in a mixed Catholic/Presbyterian household, and is about as familiar with Southern religious culture as any given person from the Panhandle.

[ZEE]

Racist? Not at all. Some churches are culturally black, and that's fine by me. But race is such a delicate subject in this country that we can't just come right out and say, "Holy Zion Church, a black community." Nope, gotta tiptoe around it with little signals. That strikes me as funny. Apologies if you were offended.

I was GREATLY offended, Elok. GREATLY.

How are we going to remedy this situation?

[Elok]

I recommend you go down on an immersion blender. Be sure it's set to "on."

[DaShi]

I guess this is as good a place as any:

[-Jrabbit]

I thought Elok's post, while a bit jolting, was just an honest reading of his observations.
I respect the fact that he posted it unfiltered. It's one of the things I like about Elok.

[DaShi]

It would be more honest if he didn't immediately try to dissemble after it was exposed. First, he was protesting about PC attitudes by being blunt, then he was trying to be delicate. There's no honesty there. Owning it or acknowledging that he might be prejudice and should rethink about it; these you can respect. Trying to act like a victim when he made a clearly racist remark (and continued to do so); not so much.

[DaShi]

Frankly, I don't find the honest of bigoted rednecks refreshing. And if most of us did, DocFeelGood would still be posting here.

[Uncle Sparky]

Racist? Not at all. Some churches are culturally black, and that's fine by me. But race is such a delicate subject in this country that we can't just come right out and say, "Holy Zion Church, a black community." Nope, gotta tiptoe around it with little signals. That strikes me as funny. Apologies if you were offended.

Well... as an atheist you don't have to apologize to me. A few years ago, I was introduced to the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. I didn't realise Yorkshiremen were black...

[Egbert]

It would be more honest if he didn't immediately try to dissemble after it was exposed. First, he was protesting about PC attitudes by being blunt, then he was trying to be delicate. There's no honesty there. Owning it or acknowledging that he might be prejudice and should rethink about it; these you can respect. Trying to act like a victim when he made a clearly racist remark (and continued to do so); not so much.

Bulldust. Elok did not make a racist comment. He was describing something he was, that is all.

[kentonio]

Bulldust. Elok did not make a racist comment. He was describing something he was, that is all.

I don't mean this as some kind of 'OMG HUNT DOWN TEH RACIST!' thing, but what he said was describing a racist response to a situation. Hell, I'm sure every one of us has had one at some point however unwillingly, but that doesn't change what it was. He basically jumped to the conclusion that black churches having a picture of their pastor outside was an unspoken way of saying that whites weren't welcome there.

Not that the black church community have an unusually personality focused approach to church publicity. Not that black churches maybe like to display that they're largely black churches to encourage other African Americans to feel comfortable visiting them. No, his immediate feeling was that it was ward off white people.

[ZEE]

This is a bannable offence, in AAHZ' opinion. According to AAHZ, Elok is looking at a 6-month to a year banning for this outrage. And if Aeson doesn't Ban Elok then I will report Aeson's ass to DanQ. This is big time, baby. BIG TIME.

Elok has poasted the moast outrageous, hateful, and horrible thing I have seen in my entire time on the internet. AAHZ thinks that Elok is a cold-hearted human being for poasting what he did. Basically it is over for you Elok. IT. IS. OVER.

BAN ELOK'S ASS... NOW!

[C0ckney]

removed because it's needlessly confrontational in a thread that's become quite good natured.

[ZEE]

If i was a mod I would ban everybody right now.

[Elok]

Not that the black church community have an unusually personality focused approach to church publicity. Not that black churches maybe like to display that they're largely black churches to encourage other African Americans to feel comfortable visiting them. No, his immediate feeling was that it was ward off white people.

As I said, that was tongue-in-cheek. In all likelihood the real reason was much more the second of those three. I was just picturing the response of a white guy who inadvertently visits such a church. He comes in the door, sees he's the only white guy in the place. Does he stay? Well, that'll be hella awkward; it's a culture where he doesn't fit in. But if he goes just because they're black, he'll feel racist--leaving just because the church was black. There's basically no course of action he can take that won't make him feel weird.