Blacks Are The Most Religious Americans

[ND-Dem]

Of all the major racial and ethnic groups in America, blacks are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation, and even among black adults who are unaffiliated (12%), more than two-thirds (70%) say that religion is somewhat or very important in their lives.

Only 1% of blacks identify as atheist or agnostic.

About six-in-ten (59%) black adults are affiliated with historically black Protestant churches; however, only about two-in-ten are members of predominantly white evangelical (15%) and mainline (4%) Protestant churches.

Asians are the ethnic group most likely to be unaffiliated. Roughly a quarter (23%) of Asians have no religious affiliation, and more than three-in-four of these are either secular (11% overall), atheist (3% overall) or agnostic (4% overall).

http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/blacks-are-the-most-religious-americans/

[Nye Bevan]

1. Wow. Only 1% of blacks are atheist or agnostic?

Interesting.

[kelliekat44]

43. Only 1% say they are. nt

[NightWatcher]

2. I see this thread going places

[Cha]

18. Like.. Here we go again.. ?

[sakabatou]

40. I thought that was kudzu

[MohRokTah]

3. I really don't find that surprising.

Oppressed groups are generally more religious as it keeps hope in one's heart.

[JI7]

6. I think it can be more cultural also

The church was where people gathered and organized for things. And many other places were closed off to blacks before civil rights.

[beam me up scottie]

9. I live in the south and they still are.

It's a safe haven.

[ZX86]

12. Not many other places were closed off to Blacks

But virtually all places, public and private, were were closed off to Black people. Overly religious is one of the unintended consequences of segregation.

[Stellar]

53. Agreed!

It was a way of getting out messages during the underground railroad era, as well as keeping hope in ones heart. And it's still alive today.

[Jesus Malverde]

4. Black churches were blamed for the passing of proposition 8

The california bill that banned gay marriage.

The discrepancy? African American voters, who were overwhelmingly in favor of banning same sex marriage (70 percent supported Proposition 8) even as they supported Obama even more heavily (94 percent). And, to a lesser degree, Hispanic voters followed that same trend -- backing Prop. 8 by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin while giving President Obama 74 percent.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/03/26/how-proposition-8-passed-in-california-and-why-it-wouldnt-today/

Hispanics of Mexican or central american origin are also from conservative catholic or pentecostal traditions. It's unwise to assume they are natural allies on progressive social issues.

[ZX86]

15. It had more to do with segregation than seeking a savior.

A Church was the only organization Blacks were allowed to participate in for centuries. All the holy roller mumbo jumbo was just one of the unintended consequences.

[ZX86]

30. Being told you'll get your reward in heaven

Preempts a lot of storming of the palaces.

[bravenak]

36. This right here.nt

[jwirr]

94. No, being told that there is hope. That one is not alone. The black churches are activist churches

and much more active on issues like social justice and equality than white churches. Heaven is the ultimate goal but never the earthly goal.

For the oppressed and poor the church gave them strength to continue on. Without it there is nothing because both blacks and the poor know better than to believe that a government of and for the whites is going to be reliable. The 60s was the exception not the rule.

[JNelson6563]

113. Amen friend.

[former9thward]

21. Happy you know what was inside the heads of black folk in churches ...

[thucythucy]

27. Really!

Talk about condescension!

[ZX86]

29. Being Black and attending a lot of church in my youth.

Yes, I know.

[former9thward]

41. You know what was inside your head.

No one else. Real world.

[ZX86]

42. What a stupid comment.

In the real world people observe others behaviors and form conclusions. It's done everyday by everybody. Including you.

[former9thward]

48. And your conclusion is that black folk

had no interest in seeking a savior. Yeah, you are really observant.

[ZX86]

66. If you hang around a barber shop long enough

You end up getting a hair cut.

[Number23]

8. And yet, Washington DC, one of the BLACKEST parts of America passed gay marriage while many

predominantly white states refused.

But thanks for dusting that old bit of tired, divisive BS off. Alot of folks around here got off on using that a few years ago and judging by some of the posts around here lately, I'm not the slightest bit surprised to see it coming back up again.

[dsc]

13. a better example would be Maryland

In DC the public didn't pass it the legislature did. In Maryland both the legislature and the public passed it.

[Number23]

14. There were a hell of a lot of brown faces on that Council (as expected) but I take your point.

[onenote]

49. Actually, there were the same number of "brown" faces as white faces

The council was divided 4-4 by race. The four white council members and two black members voted to legalize same sex marriage; two black city council members (including Marion Berry) voted against, citing the views of their constituents (both were from wards that are 90+% African American).

Overall, it should be noted, the African American population of the District Columbia dropped from 65 percent of the population of DC in 1990 to just over 50 percent in 2000.

That doesn't mean that African-Americans who opposed the same sex marriage bill on religious grounds will suddenly become supporters of republican candidates. It does mean that the Democratic party flourishes by being a big tent where those who opposed same sex marriage on religious grounds were not driven from the party.

[Number23]

50. I can see that it is monumentally important for you to jump in and "correct" me as well as

reinforce the foregone conclusion that every black person in America is opposed to gay marriage but so much of your post is just flat out wrong or absolutely needless.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/us/16marriage.html?_r=0

And why did you feel the need to jump up and state that the black population of DC is now over 50%? What do you think that contributes to the conversation? Do you think that your statistic bolsters or refutes my comment that DC is one of the blackest regions in the United States? Do you think that there are many other areas where black people are over 50% of the population?

[onenote]

51. How you came to the conclusion that I was reinforcing that particular conclusion

is your problem. It certainly wasn't my intent.

As for "jumping" in to present a more factually accurate description than what you presented, the better question is why you are so bothered by factual accuracy? I can ask you a variation of what you asked me: Did you think that making the factually incorrect assertion that there were "a hell of a lot of brown faces" on the city council when in fact there were the same number of black faces as white faces and only two of the African American council members supported the bill was important to the point you were making?

My comment was designed to make sure people weren't misinformed by your comment.

Oh, and since you asked, there are quite a few places (cities, just like DC) where African Americans are over 50 percent of the population, starting with Detroit Michigan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._communities_with_African-American_majority_populations_in_2000

[Number23]

52. But you added absolutely nothing accurate. And you once again chirping up with needless tidbit

including a "list" of other majority black places as if AGAIN that in any way refutes my point that DC is one of the blackest places in America is just unncessary. Very telling that you feel that your inacurate and pointless post was some sort of refutation of mine.

Here's your first hint. You jumped into to say that the Council vote was split 4-4 and my NY Times link clearly says that the vote went 11-2. 4+4 and 11+2 are different numbers. And just from what I know of the DC City Council, my initial comment that there were a lot of brown faces on it, a point that you seemed EXTREMELY interested in "correcting" for some unknown reason, still stands as does everything else that I initially wrote.

But if you need to pretend that my post was incorrect and that it's a fact that all black people are opposed to gay marriage, knock yourself out. Literally.

[onenote]

57. I stand corrected. And at the same time, I stand amazed.

You are correct that I did not account for the "at large" members of the DC City Council. Including those members, the DC Council had 7 African American members and 6 white members at the time it voted to approve same sex marriage. Whether that constitutes a "hell of a lot" of "brown faces" is a point that can go either way. But you are correct that I was wrong in my characterization of the council at the time of the vote.

However, my amazement with your post comes from the rather strange criticism you level at me for pointing out that there are indeed a lot of places with majority African American populations, many of which are, to use your terminology, "blacker" than DC. You asked if I thought there were such places but now criticize me for answering your question. That's weird.

Also weird is your assertion that I in any way suggested that "it's a fact that all black people are opposed to gay marriage" when, even with my mistaken characterization of the council's make up, I was pointing out that two of the four African American members voted FOR same sex marriage.

But how you reach your conclusions is your problem, not mine.

[Number23]

61. Glad you realized you were wrong. Would have been nice if you could have also realized

that your arguing about absolutely nothing is a waste of your own time as well as mine but considering that you are now pivoting to "discussing" if the fact that 7 out of 13 council members were black is a "hell of alot" as I initially noted and how black other parts of America is as though that has absolutely anything to do with my point that DC is ONE of the blackest places in America, it appears that may be way too much to ask.

But as long as your acknowledgement that you were wrong brings to an end this utterly pointless and unncessary "discussion," I'm good.

[onenote]

63. Whatever floats your boat, my friend

I'm as happy to be done discussing this with you as you are with me.

[kwassa]

25. DC doesn't have a legislature. It has a city council.

[dsc]

35. they make laws do they not

that makes them a legislature. My point was that it was not an electorate but a set of representatives which made the law.

[kelliekat44]

44. More blacks than you might expect actually support gay marriage and are in LBGT relationships but

hesitant to speak about it publicly or admit it to family and associates.

[elleng]

32. But there was significant opposition,

by African American DC pastors, as I recall.

[JI7]

38. black poLitical leaders tend to be liberal and far less

Likely to do to what church leaders want. Especially on social issues.

[elleng]

39. Correct.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. Black churches were blamed by assholes for Prop H8 not by thinking people, because is was far

more complex than that and a shit ton of white Obama voters also voted for Prop 8 and it was mostly about religion not about race and CA is chock full of people who are very white and very religious all at the same time including such superstars of Anti Gay Crap as Rick Warren and his congregation of Casper like bigots.
To buy that you have to be less than aware of realities in CA not to mention in various faith communities.
In CA, the anti gay bigotry is a White owned and operated enterprise.

[Starry Messenger]

24. Wrongly blamed.

It passed because of older religious people and Mormon money bombs.

[JI7]

5. and yet blacks and asians are the 2 groups who had highest percentage votes

For democrats. Asian vote for obama was higher percentage than Hispanics.

[Number23]

10. I see some have already taken the OPs bait

I was wondering if this was going to turn into "how can those who say that religion is bad crouch their language now that I've just revealed how many black people are religious" or a "religion is bad and if black people are so religious then they must be bad too" party.

Really could not be more obvious.

[JI7]

28. Yes see post 22

[beam me up scottie]

34. Nailed it.

[Nye Bevan]

65. It is kind of an awkward statistic

for those who maintain that religious people are deluded idiots.

Of course, the trick is not to maintain that religious people are deluded idiots. Then it's not awkward at all.

[MattBaggins]

74. So I must maintain that 1+1 does not equal 2

[Major Hogwash]

37. What about the voting rates for the . . .

. . American Indians?

Don't they count?

[Jamaal510]

69. I think the

voting patterns for both Asians and American Indians have been under-discussed in the media, for sure. All people ever talk about (when it comes to the voting patterns of minorities) is Hispanics, and sometimes Blacks. I wonder if the reason why is because there's not enough of those 2 groups, or if the pundits are purposefully not mentioning them (particularly Asians) in order to strengthen the narrative that only groups with high unemployment/low income rates tend to vote for Dems.

[Major Hogwash]

71. That very well could be.

I have yet to meet an American Indian who was not religious, and who was not a Democrat as a result of his belief system.

[dissentient]

11. And? Do you have a point to make?

[beam me up scottie]

19. Well he said religious DUers were going to stop voting for Dems yesterday.

Since that didn't get much traction looks like he's going at it from a different angle.

Doesn't seem to be working.

[dissentient]

23. I see. I thought it was weird that he posted this with no commentary.

[Autumn]

20. Those are interesting stats at that site. I found this one interesting

The Midwest most closely resembles the religious makeup of the overall population. The South, by a wide margin, has the heaviest concentration of members of evangelical Protestant churches. The Northeast has the greatest concentration of Catholics, and the West has the largest proportion of unaffiliated people, including the largest proportion of atheists and agnostics.

[SidDithers]

22. Oh, Hannah...

Sid

[kwassa]

26. Bell?

[zappaman]

73. Again?

[FSogol]

89. Everything old is new again!

[FSogol]

80. NewDeal_Dem and ND-Dem seem to ring a bell.

[HappyMe]

82. Ah, now I see.

Took me long enough.

[SidDithers]

83. Just don't mention Baltimore or smiling North Koreans...

Sid

[TheKentuckian]

33. and knowing is half the battle! Which battle is unknown.

[KMOD]

45. I haven't stepped foot in a church in a few decades

with the exception of a couple funerals. Church is boring.

I have never been in a predominately black church. But if they really are as they are portrayed on TV and in the movies, than oh yeah, sign me up. I would go for the music alone.

Please forgive me if I'm wrong, or offended in anyway. I am just a white, suburbanite.

Peace

[HappyMe]

46. Did you have an actual point here?

[RandiFan1290]

47. 565 posts in one week

[Stellar]

54. The OP has a lot to say...

I guess, LOL!

[hrmjustin]

56. Damn! and i though I posted too much.

[cleanhippie]

75. With nearly a 50 post per day average since you signed up 3 years ago...

You really should think twice about mocking others for behavior you yourself are guilty of.

Perhaps a break from DU is in order?

[hrmjustin]

76. Many of my posts came from mirt and hosting.

You should try it and you might like it.

[cleanhippie]

78. And as someone who incessantly complains that they're being mocked or ridiculed

You're gonna mock and ridicule another for the same behavior you engage in?


There's a word for that. Can't remember just what it is....Starts with an "H"......

[hrmjustin]

79. Lol I don't think you are in a position to judge others.

And as someone who sat on mirt posting over 500 posts in a week peaks my curiosity.

[cleanhippie]

81. Oh, but I am in just that position.

Your permission isn't required. I'll give my opinion when I choose to.

And it's "piques", not "peaks".

And who are you to judge others' posting habits?


As a Christian, I'd think that a verse from Matthew would be running through your head right about now.


No go on and have the last word. You know you need to. You've got to have it. It'll bug you all day if you don't

[hrmjustin]

84. I am just hearttbroken that I was schooled by you.

How will I ever pick up the pieces of my shattered life?

[AtheistCrusader]

90. I suggest a Dyson.

Technically the Rainbow E series has more airflow, but the Dyson's make better use of what they have, and they get the really itty bitty pieces really well.

[hrmjustin]

91. You know I recently got a Hoover and it works just as well.

[AtheistCrusader]

92. Oh I very much doubt that.

The Hoover wind tunnel tech loses suction as the canister fills with debris. The Dyson's cyclone tech maintains full airflow even at max capacity.

[hrmjustin]

93. But they are expensive.

[cleanhippie]

101. Wait, I thought this was about blowing, not sucking.

[mr blur]

103. You just had to bring Science into it, didn't you? Typical.

If he has Faith in the Hoover then who are you to mock it?

The question you should be asking yourself is, "How would Jesus vacuum?".
You know...Love the cleaner, hate the dirt.

[hrmjustin]

104. I do have to tell you I adored your latest post in Atheist and Agnostics.

It was a good joke and I enjoyed it.

[AtheistCrusader]

105. So is your group's new 'Welcome' post.

I laughed pretty hard.

[hrmjustin]

106. I am glad you laughed.

[cleanhippie]

112. Stand down, sir. Stand down!

[cleanhippie]

95. Probably by having the last word. Again.

You just gotta have it, don't ya?

[benz380]

85. Jury voted 3-4 to keep your post. n/t

[hrmjustin]

86. I didn't alert and would prefer people not to on my account.

[benz380]

87. Alerter said you were being stalked. n/t

[hrmjustin]

88. Lol well that is one way of looking at it.

[cleanhippie]

98. How is it stalking when you have posts in nearly every thread?

That's a rhetorical question, Justin.

[hrmjustin]

99. Also a ridiculous one.

[cleanhippie]

100. The need to respond to every single post certainly is.

[hrmjustin]

102. Well cleanhippie I think what is ridiculous is you responding to my posts and then implying I am

ridiculous for daring to respond back.

If you make a comment to me you shoukd be able to handle me responding back, and if you can't that is jusy kind of sad.

[cleanhippie]

107. Keep telling yourself that, Justin. Keep telling yourself that.

Gonna respond again? Do you really, really, REALLY need to? Haven't you made your point by now?

[hrmjustin]

108. I think you make my points for me with you need to respond to me all the time.

Are you going to respond back with a ?

[cleanhippie]

109. Keep telling yourself that, Justin. Keep telling yourself that.

[hrmjustin]

110. .

[cleanhippie]

111. .

[cleanhippie]

97. Lol! How do you stalk someone who has posts in nearly every thread?

[cleanhippie]

96. Nice.

Good to know most still understand hypocrisy when they see it.

[rug]

116. That's a strange reaction to a 3-4 vote.

[rug]

115. Your posts in this subthread prove it.

[Jamaal510]

67. DAAAAAYUM!!! eom

[Jamastiene]

77. 666 as of right now

[hrmjustin]

55. I have to say that 1 percent number suprised me.

My guess it is hard for many to tell their families they don't believe anymore.

[ND-Dem]

58. maybe; but if it's hard to tell your family you're not religious, doesn't that indicate widespread

religiosity in the black family?

which is partly the claim under discussion. are you saying there's a generational divide?

[hrmjustin]

59. There maybe a generational divide.

I find it difficult to believe only one percent of the African American community are atheists.

[ND-Dem]

60. I do too, actually; but that's what the poll showed. We're likely to look askance when poll

results don't support our own beliefs, and offer polls in evidence when they do.

[great white snark]

62. 7 people recc'd this bait?

Oy.

[Nye Bevan]

64. Not everyone here thinks that being religious is a horrible thing (nt)

[WestCoastLib]

70. They had no choice

My grandfather was a minister in the south and there are many who are ordained in my extended family. I'm an atheist.

But here's the thing...They had no choice.

Particularly in the south, they had no rights and no protection from the law. And on top of all of that, they weren't even allowed to gather in mass out of fear they would "rise up". They had exactly one choice if they wanted to have a place to gather without suspicion. A (christian) church.

It was a place to meet, a place to talk, and a place to come for safety when, again they couldn't go to the police.

The communities were built around the church because they had to be.

[beam me up scottie]

72. Yes. And some things haven't changed.

Mr bmus' best friend -C- is black, he takes his momma to church and enjoys it because he says it's the one place where he doesn't have to hear racist bullshit about Obama.

C couldn't even celebrate with coworkers after Obama was elected because of his racist supervisor, no high fives, no smiling, nothing.

It was bad here pre-Obama but since his election the bigots have come crawling out of the woodwork and it's impossible to get away from them.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

114. Would someone explain this to me?

Black people go to church, and the preacher says, "You're a bad, flawed person because you're a sinner." This is basic foundational Christian doctrine, original sin and substitutionary atonement.

Now if a white person, outside that black church, says, "You're a bad person because you're black and I'm white and superior to you" the white person can use the curse of Ham (again Biblical doctrine) or just believe that because of racism. And then the black people are offended and up in arms. But if they hear a preacher tell them they're bad in a black church, that is culturally acceptable.

Why is this acceptable in the black church context but not in the white racist context?

I am white and used to belong to a Missionary Baptist church. I walked out and left because I couldn't take it. I had to get the strength to leave, because I got sick of EVERYBODY being told that we were horrible sinners, no matter what color we were. In fact, I had a hissy fit at the preachers one day after church and told the preachers that their sermons made me want to crawl in a hole and die. Whereupon a lady grabbed me by the hand and told me there were two parts to the bible and explained something or other that was supposed to make me feel better. It didn't. I left. It was either stay there depressed or leave. I voted with my feet.

[LanternWaste]

118. You're confusing doctrine with interpretation.

"white person can use the curse of Ham (again Biblical doctrine)..."

You're confusing doctrine with interpretation.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

119. Would you make yourself clear?

Yeah, that's a doctrine. Original sin is a doctrine too.

[MindPilot]

117. There would probably be more out atheist Black people

if many of non-believer's go-to philosophers, i.e. Thomas Jefferson, didn't also happen to have been cool with slavery.