Black Christians, Black Churches, Black Politics

I've been thinking lately about what "liberal" and "conservative" really mean. One thing seems to be that liberals are more uncomfortable than conservatives with politicians or voters who take their faith seriously (with the exception of anti-war guilt and angst). That makes Harry R. Jackson, Jr.'s op-ed in today's Washington Times even more interesting to me. He's predicting a far larger black vote for President Bush in 2004 than in 2000. This makes even more sense in view of these two passages:

The primary research enunciated in my new book, co-authored with George Barna, "High-Impact African-American Churches," shows that black Christians are more likely to read their Bibles and practice the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting or worship than their white, Hispanic or other ethnic counterparts. They are America's answer to a morally bankrupt society. These high-impact churches are beginning to address the problems of our nation.

and

The black church has come of age in terms of size, finances and political power. In fact, blacks, more than any other ethnic group, are represented in mega-churches. Many black churches have more than 10,000 members. In the Washington area alone, there are several churches in the 20,000-member range.

That's saying something. And I suspect the trashing of President Bush's faith cannot be sitting well. And what does Bishop Jackson think these church members want?

They will vote for President Bush and hope for major policy adjustments in six vital areas: protection of biblical marriage; wealth creation opportunities for minorities; educational reform, which emphasizes urban change as a priority; African relief that stops genocide in the Sudan by placing trade sanctions on that nation; prison reform that rehabilitates inmates with spiritual solutions; and health care for the poor.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Hat tip: RadioBlogger

Comments

[patriokat]

I just wish most black christian voters understood the Republicans are the ones who shed their blood for the right of blacks to vote. Citing Republicans reinstituting Jim Crow laws and suppressing the black vote in 2004 is ridiculous. The Jim Crow laws and black voter suppression are not the history of the Republicans, but is the history of the Democrats.