Wright's Theology as Victimology
By Anthony B. Bradley
Black Liberation theology actually encourages a victim mentality among blacks. John McWhorters' book Losing the Race, will be helpful here. Victimology, says McWhorter, is the adoption of victimhood as the core of one's identity--for example, like one who suffers through living in "a country and who lived in a culture controlled by rich white people." It is a subconscious, culturally inherited affirmation that life for Blacks in America has been in the past and will be in the future a life of being victimized by the oppression of Whites. In today's terms, it is the conviction that, forty years after the Civil Rights Act, conditions for Blacks have not substantially changed. As Wright intimates, for example, scores of black men regularly get passed over by cab drivers.
Reducing black identity to "victim" distorts the reality of true progress. For example, was Obama a victim of widespread racial oppression at the hand of "rich white people" before graduating from Columbia University, Harvard Law School magna cum laude, or after he acquired his estimated net worth of $1.3 million? How did "rich white people" keep Obama from succeeding? If Obama is the model of an oppressed black man, I want to be oppressed next! With my graduate school debt my net worth is literally negative $52,659.
The overall result, says McWhorter, is that "the remnants of discrimination hold an obsessive indignant fascination that allows only passing acknowledgement of any signs of progress." Jeremiah Wright infused with victimology, wielded self-righteous indignation in the service of exposing the inadequacies Hilary Clinton's world of "rich white people." The perpetual creation of a racial identity born out of self-loathing and anxiety often spends more time inventing reasons to cry racism than working toward changing social mores, and often inhibits movement toward reconciliation and positive mobility.
McWhorter articulates three main objections of victimology: First, victimology condones weakness in failure. Victimology tacitly stamps approval on failure, lack of effort, and criminality. Behaviors and patterns that are self-destructive are often approved of as cultural or presented as unpreventable consequences from previous systemic patterns. Black liberation theologians are clear on this point: "People are poor because they are victims of others," says Dr. Dwight Hopkins, a black liberation theologian teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
Second, victimology hampers progress because, from the outset, it focuses attention on obstacles. For example, in Black liberation theology, the focus is on the impediment of Black freedom in light of the Goliath of White racism.
Third, victimology keeps racism alive because many Whites are constantly painted as racist with no evidence provided. Racism charges create a context for backlash and resentment fueling new attitudes among whites not previously held or articulated, and creates "separatism"--a suspension of moral judgment in the name of racial solidarity. Does Jeremiah Wright foster separatism or racial unity and reconciliation?
For black liberation theologians Sunday is uniquely tied to redefining their sense of being human within a context of marginalization. "Black people who have been humiliated and oppressed by the structures of White society six days of the week gather together each Sunday morning in order to experience another definition of their humanity," says James Cone in his book Speaking the Truth (1999).
Many black theologians believe that both racism and socio-economic oppression continue to augment the fragmentation between Whites and Blacks. Historically speaking, it makes sense that Black theologians would struggle with conceptualizing social justice and the problem of evil as it relates to the history of colonialism and slavery in the Americas.
Is black liberation theology helping? Wright's liberation theology has stirred up resentment, backlash, Obama defections, separatism, white guilt, caricature, and offense. Preaching to a congregation of middle-class blacks about their victim identity invites a distorted view of reality, fosters nihilism, and divides rather than unites.
Anthony B. Bradley is a research fellow at the Acton Institute, and assistant professor of theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. His PhD dissertation is titled, "Victimology in Black Liberation Theology."
Chris, you keep asking how his sermon ended. I don't know, but I have to wonder, why would Obama say that Wright's statements were "controversial," and "divisive," and "racially charged," reflecting a "distorted view of America" after hearing the end of his sermon??
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Re: FOX Lies!! Barack Obama Pastor Wright
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferd
Document? how about every peice of legislation from FDR to Jimmy Carter to start with?
How about LBJ's Chicken in Every pot line?
how about the giant tenament buildings that became such and horror on the black community.
how about welfare systems that paid poor women to have more children but punished them for getting married?
Chris, i dont need a document and this drum beat of "provide documentation" is getting old.
You spent time in the projects Chris, tell me with a straight face you did not hear "the governmnet owes me" on a constant basis. That mentality was created by liberal policy that gave these folks starvation level funds that but stiffeled hope and drive to be better!
This thread should be printed and used in High Schools and Universities to illustrate how you just cannot defend the indefensibile.
Try as chooseybones and CH have to be apologists for a racist, hate mongering, idiotic conspiracy theorist preacher they just cannot get people to buy into the theory that being Black and having injustices done to your race in the past excuses all behaviour.
It is not the words of Jer Wright that will seal Obama.
It is the private words he attributed to his white grandmother.
To me he wanted to speak very clearly to the nation.
I know that "White Folk" have racist issues towards us African American's.
I heard the words come out of my own Grandmothers mouth.
To me it is down right biased and racist to call "Obama", or Halle Berry African American.
Since when do we accept that when a person has an African American parent and a Caucasian parent we reduce one half of their heritage by calling them African American.
To me they are multi ethnic and should be proud of their entire heritage.
Tiger Woods has also reduced his ethnic heritage by reducing his mothers heritage.
Halle Berry and Obama both do not want to be associated with their heritage and white mothers.
To me that is the biggest form of racism, reducing yourself from the family heritage that shaped you.
If I were Obama I would not allow folks to simply call me African American, Period.
Even darker skinned blacks treat them cruddy
__________________ Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
This thread should be printed and used in High Schools and Universities to illustrate how you just cannot defend the indefensible.
Try as cheekbones and CH have to be apologists for a racist, hate mongering, idiotic conspiracy theorist preacher they just cannot get people to buy into the theory that being Black and having injustices done to your race in the past excuses all behavior.
CC1,
The reason behind starting this thread wasn't to try and get people to "buy into" a particular theory, but it was to share an alternative viewpoint for discussion.
Overall, these threads during this political season have been lively and void of the ugliness of such threads in the past. Besides, CH and I have planted the seeds of truth for those here on AFF and eyes will be opened some day to that truth.
I truly have enjoyed reading what each and every person has contributed, because it has allowed me to get to know that person that much better.
God bless you, brother.
CB1
PS: BTW, stay tuned for some shocking McCain threads that will expose many of the facts that he would rather keep from the public. Unfortunately for him, they will be used against him once the Presidential race is in full swing.
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Isaiah 53:5: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."(KJV)
"God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." Dwight L. Moody
then why in the world do you support Obama? that makes no sense.
You don't understand Obama's position on the issue. You only know what the right wing hacks are saying about him. Go to the horse's mouth.
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"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (English Standard Version)
It is not the words of Jer Wright that will seal Obama.
It is the private words he attributed to his white grandmother.
To me he wanted to speak very clearly to the nation.
I know that "White Folk" have racist issues towards us African American's.
I heard the words come out of my own Grandmothers mouth.
To me it is down right biased and racist to call "Obama", or Halle Berry African American.
Since when do we accept that when a person has an African American parent and a Caucasian parent we reduce one half of their heritage by calling them African American.
To me they are multi ethnic and should be proud of their entire heritage.
Tiger Woods has also reduced his ethnic heritage by reducing his mothers heritage.
Halle Berry and Obama both do not want to be associated with their heritage and white mothers.
To me that is the biggest form of racism, reducing yourself from the family heritage that shaped you.
If I were Obama I would not allow folks to simply call me African American, Period.
My heritage is Dutch, Irish, English, and German. My family has been in the the Americas for generations. I identify with my English and my Irish heritage by choice. Though I have investigated my Dutch roots and found Dutch culture to be enjoyable. The way a man chooses to be identified...IS THAT MAN'S choice. How dare we demand or judge a man over how he wishes to be identified. It's his prerogative alone.
The cultural roots you choose to identify with is...your business. You might say, "I'm justa 'mercican!" That's your choice. Or you might identify with Slavic roots, again, that's your choice. Who would I be to judge you for either choice?
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"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (English Standard Version)
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