[pickledpepperRN]

George Liele was the first black Baptist in Georgia. In 1773, he was licensed to preach to slaves on plantations along the Savannah River, in Georgia and South Carolina.
After his Loyalist master's death in battle in 1778, Liele made his way to British-occupied Savannah. Over the next few years, he built a congregation of black Baptists, slave and free, including David George and Andrew Bryan.

David George was one of eight slaves who were baptized and formed a congregation on a plantation in Silver Bluff, South Carolina. ...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p30.html

[DutchgirlRN]

Originally Posted by spacenurse

George Liele was the first black Baptist in Georgia. In 1773, he was licensed to preach to slaves on plantations along the Savannah River, in Georgia and South Carolina.
After his Loyalist master's death in battle in 1778, Liele made his way to British-occupied Savannah. Over the next few years, he built a congregation of black Baptists, slave and free, including David George and Andrew Bryan.

David George was one of eight slaves who were baptized and formed a congregation on a plantation in Silver Bluff, South Carolina. ...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p30.html

Who is George Liele and what is his relavance to this thread?

[pickledpepperRN]

He was the first Black Christian clergy in the United States.
It was during the revolutionary war.

He was a slave and only allowed to preach to Blacks. There is a history of Black churches because they were not allowed to go to White churches.
I can imagine a good thinking American saying he or she is ashamed to be white in response to a specific situation.
But there has not been a need for parents to struggle to prevent their children from feeling inferior because they were White. Not in the United States.

I think history means something and can teach us much too.
Perhaps I was off base bringing history into this.

Everyone will vote in secret but I learn from these discussions and have changed my opinion.

A nurse posting here thought Senator Obama was Muslim.
So it seemed possible to me that some would not know that the Blak churches in America have a long and varied history.

[DutchgirlRN]

Thanks for the explanation

[SuesquatchRN]

Originally Posted by spacenurse

I think history means something and can teach us much too.
Perhaps I was off base bringing history into this.

Without a knowledge of history there's no frame of reference. Thanks for helping enlighten us.

[hillarypeace2006]

Originally Posted by Tweety

jlsRN, you certainly are entitled to your opinion and it's welcome here. No need to continually defend it. I understand and appreciate where you are coming from.

Churches are the most segretated organizations left in America. There are many "mixed" churches, but they far are outnumbered by organizations that are either all black or all white. This is by choice of the congregants, it just naturally occurs.

For many years I belonged to the Metropolitian Community Church that was founded by a homosexual that was kicked out of mainstream Christian churches. Their outreach were primarily to homosexuals and had a pro-gay social agenda. So I do understand and am not bothered by this churches racial (not racist) pro-African stance.

However, as you point out there probably is a double standard at work, because if there was a church that had a pro-white person European agenda, there would be an outrage. More than likely such a church would be racist. But there are churches like Greek Orthodox and Polish Catholic churches that do reach back to their homelands for inspiriation.

Just as Kwanzaa (sp?) is pro-African, I'm not bothered by the pro-African stance of this church.

And let us not forget that Barack is not white... So if you are bothered that a black candidate goes to a black church.. you should probably not vote anyhow....

[Medic2RN]

Originally Posted by hillarypeace2006

And let us not forget that Barack is not white... So if you are bothered that a black candidate goes to a black church.. you should probably not vote anyhow....

Barack's mother was a white woman from Kansas and his father was a black man from Kenya, so technically he is a blend of both.

[Stanley-RN2B]

Originally Posted by jlsRN

I have no problem with ethnic churches, but I do have a problem with a presidential candidate belonging to a blatently ethnic church. I was beginning to think that Obama might be a candidate for all Americans, but after seeing that he belongs to a Church that is primarily for African Americans, and is primarily dedicated to Africa, I no longer will consider voting for him.

I would feel the same about a White candidate who belonged to a church that espoused the same thing, but for White people and for Europe.

Which of course include MOST churches whether they say it or not.

Segregated Churches

I wish people would quit trying to make Obama appear racist.

[Stanley-RN2B]

Originally Posted by hillarypeace2006

And let us not forget that Barack is not white... So if you are bothered that a black candidate goes to a black church.. you should probably not vote anyhow....

Oh, this just irks me to no end. Barack IS white. He is also black. People that aren't biracial always seem to forget that little tidbit. He is as white as he is black. The actual color of his skin does not matter, his DNA determines his race.

And yes. Depending on my mood I select black or white on questionnaires. I am white. I am black. I am bi/multiracial. I am NOT other.

[TheCommuter]

Originally Posted by Stanley-RN2B

I wish people would quit trying to make Obama appear racist.

Unfortunately, a squeaky-clean candidate can get smeared in a political contest. The political system in America involves plenty of dirt.