The Image Problem With Atheism in America

[BlackMason]

I think it's hard being black and an atheist. I think it was a pod cast that I was listening to that described it well. The church is a very powerful symbol in the black community. During the civil rights movement era, black people were not allowed to congregate in large groups. The only exception to this rule was the church. So this opportunity was seized upon and meetings for the civil rights movement were held in church.

If you go back further to around the times of slavery, black people were given the bible. In my opinion this was a tactic to enslave their minds even more. However, the bible became a source of strength. Think about it. African Americans are a people without an identity. Religion claims to be the genesis of all things. What impact do you think this will have on a stolen people who have lost their roots?

Religion is a major component in the identity of African Americans. It is a source of strength. The church was a place of refuge used to fight social injustices. How can a black man really speak against a system that has been literally everything to black people? I'm not American but I am black. These things that I've described in this post reverberate even on the shores of South Africa. There is something broken in me because I have chosen atheism. It's one of the fastest ways to repel a woman who is otherwise attracted to you.

Let's not forget the issue of education. Black people are not exactly known for their high literacy rates. This problem further exacerbates the issue because a people that find no virtue in education are in trouble. We keep turning to the same old, same old to solve problems. In a way this can't be blamed. After all look how much religion has been able to do in the past.

These are the reasons why I think there are so few black atheist.