Black people overall are also more likely than people in other racial or ethnic groups to believe the Bible or other holy scripture should be interpreted literally. Another sign of the importance of the Bible to African Americans is their participation in prayer and scripture study groups.
Our question did not distinguish between the two types of groups. Across religions, black people in the U. The populations of each of these religious traditions include people of many different races and ethnicities. That being said, majorities in most major religious traditions in the U. Black Millennials are more religious than other Millennials. Black Americans are more likely than overall public to be Christian, Protestant. Black men are less religious than black women, but more religious than white women and men.
Say "Alexa, enable the Pew Research Center flash briefing". It organizes the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. We have abolished many laws and yet we still have dualism, we have a skyscraper economy; we have huge poverty and one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.
The dual economy is characterised by poverty and associated pain and suffering. Poverty refers to a state of want or disadvantage, in that the poor are rendered by the system to be incapable of attaining minimal standards of living.
However, it captures the essence of what poverty involves. Poverty is a multidimensional condition and developing a comprehensive description is a very complex undertaking that should include as many aspects as possible.
These high levels of poverty and inequality affect the living standards, economic growth and levels of crime and social stability. The majority of those who are poor are black, and reside in townships, informal settlements and rural areas. Socio-economic conditions in these predominantly black areas are very depressing and devastating. The poor are part of a vicious cycle of poverty from which it is difficult to escape.
It is in those conditions where critical and relevant theological reflection is required. The dual economy of South Africa is characterised by some unique poverty, in the sense that in contrast to other countries, which never had statutory discrimination, it is concentrated among the blacks.
This is a legacy that has been inherited from the past, as Terreblanche says:. When in , a democratically elected government came to power, it inherited a contradictory legacy; the most developed economy in Africa on the one hand, and major socio-economic problems on the other. Terreblanche acknowledges that it is mostly blacks who are at the receiving end of the socio-economic problems mentioned above.
This is supported by former Archbishop of Cape Town, Archbishop Ndungane, who says that South Africa inherited from apartheid a legacy of economic and social distress and dysfunctions. Therefore, the poor are not poor because they are lazy or because there is something inherently wrong with them. They are poor because of this entrenchment of poverty in societal structures.
According to Boff and Pixley, "The poor are poor because they are exploited or rejected by a perverse economic system. This is an exploitative and an excluding system which means that the system keeps them under it or outside it".
South Africa has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world. Makgetla states that recent data on the levels of inequality show that South Africa may have the worst inequitable distribution in the world, as Brazil has improved its position significantly in terms of its Gini coefficient. The distribution of wealth is extraordinarily unequal. While the consumerist-driven and affluent spend millions on houses mansions , cars and imported luxury goods, a large proportion of South Africans remains without shelter, safe and reliable transport, and struggle to feed themselves and their families.
South Africa is still marked by poverty, inequality and unemployment. Makgetla says that low employment is associated with an inequitable distribution of income.
The above are economic realities which on the surface may appear only of academic importance, but which affect millions of the South African people as they survive and live in what Mbeki refers to as ' conditions of degrading poverty'.
Mbeki has gone further to say:. Our nights cannot but be nights of nightmares while millions of our people live in conditions of degrading poverty. Sleep cannot come easily when children get disabled, both physically and mentally, because of lack of food.
No night can be restful when millions have no jobs, and some are forced to beg, rob and murder to ensure that they and their own do not perish from hunger. These are the conditions that paint the black experience and must be taken into consideration as blacks engage in theological reflection.
These are the conditions in which black theologians and clergy have to live out their prophetic activism. However, after the liberation that was ushered in by the democratic elections of 27 April , the church, the clergy and theologians seem to have gone back to sleep. The release of political prisoners and detainees, the return of the exiles, the unbanning of some leaders, the scrapping of some apartheid legislation and other developments that led to political liberation in South Africa contributed to church leaders and the church in general taking a back seat with regard to prophetic activism.
The church and its leadership seem to have withdrawn from the struggle. It is as if the political kingdom has been sought and found and everything else followed. It is as if they subscribe to the biblico-political dictum of Kwame Nkrumah that says: "Seek yee first the political kingdom". Dismissing the myth of the primacy of the political kingdom, Martey says: "We have painfully come to realise that the primacy in politics cannot solve Africa's acute social and economic problems in a world ruled and controlled by white supremacy".
In contrast to the past it looks as if the prophetic voice and progressive church activism that used to be rife through such prophets such as Takatso Mofokeng, Desmond Tutu, Allan Boesak, Frank Chikane, Molefe Tsele, Sister Bernard Ncube and many others has come to an end.
These prophets had strong organic relationships with the masses. They participated in community meetings, rallies and other events.
They also led demonstrations and presided and preached at 'political funerals'. During sermons and speeches at funerals one would hear black liberation theology coming alive. In the words of Boesak black theology of liberation came alive "in front of countless audiences at meetings, rallies, marches, church services and ecumenical gatherings here and abroad".
If that happens then preachers are preaching to the converted and this can hardly challenge the powers that be. If that happens then it means the people are not motivated to the extent that they are willing to live out their faith in public. If that happens it means that the prophetic voices have become blunt and cannot be heard. It is also possible that preachers are now encouraging the audiences to privatise religion and spiritualise the gospel message and keep politics out of the pulpit.
If that happens it may mean that the church is no longer relevant in people's existential realities. The role that black theologians and clergy played in the past enhanced the relevance of the church in a context of political repression, poverty and oppression. As they opposed apartheid and ministered to victims of apartheid they had strong organisational links with the masses and with organisations of the masses, as they held hands with masses and endured the teargas that was unleashed on the demonstrating masses and those who were grieving their deceased at funerals.
The prophetic activists, clergy and theologians were fearless in the face of possibilities of detention, torture, banning orders, exile and even death. It is the prophetic role of these church leaders and theologians that helped in the process of articulating black theological reflection in the context of racism and oppression. Some of these prophets joined the civil service, some retired, some became managers of academic institutions and others joined BEE companies.
The departure to different sectors robbed South Africa of its most articulate liberation theologians and public theologians who could appeal to people of all persuasions.
Those who remained in the leadership of the different churches became silent and started focusing only on their congregational ministry unrelated to the plight of the poor and the oppressed. Many organisations, including the South African Council of Churches SACC which used to play a prophetic role, became weaker and lost their critical voices. There came a time during the history of the SACC when the sharp prophetic voice and ministry of the ecumenical body became somewhat blunt, especially when it pursued a relationship of partnership with the governing party, the ANC.
One cannot offer a blueprint or a template of black theological reflection as situations of the 'excruciating pain' of black experience are different. At best one can argue for the need not only always to bear in mind the painful experiences of the poor and the oppressed but to engage in analysis of socio-economic political conditions under which the people live. Mofokeng's challenge to pastors and theologians to engage in "a correlation between social analysis and theological reading of the Bible" 76 must be taken seriously in theological reflection in the context of pain and suffering.
This is what he refers to as a pre-theological stage. This traditional way presented theological reflection as simply to read, to know the gospel message and then believe its message and be saved. Mofokeng reiterated what has been proposed by other liberation theologians such as Cone, that is, a new hermeneutic, which today is no longer that new.
To emphasise his point about a new and different hermeneutic, Mofokeng cites James Cone who said: "In this new situation it would be helpful to return to the concrete social reality of our existence, so that we may be permitted to move to a deeper theological level. I don't be -lieve that we can experience the deeper level of our theological identity until we have immersed ourselves in the social matrix in which our identity must be actualised".
Mofokeng challenges pastors and theologians to descend to the deepest level of the South African social matrix. They have to descend to the deepest socio-economic, political and religious dungeons where the overwhelming majority of black Christians are languishing "in order to capture not only the cry of the oppressed but also what Paul calls the groaning for the manifestation of the children of God".
This hermeneutic innovation is not only an imperative but it is also a Christological and pneumatological necessity, according to Mofokeng. It is a Christological necessity because the God of the Christian faith became the lowest of the oppressed and made indelibly deep footprints in the world in order for humankind never to negate and hate the world but to affirm it. God the Spirit descends to the deep socio-economic, political and religious Crossroads and Winterveldts of our world and creates a community that believes and confesses Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, and pledged to follow him and his trail in the world.
This is in line with what Paul says in Philippians :. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on the cross! If Jesus descended to the deepest level pastors and theologians cannot avoid descending to the deepest level of the South African social matrix where the majority of the South Africans are subjected to pain and suffering.
It is in that situation where pastors and theologians have to journey with and alongside the poor, and together with them articulate a theology of liberation. It is only in that journey that pastors and theologians can "respond creatively to urgent existential and theological challenges of our time". They also have to develop sensitivity that enables them to capture the cry of the fellow oppressed blacks as it emerges from the situation of oppression and from a new praxis.
It is important to note that the leaders referred to above were organically linked to organisations of the people in the form of churches, community based organisations and nongovernmental organisations that directly served the masses. There are many others who boarded the gravy train and left the masses to their own devices, to the extent that we can appropriate the question raised by MacMaster: Where have all the Pastors gone?
Such leaders are needed to facilitate black theological reflection in the midst of pain and suffering amidst poverty. The main argument of this article is that we still need what black theologians of the past referred to as a "critical theological reflection on the praxis of the Christian faith which participates in the ongoing process of liberation within the life of the black Christian community".
This is needed for as long as South Africa consists of the dual economy, the first and the second economy, respectively marked by extreme wealth and extreme poverty. This is needed for as long as blacks live mainly in townships, informal settlements and rural villages and the majority of whites in suburbs, notwithstanding a few blacks who have managed to climb the economic ladder and are now a tiny minority in white suburbs.
Cape Town: Idasa. Boesak, A New York: Orbis Books. Running with Horses: Reflections of an Accidental Politician. Cape Town: Joho Publications. Boff, C and Pixley, G The Bible, the Church and the Poor.
Maryknoll: Orbis Books. Buffel, O Bundy, C South Africa since Apartheid. Auckland Park: Jacana. Chikane, F. Francis Xavier, Cape Town. Braamfontein: Institute of Contextual Theology. Cone, J a. Braamfontein: University Christian Movement, Cone, J b. God of the Oppressed. Minneapolis: Seabury. Cone, J c. What is the Church? Johannesburg: Skotaville. Cone, J d. Sometimes, we only see the suffering from a distance.
When it strikes closer to home , suffering can change your perspective. When you or someone you love has been a victim of a crime, for instance, it can change the way you look at people around you and your feelings of general security. Sadly, even good things can turn into sources of suffering.
Relationships can bring us some of the greatest joy possible in this life, but they can also cause deep, lasting wounds. One of the most terrible experiences in this life is the death of a loved one. Being betrayed by a friend or having a partner end your romantic relationship are sources of heartache that can have a lasting effect on future relationships. It makes sense in light of all the suffering in the world that people would ask why a good God is not stepping in to change things.
The question of suffering initially prevented the author and Oxford scholar C. Lewis from believing in God. But he eventually realized his desire for good and justice actually pointed to the existence of a good and just God.
But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? Our desire to end suffering is a glimpse of the good God who created people to reflect His loving nature by caring for one another.
We feel that our world should be different. It should be free from suffering. That very impulse is a longing that God gave us so that we would look for something beyond this life. God made a good world, but He allowed people to make choices, and the choices they made ultimately ruined it. Suffering began with people rebelling against God. The book of Genesis tells the story of this first rebellion. God made the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and gave them the perfect, good world He made.
He only gave them one rule:. The devil, in the form of a serpent, convinced Eve to eat from the tree by persuading her that God was holding out on her. The devil tempted her with the power to be like God, which would enable her to go her own way without trusting God. When they ate from the tree, Adam and Eve decided to take the power of good and bad into their own hands rather than trust God. Through that choice, humankind broke their relationship with God and brought imperfection into the perfect world He made.
God had protected His people from evil and death. But in choosing to step out from under His protection, where they enjoyed eternal life, Adam and Eve brought death and suffering into the world for the first time. Revelation, the last book of the Bible, tells us about the new creation God will make in the future. One day, God will make everything new and once again perfect and free from suffering. He Himself will live among His people. Until then, the world will remain in its imperfect state.
Our choice is whether to experience life in an imperfect world in relationship with a perfect God or without Him. Find out more about how you can know God personally. Our rejection of God and all the things that result from it are what the Bible calls sin. Suffering can be the result of different types of sin. This brokenness is evident all around us, from natural disasters to the fact that we cannot trust other people. Death itself is a result of original sin. Before the first people disobeyed God and went their own way, there was no death.
Adam and Eve lived in harmony with God, who is the source of life. Once humankind severed that relationship, death was the natural and inevitable consequence.
If someone chooses to punch you in the eye, you suffer the consequences of their actions in the form of a black eye. If someone chooses to break into your home and steal your property and money, you suffer the loss of possessions and probably the loss of your sense of personal security. God will usually allow you to experience the consequences of your actions, and that may include suffering in some way. This can be referred to as individual or personal sin. If you choose to cheat on a test, you may suffer the consequence of failing that test or the class, and there may even be consequences to your standing as a student.
If you choose to commit a crime, the consequence could be going to prison and suffering the loss of your freedom. God does not enjoy people's pain, but he does allow them to experience pain. Like any responsible parent, sometimes he imposes painful consequences designed to correct his children.
Often, though, the pain we experience is the natural result of our own choices or of living in a painfully broken world. Just as parents allow kids to suffer the consequences of their mistakes so they can learn and develop character, God allows people to suffer the consequences of their individual and collective sin.
Remember, there is an important difference between what God causes and what He allows. God created the world and gave people a free choice to obey Him and live in His perfect creation or to rebel by going their own way and suffer the consequences. People chose to rebel. He respected our choice; He did not make that choice for us. God continues to respect our choice of whether or not to live under His authority and protection.
He still allows people to choose whether or not to do what He wants in small things as well. If you are a parent, and you tell your child not to steal but they choose to steal anyway, they will face consequences.
But if that child then points the finger at you as the parent and says their actions and the consequences are your responsibility, that is not right. People often choose to hold God responsible for things they have chosen to do that result in one kind of suffering or another. God loves you anyway. And as the greatest parent we could know, He cares about your suffering, whether or not it is self-inflicted. People often think of God as distant and immune to suffering.
But the God of the Bible is not above suffering Himself. In the book of Genesis, we first encounter God as a loving parent. He creates in a way, gives birth to humanity in the form of Adam and Eve, and He sets loving boundaries for them. But they choose to reject Him. They cut to the heart. God experienced this pain first. It is extremely frustrating when kids rebel against you and ignore the rules you established for their protection.
Throughout the Bible, we see people turning their backs on God and ignoring what He says. Sometimes they turn back to Him, only to reject Him again. If you are a parent, you can understand how deep and painful it is to have your children reject you repeatedly.
He actually became a human in the person of Jesus and went through profound relational, physical and mental suffering. Jesus was rejected by the people He showed love to. He was abandoned by His closest friends when He needed them most. He was given an unfair trial and accused of crimes He did not commit. And ultimately He was tortured and executed by His enemies, with His own mother as a witness, having done nothing wrong Himself.
Jesus experienced intense suffering, and Jesus is God in the flesh, so we cannot think of God as being distant from suffering. Jesus actually chose to suffer so that He could one day bring an end to suffering for the rest of us and offer us comfort right now.
Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.
Hebrews So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
The truth is that God hates to see people suffer. God does not want people to suffer, and He will end suffering. He just has not done it yet. His endgame involves a joyful eternity with no more suffering. Find out more about how you can understand the will of God.
Knowing that the human story will reach a good ending can give you hope in a world that sometimes feels hopeless. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
He will live with them, and they will be His people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
This is what our hearts long for when we are grieved by the suffering around us and in our own lives.
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