Did the WT ever show prejudice against black people?

by jambon1 15 Replies latest jw friends

  • cameo-d
    cameo-d

    Here we go....again....

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/173092/1/Black-People-Will-Turn-White-as-They-Near-Perfection

    According to some scholars, some early interpretations of the Bible in Syriac Christianity combined the "curse" with the "mark", and interpreted the curse of Cain as black skin. [7] Relying on rabbinic texts, it is argued, the Syriacs interpreted a passage in the Book of Genesis ("And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell") as implying that Cain underwent a permanent change in skin color. [8]

    Ephrem the Syrian (306-378): “Abel was bright as the light, / but the murderer (Cain) was dark as the darkness". [9]

    In an Eastern Christian (Armenian) Adam-book (5th or 6th century) it is written: “And the Lord was wroth with Cain. . . He beat Cain’s face with hail, which blackened like coal, and thus he remained with a black face". [10]

    The split between the Northern and Southern Baptist organizations was over slavery and the education of slaves. At the time of the split, the Southern Baptist group used the curse of Cain as a justification for the practice. In fact, most 19th and early 20th century Southern Baptist congregations in the southern United States taught that there were two separate heavens; one for blacks, and one for whites. [12]

    Baptists and other denominations including Pentecostals officially taught or practiced various forms of racial segregation well into the mid-to-late-20th century, though members of all races were accepted at worship services after the 1970s and 1980s when many official policies were changed. In fact, it was not until 1995 that the Southern Baptist Convention officially renounced its "racist roots." [13] Nearly all Protestant groups in America had supported the notion that black slavery, oppression, and African colonization was the result of God's curse on people with black skin or of African descent through Cain [citation needed] or through the curse of Ham, and some churches practiced racial segregation as late as the 1990s [citation needed

    The Mormon View

    According to Moses 7:5-8......

    For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people.

    Although Mormon doctrine teaches this as a revelation from God, this particular teaching, that the curse of dark skin came upon the children of Cain because they practiced genocide on the people of Shum, rather than it being the result of the mark placed upon Cain by God, was radically different than the views widely held by most Evangelical Protestant groups in the U.S. during and before the life of Joseph Smith.

    Statements concerning the curse of Cain clearly identify both the mark and curse with the "Negro" race, in Latter Day Saint scripture. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young both identify, without question or doubt, the Black people of African descent as descendants of Cain

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_and_mark_of_Cain

  • JWdaughter
    JWdaughter

    I think that the WT shared in the cultural biases towards people of color for many years, but I also think that superficially, they overcame it sooner than some other parts of the community (here in the US). However, in practical life-until the early 80's when I was still in, I don't remember any brothers of color who were elders. Granted, in my community there were not that many black families and only one in my cong., but we did have some asian families and a hispanic family-both men who would be well suited to be elders(as idealized), but neither ever made that 'cut'.

    One other point of fairness, there was not a lot of turnover in the elder body at that time. They were still holding out for the Eve lag to kick in with armageddon. (post '75).

  • JWdaughter
    JWdaughter

    One other thing: I think that the cultural bias shown in the WT literature is one more nail in the "This is not inspired from God" coffin that holds the WT.

  • MissingLink
    MissingLink

    Racism still trhives in the "congregations". And it goes both ways.

  • Witness 007
    Witness 007

    I "herd" on the grape vine that Samuel Herd polishes Ted Jaracz shoes every night, and Ted lets him! {Not really but he worships Ted} A Bethlite reported how a Governing body member in the 1970's said: "Pass me the beans....boy." To a Negro brother who said....."I'm not your boy." To which he responded "Pass me the beans....Ni33er." I think they said it was Lyman Swingle.

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    Oh, the stories!

    Sylvia

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