Freedom and A Little Something Left Over...That's All I Ever Wanted

[wlotus]

A young lady I used to mentor has taken on a "Queen" name and joined The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as The Five Percenters). She seems happy in the photos and posts I have seen on her Myspace page, and she currently lives among other Five Percenters. While I do not embrace their beliefs, I respect and appreciate that this conversion appears to have given her a new focus and possibly raised her self-respect, at least from afar.

I asked her what drew her to that sect of Islam. She said she studied it for about a year before converting, and all of her questions were met with warmth, respect, and information. (The movement is big on black people having knowledge.) She found that was a sharp contrast to the, "It is so because I say so now stop questioning me and just believe!!!!" mentality she had encountered in the Black Pentecostal Christian movement she was raised in. I know that mindset all too well; it is part of what drove me from the movement, too. Being respected rather than treated like a pesky, unwanted child for daring to doubt is appealing. I am not surprised she was drawn in by that...and by the guy she is dating, ahem.

Where does this unwillingness to accept questioning come from in the black community? I think it is part cultural. People whose ancestry includes a few centuries of American slavery no doubt have passed down to their subordinates (whether their children or the membership of the churches they pastor) some of the same mentalities the slave owners beat into them. Questioning authority is frowned upon and, in some cases, is punishable by violence (verbal and/or physical). Believe what the master/mistress says, or at least put on a damn good act of doing so, simply because they said it. The maddening nature of those expectations was enough to make countless slaves risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones to escape. Many of us are still taking considerable (social and familial) risks to escape, today.

It is this desire to be free that may be driving my insistence that there is no true choice without justice, without an evening of the playing field. Mere survival--going along to get along, making so-called choices within the limits of the master-slave relationship--was not good enough for the slaves who escaped, and it is not good enough for me, either. I can do it to survive, but I don't expect to be happy doing it.

Comments

[iswari.livejournal.com]

I'd never heard of that sect. I'm not sure I understand how those professing to be following Islam would say that any person (regardless of color) is god/Allah? Or do they believe the traditional Islam/Qu'ran has got it wrong? Just curious.

Anyway, interesting post.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I had never heard of them, either, before her sister told me about the family drama her sister's conversion was causing. (Their Black Pentecostal mother does not approve, by any stretch of the imagination.)

They are an offshoot of The Nation of Islam, so I expect their teachings would be different from NOI teachings, which are (if I recall correctly) different in some ways from traditional Islam.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

They do not profess to follow Islam. (http://www.allahsnation.net/What.html) They are called an offshoot/sect of Islam by others because their founder came out of the NOI, but I probably misspoke by calling them that.

[iswari.livejournal.com]

I figured something like that, but was confused when they mentioned something in their "what we believe" about how Islam is a natural way of life.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, this NPR story (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5614846) says the NOI believes it's founder, W. D. Farad Muhammad was God. The founder of the Five Percenters doubted that, because Muhammad was bi-racial, not "pure" black. Traditional Islam, on the other hand, teaches God is separate from man.

What is interesting to me is the NOI offshoot of traditional Islam claims the divinity of a human, as does Christianity. I never realized the two religions share that similarity.

[aamusedinatx.livejournal.com]

Growing up in the Catholic and then Presbyterian churches I too was affronted and annoyed when I asked a question. I was berated and spoken to sharply, with a great deal of condescension for having the NERVE to question them, or authority, or the bible, or my study guides for catechism or just for Sunday school. To the point where my teacher dropped by our house unannounced the evening before I was to have my confirmation to suggest I was not prepared to accept God and the devil's work was too strong in me because for ever answer I received I had 5 more questions and until I learned to simply listen and accept what was said to me that I was un-prepared to take my place among the Godly.

So is this paranoid, authoritarian voice common through all sects of western religion? or just western christian religions? Certainly given my experience and yours I'm inclined to say yes.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

The religious also informed the cultural; American slave owners regularly twisted the Bible to justify their position/abuses as masters/mistresses. The two are intertwined. Being Black AND a Christian can make it worse, as you are bombarded with that mentality at church, at home, and any other place you might venture within the Black, Christian community.

[aamusedinatx.livejournal.com]

I can't even IMAGINE the double and TRIPLE jeopardy that puts you in. UG! It just makes me physically ill to contemplate.

[tively-split.livejournal.com]

I hope there's a special circle of hell set aside for ass ho's like that teacher. I guess I wasn't as questioning as all that when I was growing up, since I don't remember being penalized for asking questions. But so-called "teacher"s like that would have driven me away long before...

[verucas-chaos.livejournal.com]

You ask really good questions here. I have thoughts, but I can't quite access them right now. More thought required...

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing that, as you suggested above, you're getting a double whammy from coming from a Black, Christian community. Doubt is a very suspicious quality in Christianity, where faith is what gets you into the Elect. Let slaves question, and the first question is going to be, "Who gave you the right to make me a slave?" That stuff internalizes like mad.

And you're right, there is no true equality without the ability to question, and by questioning, get justice and level the playing field.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

And you're right, there is no true equality without the ability to question, and by questioning, get justice and level the playing field.

Which is why some authorities do not approve of questioning.

It is interesting that I am told in the Jewish tradition, questioning is encouraged. It is said God takes pleasure in Jews questioning and debating about what God said and what God means and how to apply those things to daily living. In sharp contrast, the Black Pentecostal tradition frowns upon such questioning, and even in Evangelical Christianity, questioning is only allowed to a point; at some point one is expected to just believe in order to be blessed.

In addition to the lack of equality without justice, I also maintain true choice does not exist without equality and justice. That is where my therapist and I disagree.

[far-gone.livejournal.com]

I think (modern, American?) Judaism is really interesting for that (I thought about converting at one point). Look where the fundy non-questioning sects have gotten the whole country. That someone like Sarah Palin wins respect because she has those same, unquestioning beliefs, very scary. Sorry, off topic, but it was a thought that came to mind reading all this.

I think any tradition that discourages questioning is a tradition that seeks to control, probably by force and by fear (whether physcial or by threatening eternal damnation).

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I believe that openness to questioning and debate is a part of traditional Judaism and is not a modern, American phenomenon.

There are many other reasons to respect Governor Palin, but for those people who think blind following of conservative Christian principles is a good thing, Palin, Bush, and others of their ilk will garner respect. For those people who believe blind following of mere charisma is a good thing, Obama and others of his ilk will garner respect. It's two different sides of the same coin. In both cases, if questioning were allowed, rather than shut off with orders to "fall in line", if people were encouraged to truly think for themselves, there would be far less mind control, far fewer cults. But when questioning is not allowed, some get brainwashed, and some become disaffected.

My young friend and I became disaffected by a religious tradition that did not respect our questions. I find that sad, because (at least in my case) there was hope for peace and inspiration in that tradition. But we were forced to leave behind the previously comforting religion of our youths, in order to be true to ourselves. I still feel anger over that.

[(Anonymous)]

It's true that the tradition of questioning is not modern in Judaism. Studying the scriptures and trying to determine God's exact will is considered a mitzvah, a religious duty. Anyone who has done serious study of the Talmud (in other words, not me) can find various different interpretations of the same verse, including ones which directly oppose one another. One of the things I like is that in a lot of cases, scripture is reinterpreted by rabbis and scholars in order to fit the circumstances. Very practical, considering the dangers Jews have experienced over a long history. There is always the attempt to strike a balance between holding to their beliefs and culture, and the need to survive in a hostile world.

"You always have choices," is both true and untrue. It's true that you always have choices about how you will respond to something, at least internally. I've read stories about women in the concentration camps who made the choice to live godly lives and reach out to others in any way they could. The degree of spiritual and emotional freedom they experienced as a result was awe-inspiring. On the other hand, they had things they identified as miracles to keep them going. Not everybody gets that. Some situations are unbearable no matter how you approach them.

In a lot of situations, if you're willing to accept negative consequences, you have choices. To a certain extent, that's unavoidable; to effect change, we have to take risks. But to say that means there is always choice is disingenuous. Sometimes, the risks are all unacceptable.

My other problem with the idea that there are always choices is that the idea is often taken up by the oppressing group and used as a reason not to change.

[rockbirthedme.livejournal.com]

The anonymous commenter is me. Choices, but no brain to make them.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking, "What a well-written comment! It's a shame the commenter is anonymous." :-)

Sometimes, the risks are all unacceptable.

This is a fact I think many people do not understand. Perhaps one must be oppressed in some way at some point in one's life in order to understand it?

[caravel.livejournal.com]

I can't speak as to the Black Pentecostal Movement discouraging questions, since I don't know much about it.

I can say that I don't think the Black Pentecostal Movement is particularly special in discouraging questioning; lots of religious groups discourage questions from followers. (The Mormons come immediately to mind, as do some of the more vehement fundamentalist churches that I heard about growing up.)

On my cynical days, I think the 5% nation concept is about right, and that their population breakdown is accurate. On my REALLY cynical days, I think they've seriously overestimated the percentage of good people in the world.

I try to work on not being cynical.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Alas, the unwashed masses do little to help your quest.