The church was a significant participant in the civil rights movement of the mid twentieth century. Black churches provided a platform for anti-discrimination groups. Spirituality supplied the ideology that civil rights activists would use to voice their misgivings. Christianity espoused values of love and acceptance, yet these were not practiced by the white majority.
Therefore, the church afforded members of the civil rights movement with a theoretical justification for liberation struggles. Biblical truths were intertwined with the movement as taught by preachers on various pulpits. Many of them felt that the church was the only haven of hope in an environment that had continually undermined their existence.
They used the church as an arena to invigorate themselves and reengage with their oppressors afterwards. Had the church been non influential in the African American community, then mobilization of the masses would have been a difficult thing. There would be no central location where blacks could congregate, exchange ideas, and mobilize each other for resistance. Christianity also affected forms of civil rights actions taken. Non violent action was a distinct characteristic of the movement.
Members employed biblical examples, such as Moses and the Israelites to advocate for non violent means of resistance. Therefore, the church was significant for African Americans because it was a mobilization center, a leadership axis, and a source of theoretical justification for the civil rights movement (Moore 12).
In modern times, African Americans perceive the church as a centre of fellowship for them. It supports them psychologically as well as physically. Many of them appreciate the sense of acceptance that they get in churches and the feeling that others care for them. Such effects are especially relevant to a community that has been marginalized for so long. In a society that has offered blacks minimal opportunities for employment, it helps to have an avenue to cope with this stress.
Additionally, racism is still alive today; consequently, African Americans have benefited from having a place that is devoid of those experiences. Church attendance allows individuals to support each other mentally, spiritually as well as intellectually. Many blacks form networks within religious circles that enable them to have a sense of community. Furthermore, congregants can apply these networks in their personal as well as their professional lives (Johnstone 109).
Community outreach is also another significant effect of the church in the African American community. The churches posses programs designed for local community members. Some programs assist members to fight drug addiction while others assist teenage mothers to cope with their dilemma. Alternatively, certain programs apply to almost all members, and may involve financial independence classes or marriage counseling.
Participation in these programs is not contingent upon church membership; instead, it may lead subjects to the church. However, no conditions are attached to this involvement. Therefore, members of the African American community have developed a close association to the church since it place has played a crucial role in their personal lives.
The social significance of the megachurch
The megachurch phenomenon has political, developmental and communal effects on its environs. These stem from a series of complex mechanisms for accountability and teaching. Megachurches have a profound influence on the political inclinations’ of their members.
These views are often expressed during weekly and sometimes daily sermons. Megachurch pastors often talk about controversial and politically-sensitive topics like sexual morality, cohabitation and the ideal image of marriage. What makes the megachurch different from other churches in this regard is its wide reach.
One pastor may preach his sermon to tens of thousands of people per week. Consequently, whatever he/ she says to them will eventually affect other members of the community. Leaders in these churches often base their preaching on biblical doctrines. However, they believe in using scripture in a practical way. Therefore, many of them will not refrain from condemning gay marriages or sex before marriage (Laderman 38).
As a result of these strategies, members of megachurches support conservative ideas. The institutions have created mechanisms for dealing with potential deviations. For instance, they have support groups in which members struggling with single parenthood or divorce receive assistance. The groups assist members to shun the deviant lifestyle, confess and adopt the right moral path.
Therefore, while most megachurches accommodate sinners and persons who stray from their teachings, they have self corrective mechanisms for getting them back on track. In essence, one can thus understand why megachurches continually contribute to conservative stances taken by some sections of American society. These institutions entrench those conservative teachings in every aspect of church thus ascertaining that their members will ascribe to those values.
To a certain extent, megachurches also participate in political activities. Although many church leaders ascribe to non partisan believes, their stance on the above-mentioned controversial issues makes them political active. They are unique because of their vast networks, large financial, human and physical resources.
For instance, membership contributions may amount to $100 million annually. These institutions use such contributions to lobby against immoral acts such adult entertainment or abortion. They often make use of professionals within their congregations to exert political influence. Prominent professionals and CEOs of Fortune five companies belong to megachurches, and these individuals may use their positions to assist in certain political agendas.
Megachurches have also contributed to the creation of schools and public institutions designed to create an enclave of Christians. This ensures perpetuity of their values since members mostly interact with people who espouse similar beliefs. For instance megachurches have built private institutions in which they merge Christian ideals with other components of the curriculum.
In these schools, children will learn about creationism among other teachings. Furthermore, faith-based schooling protects Christian children from the perverting ‘other’. Many of these parents feel more confident about taking their children to such institutions because they will interact with children who use tolerable language (Hunt 9).
In certain circumstances, megachurches may be perceived as instruments of developmental change. These institutions often participate in the provision of social services. It should be noted that this strategy was propagated in the Bush era when his government relaxed regulations on entry of megachurches into social service provision. The institutions were exempt from tax and did not have to abide by certain rules concerning expansion and developmental planning.
President Bush believed that if megachurches were empowered to perform this role, then sustainable poverty alleviation could be achieved. Faith-based social services have a personal and unstructured character that could not be provided by federal institutions. These entities do not just provide social services but they do so by addressing attitudinal issues that could be propagating poverty. Some of the social services include drug recovery centers, job fairs or financial management courses.
Works Cited
Hunt, Ted. “Nowhere land.” The Observer. 2005: 9. Print.
Johnstone, Ronald. Religion in society: A sociology of religion. NY: Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.
Laderman, Gary. Religion of Atlanta. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996. Print.
Moore, Frederick. The ground of being: The African American church and the civil rights movement. 2006. Web.