Following the very significant experience of JazzMan should we not ask the next logical question. It appears we are in agreement that we need to be about the work of God more than just blackness and materialism. Do you think our Church can stay quiet when we are a global Church in a Global village? Do we value the opinions of our brothers and sisters in Africa (the place our Church has been named from)or will they feel that are of lower value? If we agree that we cannot stay quiet, when will we start making some joyful sounds to the Glory of God and not just Richard Allen. I thank God for his faith and strength in 1787 and beyond but where are we today?

God Bless You All!!

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2002

Answers

I believe the most important way a church can advance is by adhering to the issues which affect its members the most during this present age. We, as AME members, must understand the current social and economic issues of our society (drugs, crime, lack of economic empowerment to name a few) need to be addressed in order for us to advance to the next level. We are often told to remember our past and never forget the errors of yesterday, otherwise, we are doomed to repeat them. However, what we should tell our brothers and sisters is to embrace the past so we as a people can use that knowledge to empower us as plan for the foundation of the new future. This is what the AME Church must do in order to survive. Otherwise, we will be reduced to dissension and controversy amongst our people.

Thank you, God Bless each of you.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2002

I want to share with you some truths that were written by a white person about US. I don't know when this piece was first circulated, but I believe it bears repeating. Please read and share with others. It should help to open our blinded eyes and deaf ears.

Subject: BLACKS DON'T READ

"THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES"

We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery. Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: "IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS".

Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man oncer said, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book." We live now in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all.

GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slaver, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%). Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing. They would rather buy some new sneakers than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the lates Tommy or FUBU. And they still think that havig a Mercedes, and a bigh house gives them "Status" or that they have achieved the American Dream. They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities. With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. Tommy Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn't want their money and look at how the fools spend more with him than ever before! They'll continue to show off to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them.

SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some "form" of success. However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read that the "Talented Tenth" was then responsible to aid the Non- Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or aids then in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of the goal. Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community. They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, NOT the best doers.

Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that "TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM)! They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own. In fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two9 paychecks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our boardrooms. Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are helping in their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventinions in our hotels.

By the way, don't worry about any of them reading this letter, remember "THEY DON'T READ!!!!"

As I said at the outset, I don't have a clue when this was first circulated, but it's food for thought.

Can the church stay quiet?

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002