Comment:

“I still maintain that the problem for evangelism is not their salesmanship skills or strategies, but the ‘product’ itself: a pro-Trump, anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-black Christianity just doesn’t appeal to gen-Zers the way it appeals to themselves (the televangelists themselves tend to be older) or their older parishoners.

And we can see that in the traditionally Black Protestant churches; they *don’t* follow that political mold, and not coincidentally, black Gen-Zers are more religious than their non-black counterparts. Those church’s products are a better fit to their desired audience.”

My response:

“Yeah, but … 😕

We Black folk (from my American perspective) tend to be more religious than the general non-Black population based on our shared struggle with oppression.

Repurposed Christian churches and practices in the diaspora tended to be the only gathering places we could form hopeful community and resistance to racism. They still tend to be welcoming spaces for religious Black people with an activist mindset.

However, that physical abuse I mentioned earlier and strict religious dogma [were] perpetrated against me within the confines of a Black Baptist church and with the full approval of Black parishioners. Plus, there’s a crap-ton of prosperity gospel chicanery designed to fleece us there as well, not to mention still uncorrected homophobia, misogyny, anti-QUILTBAG prejudice, etc. It’s not all flowers and sunshine in my neck of the woods. And just try being an “out” Black atheist (like myself) in mostly religious African-American spaces. It’s not a fun time, let me tell you.

Maybe Black Gen-Z Christians are better than their predecessors. I hope they are. Thank goodness navigating religious arenas is no longer my problem.”