Inside the Black Church is a brief look at the moral foundations and structuring upon which the new Black church is built. In today's society, the rapid growth of immorality that besieges our families, our youth, and our social relations as a nation seems to have crept deeper into the sermons of our pastors and has bled into the ears and minds of those who seek salvation. The churches are more and more practicing secular traditions and trends in order to capture the attention of anyone who may be a potential, paying customer in their huge, new mega-churches.

It also peeks briefly at the influence the white churches and well renowned pastors and their traditions have on the teachings of the black preachers and pastors. This influence is very apparent to the naked eye yet has been justified as being seen by the spiritual eye, that these forms of worship and teachings are approved of God. The consequences of this secular emulation of the world by the church are seen in the behavior of today's so-called Christians. Even among the true worshippers of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been replaced with the deception of, "the love of money".

"And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here" Ezekiel 8:7-9

The passage in Ezekiel exposed the sins of the children of Israel brought upon them by the leaders. Deep within the crevices of the synagogues and temples of God's chosen people were being committed numerous acts of immorality and abominations. However, using the eyes of God, Ezekiel saw right through the outer appearance of the worshippers and straight to the sins.

In today's church world, there lies a thick layer of pretense over the credibleness of believers and the leaders. Only with the eye of God can anyone pierce through the wall and see the many abominations being committed by the church today. Not many will agree with these observations because many are blind to them, they can only see the surface of the church in its relationship to them. Even the leaders, pastors, and so-called Bishops of the many church organizations throughout the United States are blind to the ills they are inflicting upon the gullible minds of people who truly seek the knowledge and goodness of God. Therefore, the products of their teachings are also blind, which will eventually lead to millions of souls who are bound for eternal damnation.

It begins with the culture of the American society, which demands prosperity in a capitalist atmosphere. This means that anyone is free to pursue large amounts of wealth by free enterprise and will be justified by the Federal Government to use it to produce more wealth. It shows success and the accomplishment of the "American Dream", which gives a person status and a classification in society. Fame and fortune go together in this country and whether you are a corporate executive or an anointed preacher of the gospel, this is the mark of success. Well, the church has adapted this mentality and has taught it to the minds of millions of churchgoers.

It is a known fact that blacks have been striving to catch up with whites every since they have been freed from slavery. In order to arrive at the goal they have fought for civil rights, equal rights, social and economical rights (in which we still battle) and freedom from numerous forms of prejudice and discrimination. Along this road of struggle, blacks have measured success by the material things they own and the education they have acquired. In addition to the manner in which they speak, the fashion in which they dress, the status and positions in which they hold, and many other attributes and cultural traits of the white race. But in a hard fought effort to be recognized by, and equal to, white America, blacks have never stopped to find their own identity.

The Black Church is the only institution that can be considered the closest cultural identity to black Americans in the history of this country. However, the leaders of the Black churches pattern themselves after the fashion of the white ones. Some black preachers have degrees of religious education as a result of emulating white status: some Black preachers use the tactics of capitalist minded white preachers by converting their churches into money laundering houses of worship.

Then there are the less fortunate black preachers who adopt the attitudes of the former Negro leaders - who fought for material and statistical recognition by intertwining the theory of material gain with the gospel of salvation in order to attain this recognition. Finally, there are the lower income black churches who still hold to the teachings and traditions that possess the slave mentality which is, faith in a better world, one without oppression and discrimination, but they too, are beginning to place great emphases on material gain and education.

Christianity can definitely be distinguished when it comes to culture. A country over seas may have an entirely different tradition of for instance, the family structure, than America would. Many countries place greater emphasis on children's' upbringing than does America, to the extreme of military schools that children attend immediately after high school, or even total abstinence until marriage.

These are values that America has definitely slacked in, discipline, even in the churches. Africa, and many middle and eastern countries have a higher standard for teaching children, it is a more customary and conservative teaching, something America almost frowns on now days.

Moreover, when either of those countries adapt Christianity as their religion, they strengthen the disciplines by using the bible's standards as an enforcer, so Third World Christian families would probably have stronger family units than the black American family. That is because the black church in America has conformed to America's secular, or politically correct methods of child rearing. This is due to the black church's attempt to model themselves after white Americans. If a black American family moved to Africa or another country, or just decided not to raise their children under American standards and traditions, they would definitely be stronger Christians, and probably more faithful.

If the black church and family did not place so much emphasis on material things and status quo positions of authority, they would be a stronger people. Nevertheless, this fantasy world was created by our earlier Negro leaders who sought out recognition and status among our white counterparts as a means to acquire equality for blacks. The Negro preachers such as Martin Luther King Jr., and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, were involved not only in the church, but also the freedom movement. They were so caught up in equality for blacks, that they did not stop to think they were creating a people who would only be considered, "off-white".

All those who have capitalized on the freedom of the black American when it comes to education, wealth, success, and political power to free their minds and souls, and in order to secure their "place" among white society, have left off morals, righteousness, family values and simple faith in God.

Now there is, within the upper-class of black Americans, a new master, a new oppressor, a new capitalist minded force that the still, lower-class blacks are fighting against; the Black Massa. He has the education, the title and a little power, and now he closes doors on the feet of a wandering black face saying that "there is opportunity out there, I got mine, now you get yours." Sad to say, this mentality is within the church.

The preachers have big names and big churches with administration offices and accounting departments; they carry cell-phones and are difficult to locate similar to a corporate lawyer or chief executive officer. They teach the congregation to strive for nothing less than that, and they justify these teachings saying that it is the will of God.

The will of God is not to be rich and superior to the point that if another Christian does not capitalize on the opportunities that America has to offer, they are missing the blessings of God. They teach that God will send you to college and get you a large house (that he wants you to own property), and a good job. That his will is for you to drive a beautiful car and to dress in nothing short of the most expensive clothes, and all these things will he give you, if, you give him a tenth every month. This is nothing but a religious form of capitalism, nothing more, nothing less.

The Black church is also a pit of abominations for obtaining a status among the people. A political arena for title seeking, position loving black folks who would never obtain these status positions in the white world, so they boast of their positions as Bishop and Elder and Deacon and such titles. Their ego is hurting because they actually have no identity among the white social elite so they dictate over the heads of blacks that have not the knowledge of God's true will.

They do not teach the righteousness and humbleness of the messages of Christ, instead they would rather use their positions to dictate your life; to get into your business and show you how to get to where they are, which is only a color away from white. They do not teach unity among the people, they teach individualism and personal prosperity. They do not teach giving to one another, they teach tithe to the church. They do not teach love for one another (not when it pertains to the giving of property) but they teach lending, sowing and reaping. All methods from which capitalism derived.

The Black church has become a fashion show for those who can prove that God is with them just by the things they possess. They do not realize that all material things can be gained by anyone who has a job. They do not realize this because the pastor tells them that this is God's will, that you be prosperous and obedient to his law of tithing. They place tithing at the highest point of obedience to God as anything else, over love, faith, and righteousness, any of the true fruits of the Spirit of God. They fail to even realize that material things do not come by faith. They come by having enough money in a bank account, or enough left on a credit card. They are beginning to teach that God wants a person to have good credit and that he frowns on bankruptcy, and unlearned black people who are just ignorant to the mysteries and parables of the gospel of Christ eat this stuff up. Only because it fulfills their material needs and secures them a means of survival, and preachers who teach these things know this. They have studied the white preacher on television. They have read his books on God and your finances, mixing principles of the bible with secular principles of financial wealth.

The black preachers build their churches like the white ones do, large and informal. Black preachers have informal churches because they lack the know how to relate to anyone individually, they only know how to capitalize in industrial type institutions. They have accounting skills and management skills; they have been to the bible seminary to learn religious capitalism. They have studied under their white superiors and role models.

They set up church centers now, that offer all kinds of ministries and activities, just like community centers that are setup by government programs: programs that help the underprivileged and the "at-risk". They are informally buried in red tape and paper work with the added touch so-called house visits from church officials, much like social work, to check on a family periodically. They setup day cares and learning centers (to be politically correct), in order for the single mother to work a steady job. Then, at the end of the month the preacher can gracefully remind her from the pulpit; "have you paid your tithes sister", after she has given them almost half of her check for their secularly setup day care center.

The Black church is no more than an extension of the white church and it's forerunner, the capitalist American society. The Black church does not know how to relate to their people in social terms, they do not even have the slightest notion how to start. They lack their own format of organizing the black community so they steal what they know from American government. They do not even realize that they hold the key to prosperity, unity, and social control over the black families and the black destiny right in their hands every Sunday morning.

They cannot see that the Lord is not a supporter of individual prosperity but of community prosperity. He is not a supporter of material gain but of spiritual gain; he is not a supporter of a monthly percentage of your income but of a continual giving of your mind, body, and soul. He could care less about who makes how much on their job or what you wear to church or even if you come to church, but he is concerned about your peace of mind, sanctification of your body, and salvation of your soul.

The effect that these teachings have on the human soul is detrimental in the understanding of God's will and a future stability in the gospel. If you teach a child all the tactics of being successful in life but neglect to teach that child any type of discipline or morals, you have robbed that child of an overall life of happiness.

If you teach a young man to get the best education that money can buy so that he can support his family, yet you neglect to teach him how to love that family, then you have defeated your purpose. He will eventually loose his wife and children to his love for his career. The same goes for the principles of the gospel in leading a flock. If you constantly teach them how to rise above poverty, and that God will get you there, then they will fail to see the true significance of God; they will miss the whole point to salvation. That is what the Black church has done in an attempt to rise to meet the American standard.

When the basic essence of the gospel is lost then a church will be filled with insensitive Christians, who lack love and all other fruits of the Spirit. Judgment (common sense) is one fruit that cannot afford to be lost in the Black church. If this characteristic is lost, then a person cannot look at someone and see if that person is hurting or not or whether or not they are in need. Their entire perspective of another is based wholly on assumption. The assumption that gain is godliness.

The way they measure another person's success or sufferings in the gospel is according to their possessions. If something tragic happens to someone, then they assume that God is not with them or that the person has disobeyed God in some area. If a person has accumulated goods (material possessions) then they assume that God is with them and that they are obeying him. This is very bad judgment. The scripture says that the saints of God should have enough common sense, or endowed enough with the spirit of judgment, to judge the world.

In turn, when a Christian loses their judgment, then they lose the ability to relate to anyone's situation. When a person needs uplifting, they may assume they need correction; or when someone is driving through a stormy season they may assume the person is totally lost, without hope, and cast them off as cursed. There are even times when a Christian who lacks judgment mistakes a blessing from God as something from the devil. Because they are constantly looking for material goods as a reward of God, they completely overlook the simplest attempt at peace. There are other times when they cannot hear Gods voice, and in their attempt to obey God they obey a command from Satan.

"The love of money is the root of all evil: which while some covet after, they have erred from the faith," 1 Timothy 6:10.

The fruit of covetous leads to false doctrines, misinterpretations of the scripture, a misconception of God's true will, and a lack of love for a Christian's fellow brother. All these unfruitful acts of the gospel stem from the love of money; seeking fortune which brings glory; and glory, which is a form of recognition, is what the Black church searches for in order to compete with, and in the white world. However, there are more righteous ways of being heard and respected in this world of racism, and that is to have God on your side.

To overcome this spirit of inferiority and covetousness in the Black church, the first thing to be done is to pray and study the word. Stay in constant communication with the Lord, sanctifying the soul from all the evil temptations of this world. The devil has come to the Black church just as he came to Jesus to offer him the riches and glory of the world but Jesus resisted, knowing that the kingdom of God is richer and with more glory. We as a people of Christ have been trying to fight toe-to-toe with the arrogance of America's founding fathers, when all that is required of us as an oppressed people is patience and faith in God.

The leaders of the Black church must lead their flocks away from all manners of secular formalities devised by the American governmental system or any world government not formatted after the Kingdom of God. Such as programs set up to adopt dependents of the black race, or certain laws passed that appear to be in favor of the advancement of the race but are actually a smoke screen to soothe consciences and pacify egos, or a simple crumb from the tables of apathy for the purpose of temporal satisfaction. The leaders must instill within all Black Christians not only the strength to endure daily sufferings in order to perfect themselves, but the strength and understanding to turn from individual prosperity (in the form of capitalism) and learn to depend wholly on God and his plan for the church as a society within itself.

We are a holy nation. A nation that should be governed by the principles of the heavenly kingdom, not the worldly kingdom. In order to survive in this world God has enough providing ability to establish for the church a system such as the one in the book of Acts, 2:41-47, and 4:32-37. The saints then were full of the grace of God; the power of God was continually upon them. They prayed together everyday, not just for an hour on Tuesday night, but everyday. They sold all their material goods they had accumulated by working for the Roman government and combined it together to begin their own communal system.

The scripture reads that they had all things common, meaning, their only concern and joy was Jesus and the powers of God. They did not care about whom had what and who lived where because they lived among each other. Everyone had exactly what he or she was in need of. If a family had three children and another had none, then the family with the children were given more food; that is only common sense, and no one was jealous of the other. That is because they walked in the spirit and not in the flesh.

Notice; this system of governing was not a capitalist system because it was not based on individual gain or survival of the fittest, but it was based on equality for all. There were no racial dilemmas about who was superior and who was not until the devil stepped in and claimed that the Jews should be in charge. So it must be realized that superiority among races comes from the devil, so why should a people of God ever be envious and emulative of a race whose influences come from the devil?

God's children are of all one color and he has no respect of persons. The Black church must recognize that the white man does not set the success standard. Nor is your expectancy as a person confirmed by what you own or what degrees you hold; but it is determined by the love in your heart and your faithfulness to God, not this country at all. The bible tells us that there are many false prophets and teachers in the church, especially in these last days. There are many false confessors of Christ who sit in the churches.

Pastors must begin to weed them out by preaching to denounce worldly possessions, worldly status, and worldly values that effect our families. Once pastors begin to teach true gospel, many, many confessors of Christ will leave the church and return to the world, in whom they worship anyway. If they are sincere about their own salvation they will stay and suffer with the true brethren. Pastors must stop conforming to the world trends in hopes of converting people and must return to truth in order to save some. "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right." Proverbs 16:8.

Pastors must deny the glory of the world themselves and renew their strength and spirit in the Lord. They are so caught up in attracting people to the mega-churches in order to compete with the white church down the block. So caught up in bringing tithes into the storehouse just so they can preach their messages of covetousness over the airways that they have forgotten about simple righteousness. There was a person who commented that; "church people are the meanest people he knew." What he said was partly, if not totally correct.

Romans 3:10 reads: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." This prophesy has come true as it pertains to the Black church simply because their heart is entrenched in possessions, appearances, and positions, and not in love.

Pray that Black Christians do not adapt the same mind set as the white ones had when they built this country. They built it in deceit, using the word of God as a hammer. They drilled into the slave's head that it was God's will that they serve them. They drilled into their head that they were to obey them and look to them for any reward or favor and acceptance. They catechized us into the psychology of supremacy and subservient, which in turn brought forth in the black mind and soul a complex that scared us deeply. In addition, in the process of this evil inflicted upon us, it conditioned and trained us, without our knowledge, to become as arrogant and competitive as they, as we grew in a society of capitalism.

However, the black mind by nature, does not function well in a competitive environment. In an attempt to defeat its competitor, it tends to lose all sense of objectiveness, thus destroying any chance of unity. This is what capitalism does. It tends to distort justice. Look at how political elections are fought. With scandal, and lies and deceit, these are all attributes of competition. In the black mind and soul there is too much passion.

The black mind truly seeks peace. It searches for love that runs deep and will embrace it. It rejoices when good surrounds it, and it is strong when others are behind it. The black mind is just and fair, if it has not been corrupted, and it reaches out its hand when its heart has been touched.