Want to Help Heal Racial Conflict?

                    Be a Peacemaker and Take the load off!

One of the most recent outbreaks of anxiety about racial problems in America came a few weeks ago. A young African American was shot dead by a police officer in St. Louis, MO. Riots and accusations followed.

Is there some way to stop such problems? I doubt it but we can have hope that we can improve the relationships among different racial groups.

One of the very best ways to improve the financial wealth, health and harmony of minorities is evangelism. Does that seem far fetched or grandiose? Maybe both but there are data that seem to support my conclusion.

In a nation obsessed with racial and cultural diversity the facts about minorities and religious faith have been strangely absent from the dialogue. There is one astounding statistic about African American longevity and church attendance that is rarely if ever mentioned in the debates about faith based organizations and health care. 

An article by Hummer et al in Demography Journal, 36:273-285 in 1999, Blacks who attend church live much longer than those who do not. In fact, regular church attendance leads Blacks to live just about as long as Whites!

Attendance	White life expectancy	Black life expectancy
Never	77 Years	67 = A huge,10 year difference
Less than weekly to weekly	80 Years	75 = A large, 5 year difference
Weekly or more	83 Years	80 = A small, 3 year difference

Those who want to improve the health and wealth of Blacks can do it through evangelism and developing caring, outreach ministries. I am shocked that so few Ministers focus on these data when they hold enormous promise for us a a nation. 

Why do so many programs say that religion, faith and spirituality may not be mentioned? Why do some government agencies that supposedly promote minority health and welfare close their eyes to these data?

More to the point, why do so many churches promote all kinds of programs for the poor minorities but leave evangelism and Christian fellowship out of the equation? Of course we need to feed the hungry a fish to help them for one meal, but faith in God and fellowships of love can feed them forever!

Secular humanism and psychological counseling are not enough. Statistics like these can hopefully shake us compassionate Christians out of our sleep.


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