Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-28
RELIGION OF THE NEGRO.
Something Offensive to the COlOred
Church Members HereabOuts.
How the Fisk University Pastor and
TheOlOgian Has Done it.

A sensation Of no very pleasant character
has Of late been created among the colOred
population Of Nashville by the circulation
Of document, which they claim is an in
suit 70 their race. Our attention has been
called TO it several times, and in one in
stance BY Appointment colored Baptist minis
ter. II is copy Of short speech delivered
by Rev. II. 5. Bennett, Of Fisk University,
sometime ago before a convention Of the
American Missionary Association at At
lanta. We copy the part which is making
such a scandal:
"Ihe pos ton has Of late been taken by
certain Northern writers that the moral
and religious life Of the negroes Of the South
is so low that the only hope of the eleva-
ton Of the race lies IL the overthrow of the
colOrea churches now in existence, and
the establishment Of those in which high
er type Of morality is required. Writers in
the Independent and the CORgregaiiOnaliSt
have virtually taken the ground that min
lsters and people are alike committed to
gross immortality, that chastity is I'M
Known, and that discipline is very rare.
"The positi,n is taken that the religion
Of the cOlOTed people has no power over
their life, that it is one Of excitement
merely-the wilder the better; and that
there is no recognized connection between
a profession Of faith in Christ and godly
living.
"a residence Of eight years in the South,
the entire time being spent in labOring for
and among the coloied people, has enabled
me TO mature some views on the points
mentioned, which are more hopeful than
those which are now current in the papers
Of the North.
at is not to be denied for an instant
that the state of morality among the color
ed members Of churches is de2lOrably low.
Sabbath-bresking, lying, petty stealing,
adultery, and fOrnicatiOn are, alas. too
common; but 10 affirm that none are
honest and conscientious and Chasts is too
sweeping an assertion to be admitted.
Ministers and people do commit violations
Of the decalogue TO a most discouraging
extent. 1t might be readily granted that
they do this more than the ministers and
people Of churches in the North dO-far
more. But in this our day it cannot be
said that more enlightened people and
ministers are without sin.
sit is true that the mass Of the cOlored
people have an indistinct idea Of what con-
stituies a Christian walk and conversation.
1t is true that in their meetings there is a
great deal Of wildfire, and that the excel
lence Of q sermon is measured by the
amount Of noise in it, and the ability Of the
preacher TO make his hearers shout.
"In religious life they dwell more upon
church going and having a rousing time
than upon conformity to the ten command
ments. Al these things 1 grant, aud more
too. No one can appreciate their low moral
condition until he has spent years in a
situation where It grows upon him.
"Yet, after having made this admission,
l am free to affirm that the more l have
seen Of their religion and Of the power it
has over their lives, the more respect Ihsve
felt for it,