The big “news” these days is that presidential candidate Herman Cain recorded a Gospel album about 15 years ago. The CBS News Political Hotsheet reports that this album, Sunday Morning, was recently posted on the Internet – not by the Cain campaign itself, but by “an independent website called DraftCain.org that backs Cain’s presidential bid.” For those who may be surprised at this Gospel offering from Herman Cain, one question seems to be in order: What part of his being an Associate Minister of the Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta, Georgia don’t folks understand? The Political Hotsheet mentions that Cain “has certainly made his religious convictions clear.”
The Antioch Baptist Church North has also communicated its convictions. Headlining its website are these descriptors: Bible-Based, Christ-Centered, Holy Spirit-Led, Mission-Bound, along with Fellowship, Evangelism, Doctrine, Stewardship. This church traces its roots back to an 1877 “prayer band” of eight former slaves.
At that time, Atlanta was just beginning to recuperate from the ravages of the Civil War, and relationships between blacks and whites were particularly strained. There was intense competition for jobs. Knowing that former slaves had worked for nothing in the past, builders and merchants “would hire four to five blacks for the wages of one white person.” This caused a great deal of resentment on both sides of the color divide. Because traveling through white neighborhoods in order to attend church “was like putting one’s life into the hands of the devil,” this aforementioned prayer group of former slaves was then formed.
Throughout the years, Antioch Baptist Church North has continued its proud traditions of strong congregational and community involvement. Going into the 21st century, it pledges to “build upon a legacy of strong Christian service worthy of continued emulation and a very special place close to our Savior’s throne.”
JFK had described himself as “the Democratic Party’s candidate for President, who happens to also be a Catholic.” If Cain could maintain a similar church-and-state type of separation, plus maintain a factual and respectful attitude towards other faith traditions, then his “joyful noise unto the Lord” would not have to pose a political problem.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Cain
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20078541-503544.html
http://www.antiochnorth.org/ourchurch.htm
http://electcain.com/default.aspx
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnfkenn164048.html
http://www.bartleby.com/108/19/98.html
Copyright July 14, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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