Without going into heavy details, I know from whence I speak when I say Shirley Caesar – yeah, Gospel icon and self-espoused “Diva for God” – is one horrendous excuse for how a Christian should act. And almost shameful to the Black Church (No, this isn’t a double standard. Yes, there is a difference).
Despite what I know (and have experienced first-hand), check this story about a sermon she opened in her Mount Calvary Word of Faith church entitled, “God Vindicated the Black Folk.”
“Too long we’ve been at the bottom of the totem pole, but he has vindicated us, hallelujah,” she cried. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t have nothing to put my head down for, praise God. Because when I look toward Washington, D.C., we got a new family coming in. We got a new family coming in. And you know what? They look like us. Amen, amen. They look like us.”
Look here, Doc (with your uber-fake and completely honorary Ph.D.), a few notes for your high holy clarification:
- God “vindicated” us the moment this tall Amish-looking dude looking all presidential stood up and discussed his four score years in under four minutes. It’s egregious and shameful it took reiteration 100 years later from Dr. King and the giants of the civil rights movement.
- God allows man the ability to choose, such as the men who chose to tell Texas slaves more than two years later about that very speech. (For the record, any fool who openly advocates Juneteenth is embracing a generation of people just being duped. Good on ya!).
- Man’s unadulterated and abysmal choices have caused more pain upon generations of mankind than any war, any plague, anything. Choices don’t require vindication. They demand a reckoning.
- Black folk TODAY weren’t vindicated. No one in my clique, fraternity or family felt that reckoning and shattering of stereotypes, but no vindication. That word implies guilt and 90 percent of this country’s white folk (because let’s be honest, that’s who this bigoted broad is targeting with her vitriol) had nothing to do with the atrocity of slavery 400 years ago.
Sunday is indeed the most segregated day of the week, and prejudicial fools like Caesar only prove (and enhance) Dr. King’s – and yours truly – argument. She could care less about the anybody-not-black-folk who adore her music, which is shameful considering who she represents.
She is more focused on the hollow, half-baked promises of Barack Obama, than the grace-filled truth in the Word of God at this moment.
He is our (yes, even for those of you who can’t stand his policies or his skin tone) president and we should pray for him like crazy. But to extol him as the banner of righteousness over years of oppression is lunacy. It is a benchmark of how far this country has came… not just you, Shirley Caesar.
Obviously, people in this position need it… case in point, the dude packing his boxes now.
If you are a black pastor, and are old enough to remember – or worse, lived through – the Civil Rights Movement, by all means celebrate! BUT, know this moment is not just for you. Barack Obama was voted in by 54 percent of this country. In other words, not just “black folk.” Much to your collective dismay, white folk, brown folk, red folk and even yellow folk were sprinkled on your political salad that you are attempting to toss.
If I was old enough to have marched, I would dip my corns in gold and show them off to the world. But since I am attached to it only by history books and a few divine personal encounters, I can only pontificate here. Much like everyone else black, white or Neapolitan who wasn’t there as well. What’s interesting is all the Hispanics and Whites that marched as well. What Dr. King espoused was peace – a sacred principle devoid of color or creed. It was meant for black folk, but it impacted us all.
The “us all” is crucial to this argument considering Barack Obama is half-white. So, did God only vindicate half of his family. That’s kind of rude considering Obama is the strident vindicator, don’t you think?
MEMO to Shirley Caesar: You’re an idiot. Consider you have a global audience and although in your world, it’s black like your coffee… THE world is not. It’s more like… well, Obama. A melting pot of religion, race, creed and culture. Which reminds me of something:
If God is in the business of vindicating “the black folk,” what in the hell is he waiting for when it comes to the Native Americans? Iron Eyes Cody ran out of tears eons ago waiting for that. You old twit.
The Writing on the Wall 
You know im sorry to disagree. I’m not a fan of the pastor or even Obama for that matter, but I see nothing wrong with the African American culture embracing the moment. Black have struggled for so long and I think that its a good thin there is something positive. Oh yea I a proud African American, and im republican. The things I go through on a daily basis are ridiculous and I think for you to attack her is kind of wrong. Other races celebrate success of their community, why cant we?
The African American Church historically (AME, CME, and AME Zion) has stood as the center of African American power and influence spiritually, politically or economically. The African American preacher was often one of the few well educated members of the church and would inform less literate members of the political process. Here lately, advocating voting for any specific candidate is done off the record nevertheless, we should continue to support those that will help the entire community. Please study history and discontinue these uninformed posts that unnecessarily putting down fellow Christians. If you see a splinter in your brother or sisters eye maybe it’s the log in our eye that’s blinding your view. Jesus said to be a light to the world and your light is dimmed by putting down others. If you feel that Pastor Shirley Caesar is not what she should be then pray for her but you are wrong for trying to diminish her ministry. Get busy yourself for God and maybe you won’t have the time to be a sideline quarterback!
Now that is ture, I went to that church about 3 months ago. We read one scripture out of the 3 hours that they held service and than they just had the so-call prophet’s to speak to try and brainwash the innocent people that they are sent by God to give them a revelation. God want his living words not the words of man.
Shirley Ceasar was not called by God to preach and rightly divide his living Words of God. They play church. The presents of the Lord isn’t felt in that house. Light’s , Camera, Action.
Thanks. I am old enough to remember the tail end of the civil rights movement and young enough not to have been scarred by it. I fully embraced that message along with the message of the gospel. Somehow I saw that God wanted things changed at that age. I also understood that the gospel forgave all people of all their sin. The only thing we had to do is accept that sacrifice and believe it to receive the benefits of it.
There are too many people that had racial hatred that the Lord rooted out of their hearts. I also talk with a friend of mine in CA that grew up in the deep south. She was one of many blacks that were the first to integrate white high schools. Unless issues like this come up you would never know she witnessed a lot of the horrors that took place in the deep south. The Lord can deal with issues of the heart and a messed up mind (2 Cor 10:3-5 or 6).
False doctrine is prevalent in the church today. It is really a mess in the vast majority of blacks churches. They do not seem to know where the line begins and ends between politics and religion. I can see however how that happened since so many people that led during the civil rights movement were preachers. Whether God called them or not I cannot say. However there was scripture accurately used to support the civil rights effort. The mistake was that this was the only emphasis in the bchurch. There are many other things in the word that must be taught as CBW has said.
You also have the issue of the love of money. Keep them dumb and needy and you will have a steady paycheck. Sad but true.
Kwesi – just keeping it real. You know? Thanks for constantly checking in.
CBW – My new partner. Glad to see you commenting over here. Keep doing what you do. Nice point about the shepherds truly being the dumb ones. Indeed!
Pamela – Keep sage commentary like that coming strong on the Wall. You are so right. I don’t care what happened. The minute his ministers begin using the Bible as a shield for their bigotry is way too long to stop. Then again, it’s been done for centuries, so maybe a rude awakening is coming much sooner than they think.
You have me chocking with laughter! You are really clowning. What’s up with that ?
[…] Politics, preacher, prejudice, president, public relations, religion, stereotype Despite the ramblings of ordained brain-dead dolts like Shirley Caesar, this past presidential election was historic for several reasons – mainly because there is a black […]
I was 8 when Dr. King was murdered. I remember my parents using that moment to explain the Civil Rights movement and what it hoped to accomplish.
Whether or not people went through the horror that my parents and others experienced during those horrible years it is never time to show revenge according to the Bible. God is merciful to even the meanest, vilest people around. To think that God is sitting up their throwing vengeance at people when the Bible says that all of God’s wrath was put on Jesus Christ. He settled the punishment for all sin for all eternity. All that people have to do is admit their need for Christ, that they are lost without Him, believe that His sacrifice paid for their sin and turn from their wicked ways. Every racist has the same standing as their victims in God’s eyes. Apparently not in the eyes of people like Shirley Caesar. This is a pretty sad thing to hear. However I am not surprised for I have heard other amazing nonsense from Christians saying that this was God’s will.
HiScrivener~The black church is now doing more harm than good. I have very close friends who pastor churches and I have admonished them to step up their game because their “sheep” are dumb. But the real problem is that the shepherds are dumb. Either that or just flat out wicked. How else can one explain all the heresy found in today’s black churches. I’m not surprised by Shirley Ceaser’s comments she will say anything to get a rouse out of a crowd as will most black clergy who feed on the emotionalism of black folks. It’s a sad situation.