How do Protestants deal with the KKK legacy?

[kalt]

Kalt,

Protestants do not consider the KKK their legacy or part of their legacy. You and other may consider it, but protestants do not. Since they do not, they do not teach about it. Just like they do not teach on slavery, forced Indian migrations, concentration of indians on reservations, causes of the Civil War (War between the States or War of Northern Agression etc) etc. To protestants these are not church history. Just because a member of a certain church may have belonged or even lead an historical event, does not in their minds link it to their church or movement.

The only Church history I recieved was in seminary. Two core course used to teach 2000 years of history. Now if an 11th grade highschool history class can not cover about 500 years of US history, two seminary classes can not cover 2000. It was in seminary the inquisition was mentioned, as were some protestant abuses. It was included in an hour class covering many other aspects of church history. Our teacher said all these abuses, catholic and protestants, were sins of the church.

Most protestants do not have classes on church history, their bible classes cover other subjects. Protestants, like most people, mainly live in the here and now. They will be more concerned with what is happening now in their town, church, etc. Their classes will discuss ways to strengthen your relationship with Christ, how to walk with the Lord, finances, local political issues (school prayer), how to fund missionaries, where to send missionaries etc.

So in my experience, the abuses of the past (whether catholic or protestant)are not discussed in the protestant churches I have attended or pastored. They do not believe they have anything to deal with. The sins of the father are the father’s in most peoples minds.

Fr.Mark
ACNA

I understand that there isn’t a hierarchy in the Protestant churches, so that nothing can really be “pinned” on them as a group. But that the KKK was a Protestant movement is indisputable. You mention that Protestant churches discuss the politics of the here and now. This was true of the KKK era, when ministers openly supported KKK efforts through rallies and sermons.

The question has already been answered, really. The KKK episode isn’t talked about in Protestant circles today.

As I said in an earlier post, this is all I was asking. I’m not going to ask why it’s not talked about, as that will lead to debate and accusations, and that wasn’t the point of this post.

Thank you, everyone, for answering–however tough it was getting anyone to actually say that they don’t talk about it. Was that really that hard?

Thank you, everyone.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

If you don’t want to discuss how the Protestant churches deal with the legacy, that’s fine. From the responses so far, it seems like Protestantism in general doesn’t discuss it.

There’s nothing to discuss.

It’s not a protestant legacy.

You’ve been told that.

In numerous posts, from the very beginning.

Is it so hard for you to accept that.

Or, do you really have an agenda despite stating you didnt?

 

[kalt]

There’s nothing to discuss.

It’s not a protestant legacy.

You’ve been told that.

In numerous posts, from the very beginning.

Is it so hard for you to accept that.

Or, do you really have an agenda despite stating you didnt?

I’m responding only to let you know that I’m not ignoring your post. The question has been answered, and I’ve thanked those who participated. Though I didn’t ask this question to begin a debate and point fingers, others have brought up issues that will eventually lead to Protestant bashing. I asked the question, and it has been answered to my satisfaction. I won’t be readiing this thread again.

Thank you, everyone.

 

[Xavierlives]

As I said in an earlier post, this was a Protestant group. There is no such thing as a Protestant hierarchy that compares to the CC, so though this was clearly a Protestant movement, it can never be “pinned on” them as a group. But look at the number of people who participated in this group–women, men, and youth. I’ve read estimates that 40% (more?) of elligible people became members. (They wouldn’t accept anyone they didn’t consider “100% American”, so anyone who wasn’t Protestant, white, and of good character wasn’t elligible. We have evidence of Protestant ministers giving sermons favorable to the KKK, and even drumming up membership through rallies.

It’s clear that this was a Protestant movement. How do Protestants deal with this episode in their history?

Protestants don’t deal with it. There is no need. It isn’t their movement. The KKK was an independent movement free and clear of any religious denomination. They might have had religious targets but that doesn’t make them religious. Because they are anti-Catholic doesn’t make them protestant (Not everything red is a fire engine). People are free to be members of a wide variety of organizations and if they were members of a Baptist Church and the KKK, the two are separate, they aren’t members of the KKK Baptist Church.

The problem is you are trying to enflame people who have no connection or history to this. You can’t just try to connect dots and say some people were members of the KKK. Some people were members of protestant churches. Therefore, this is a protestant issue. Logic does not work that way.

Now, if you would like to talk about the Southern Baptist breakaway because of slavery, that would be a different subject.

 

[shawn38]

And I want to add that I didn’t ask the question to compare the two. I asked how Protestants deal with the KKK legacy today.

Understand that the actions were that of individuals and not the church. Report them to the authorities.

 

[AmateurPianist]

If we go by the responses here, it seems that the Protestant churches don’t discuss this topic at all.

You are absolutely right. Why should we?

There is no KKK chapter in our community.

We do not have a problem with members of our church joining the KKK.

There have been no cross burnings in our county for as long as we have lived there anyway.

We tend to like to discuss stuff that is relevant to those who listening. If we talk about social issues at all it would be killing babies and gay marriage. The KKK is just relevant to anybody where I live.

So why should we be talking about the KKK again please?

 

[KathleenGee]

The cross burnings were directed primarily at the Catholic Church.

But I think all of Christianity should come together and repent of our sins and return as one. We are fallen without each other.

 

[KathleenGee]

I never knew until today in the times of mass communications that the Catholic Church was founded by Constantine.

 

[RDJ12345]

Many Protestants on these boards have brought up the inquisitions which happened centuries ago. I wonder how they deal with the much closer (in time) KKK episodes in their own churches.

I’m not bringing this up today to talk about the Protestants’ acceptance of and participation in such an anti-Christian group. I bring it up today to ask, why, when Protestants bring up the Inquisitions of centuries ago, they don’t also bring up the organized attacks by the KKK, when many members of their Protestant churches today were members of the KKK when it perpetrated these atrocities and controlled the police headquarters, city halls, and state houses–when it had influence over the organizations that could have stopped the attacks.

Of course the KKK goes back further than the civil rights era–back to before people still alive today were born. So I’m talking only about the KKK atrocities perpetrated more recently.

How does the Protestant Christian community address this issue? Is it ever mentioned in sermons? Have former KKK members been asked to speak at Bible studies or other church-organized events? Have the churches made formal statements renouncing the KKK and accepting responsibility when appropriate (when their own congregants/ministers) were participants or supporters(members)?

And for individuals who belong to a church that had ministers and congregants involved, especially those who were actively involved (not just supporters (ie members), do you feel like you still have to prove that things are different now? Do you think that someone’s reluctance to accept that things have really changed so soon after the events (people who committed the acts are still alive) is justified?

Please, I’m not starting this thread to attack Protestantism over the evil of the KKK. I’m asking only to find out how Protestantism is dealing with this very recent episode in its history.

I would love to know how the CC dealt with the inquisitions after the fact. If they were asked to explain the behavior. I’m thinking that they probably weren’t. News traveled much more slowly then, and I wouldn’t be surprised, given the very small number of executions in any given year, that people outside of the immediate areas that were targeted would have very little knowledge of what happened. Without mass media, I wonder if people outside of the cities got much information about anything. If anyone knows, please post here.

It’s not a problem in my view because anyone who is or was a member of the KKK is not a real Christian. Galatians 3:28 make this pretty clear.

 

[cyberwolf001]

Oddly the KKK accepts Catholics these days… An I’ve meet a few Catholic Klansmen.

 

[RDJ12345]

Oddly the KKK accepts Catholics these days… An I’ve meet a few Catholic Klansmen.

Interesting. Are these Catholic Klansmen still dedicated to the Catholic Church? Do they have a lower ranking or anything like that in the Klan because they are Catholic? I always thought it was strange that the KKK started accepting Catholics since they hated Catholics so much in the 1920s.

 

[4Squarebaby]

Interesting. Are these Catholic Klansmen still dedicated to the Catholic Church? Do they have a lower ranking or anything like that in the Klan because they are Catholic? I always thought it was strange that the KKK started accepting Catholics since they hated Catholics so much in the 1920s.

They’re on the wrong side of history, they will take any white people they can get. For the KKK hopefully before the Neo Nazis, skinheads and Aryan groups get to them.

 

[Matthew_P_Muehl]

Well, last time I checked the KKK was never part of any organized religion. So, while the Inquisitions are an actual Catholic Church Action, the KKK was not.

That would be like saying, I’d like to talk to all the Catholics and Anglicans about football hooliganism. (No, I am not equating the KKK to soccer hooligans, just saying, they are two groups of people who don’t answer to the others).

That’s true but the people in organized religion made up the kkk.

Matt

 

[Dokimas]

Many Protestants on these boards have brought up the inquisitions which happened centuries ago. I wonder how they deal with the much closer (in time) KKK episodes in their own churches.

I’m not bringing this up today to talk about the Protestants’ acceptance of and participation in such an anti-Christian group. I bring it up today to ask, why, when Protestants bring up the Inquisitions of centuries ago, they don’t also bring up the organized attacks by the KKK, when many members of their Protestant churches today were members of the KKK when it perpetrated these atrocities and controlled the police headquarters, city halls, and state houses–when it had influence over the organizations that could have stopped the attacks.

Of course the KKK goes back further than the civil rights era–back to before people still alive today were born. So I’m talking only about the KKK atrocities perpetrated more recently.

How does the Protestant Christian community address this issue? Is it ever mentioned in sermons? Have former KKK members been asked to speak at Bible studies or other church-organized events? Have the churches made formal statements renouncing the KKK and accepting responsibility when appropriate (when their own congregants/ministers) were participants or supporters(members)?

And for individuals who belong to a church that had ministers and congregants involved, especially those who were actively involved (not just supporters (ie members), do you feel like you still have to prove that things are different now? Do you think that someone’s reluctance to accept that things have really changed so soon after the events (people who committed the acts are still alive) is justified?

Please, I’m not starting this thread to attack Protestantism over the evil of the KKK. I’m asking only to find out how Protestantism is dealing with this very recent episode in its history.

I would love to know how the CC dealt with the inquisitions after the fact. If they were asked to explain the behavior. I’m thinking that they probably weren’t. News traveled much more slowly then, and I wouldn’t be surprised, given the very small number of executions in any given year, that people outside of the immediate areas that were targeted would have very little knowledge of what happened. Without mass media, I wonder if people outside of the cities got much information about anything. If anyone knows, please post here.

Error is error is error; wrong teaching is wrong teaching is wrong teaching; wickedness is wickedness is wickedness … no matter who commits it. There’s enough to go around that non of us should throw stones and I do mean non of us. Get my drift?

 

[Dokimas]

Why is everyone trying so hard not to discuss the actual topic - how the Protestant churches deal with the KKK legacy? It’s a simple question.

Does your church discuss this topic at all? I wonder especially about the churches who had members in the KKK. (individual congregations)

Every time a church discusses sin it discusses everyone of us including the KKK.

 

[Dokimas]

.

I’m not aware that the KKK was made up of an unusual percentage of Lutherans…

I think the Inquasition was managed exclusively by Catholics.

Athough I leave this whole thing alone, I think the point of some bringing up The Catholic Church’s role in events like that is vis-a-vis the claim of The Catholic Church alone to infallibility and unaccountability. Since no other denomination in the world claims such for self, it’s kind of a moot point when applied to them. But I agree - all this is ancient history, NONE is infallible or unaccountable or what they say or do, and that goes for The Catholic Church too (which is one reason why I left The Catholic Church).

.

Good points. TY.

 

[Dokimas]

On this we disagree. There is nothing in Christian theology that states that Christians will behave perfectly. If sinners are not Christians, then no man is Christian.

This quote by Kalt was in response to the KKK members not being Christian.​

Kalt,

How important are works in our salvation? Won’t we be known by our fruits? The CC rightfully remind of of James’ words to us about faith and works. Let’s examine the ‘works’ of the KKK – killing innocent people because of judging them by their skin color or religion. They hate in the name of ‘god’. It’s quite clear that the KKK and many (if not most) of its member are/were not Christians. It’s not just a sin issue; it’s saying you are listening (reading into the Bible what’s not there) to God and being obedient to Him. How many of the acts of the KKK are of God? If not of God, there is a god that is a murder from the beginning.

 

[Dokimas]

Why is everyone trying so hard not to discuss the actual topic - how the Protestant churches deal with the KKK legacy? It’s a simple question.

Does your church discuss this topic at all? I wonder especially about the churches who had members in the KKK. (individual congregations)

As a non-catholic Christian, the KKK is not part of my legacy. Maybe that’s part of the blessing of all our 40,000 denominations. (or is it 30,000?)