Of course it did. Completely. The sad truth is that a lot of people won't, can't see that.

While listening in class today it seemed to stick out to me that the biggest obstacle we will face when trying to integrate is style. The same reasons that we have different congregations of "white" people that "cannot" be integrated will cause difficulties in integrating across racial barriers. Instruments vs. a capella, having a gym/kitchen/family life center vs. not, power point vs. pulpit...etc. Having been to black congregations before, I know how welcoming they are, and I watched a wonderful example today of how other cultures are welcome in "our" church. In my experience the discomfort comes from the difference in style, not solely race.

About the katrina thing....I wish I knew more about what exactly went on so that my answer could be more intelligent...but the way I see it, no one could help that the hurricane happened to devastate a part of our country that is predominantly black american. Perhaps I should just ask...How can we assume that the response would have been different had the area been inhabited by white americans?

Great class kabob..*smile.

GREAT DISCUSSION!! I will apologize in advance, this will be long. I am from what we like to call a "black church". But, I am aware of the problem of segregation and it is not coming from the white side. It coming from the black side. I would like to integrate, so I like to go visit "white churches" from time to time because I love the idea of unity in fellowhip. (I think it's in the Bible somewhere). The thing I think we need is for white people to come to our church, to get the ball rolling. I have a personal opinion (read: opinion, not fact) that my preacher is a bit of a racist. Our congregation does not have an open fellowship with the other white congregations in our area. It is not blatant, it is very subtle. For example, if another black congregation is having a gospel meeting and that congregation is in another state, announcements are read, a bus will go, and there is a buzz about it. If there is something like that in a white congregation across town, we hear nothing of it. It's just posted on the bulletin board in the lobby underneath all the other "important" announcements. I'm not sure if you realize it, but there is a strong bond of kinship among black churches all across America and it sadly doesn't realy include fellowships that are predominately white.

I WANT INTEGRATION. It is 2005 and it is ridiculous how we are supposed to be the unified church and we are anything but. Of course, history paints us a horrid picture of God's supposed people turning Christians away because they are black, but that was quite a long time ago.

As usual, we hide behind excuses like "they sing differently" or "they don't clap" or "they don't say amen". I give a giant smack of BS to all that. I honestly think that people are afraid. I'm not quite sure why, yet. I am very attentive to things like this and I guess I have been "researching" the issue for a while. Something I have discovered is that it is easier for a black person to enter into a white congregation than it is for a white person to enter into a black congregation.

I think the response was a reflection of incompetence......not racism.  There is a HUGE difference in the two.     I wish the govt. had gotten there within HOURS of the hurricane and saved EVERY person.....white, black, orange, or purple.   I know there were some people who could NOT leave the area.....they were destitute and had NO other choice.   On the other hand, what was scary to me was how deeply engrained this mindset of entitlement prevailed in so many people.   It was as if some were saying "no, I'm not leaving on my own............you move me if you want me to leave".     How many of those people in the Superdome or City Hall could have gotten out if they had really tried BEFORE the Hurricane hit?  Please don't say "none".      I know I'm not being Politically Correct, but that is ok.      And this entitlement issue is OUR fault, not theirs.   We have got to come up with a plan that helps people understand that THEY need to be accountable for their well-being, not the government.   I am NOT talking about those who CAN'T........I am talking about those who WON'T.     The people of God ought to be helping those who can't take care of themselves............we are called to do that, aren't we?      Racism?   The white folks along the rural areas of the coast STILL have not received the aid New Orleans has.   Incompetence?    Yeah......way too much of it.

fear scares me, because it keeps us all safe doesn't it.  how can we know until we go to those who are "other" and truly seek to learn who "they" are, and what will that take?  the aftermath of katrina reflects much deeper things, it's systemic w/ perhaps a dash of learned-helplessness.  we're all products of our environment, of our upbringing.  because of the color of my skin as well as multiple opportunities alloted to me throughout my life thus far, I have a pretty optimistic outlook on life, I've never had to have a survival mentality, I've never been subjected to a system (granted systems aren't primarily bad, nor are they solely to blame), but I totally think it comes down to race and class.  and I won't and don't understand it all, because I'm a 24 year old white female who has never wanted for anything.  I praise GOD for that, but still am pained by it all, all of it.    we've got to go, and quit being so fear-ful.

Ecclesial racial unity...in churches of Christ? There's a lot of history there. It's one of those things that seems to be impossible to do, yet to accomplish it might change everything.

It is much easier to quantify the incompetence that led to the (botched) response to Katrina. I know that racism is a reality in America, in Louisiana, and quite possibly in the White House or on Capitol Hill. But how can you measure systemic racism? I don't think that this case is a very good one for assessing the level of racism in our social structures, largely because the people who should have been responding were clearly not prepared to fulfill their job responsibilities. So with regard to your question, Bobby, I would have to say that the merest of suspicions of racism have been aroused within me....