Jesus is My Homeboy

Karl Marx once commented on religion as being the "opiate for the masses." This way of understanding religion, recognized the ways in which this ideology of a supreme being has been used to both usher and numb people through the pains of the world. Anyone who knows me knows that my relationship with religion, the church, God, and the entire concept has been off kilter for quite some time now. However, in all its coincidental glory, in the wake of my tumultuous relationship with the church, I have come to notice the interaction of others with the spiritual force that is supposed to control their lives.

A few years ago, I remember the slogan "Jesus is my Homeboy" came out. Started by a younger generation, who had grown up during a time where Kirk Franklin began to combine the secular with the sacred, this slogan appeared to make Christianity sound so appealing. While slightly combated by some who proclaimed "Jesus is NOT my Homeboy, He's My Savior," the preface behind the first slogan still proves to be prevalent.

Then Kanye West came out with "Jesus Walks." As a rabid Kanye West fan, this record can still do no wrong in my eyes. Yet, even before he interrupted Taylor Swift on stage, walked the red carpet with a bottle of Hennessey, and traded his soul for a blonde dyke started dating Amber "Catsuit" Rose, his actions were contrary to the lyrics he professed about in his song, or the Jesus piece he wore around his neck. Anyways, enough of Kanye West, after all the relationship between rappers and religion is sketchy by default anyway. Something like the rapper who thanks God at the Award Show after he wins an award for his LP "Big Booty H*es Talk A Lotta Sh**" o__O. However, I have to wonder about some of the people I see and talk to everyday.

Take for instance the guy whose profile I visited on Facebook yesterday who had a status message asking if any ladies received "fallacio" last night. After being corrected that women give and do not receive fellatio he re-asked the question as to whether any women had received or wanted some "cunnalingus" <-------head in hand. I promise I have a point and I'm not just writing this to poke fun at his stupidity, lol. Flash forward to this morning and a status of his pops up in my newsfeed:

"WOKE UP WITH THIS ON MY MIND. NOW WE ALL HAVE FLOWN B4 CORRECT? WE GET ON A PLANE WITH THE MINDSET THAT I KNOW THAT DIS PILOT IS GOING TO LAND THIS PLANE. NO MATTER IF TURBULENCE STRIKES THE PLANE OR NOT. HOW COME WE CAN'T FEEL LIKE THAT ABOUT GOD & LIFE? I KNOW THAT HE'S TAKING ME THROUGH TURBULENCE RIGHT NOW IN MY LIFE BUT I KNOW MY PILOT IS GOING TO LAND MY PLANE? BUILD YOUR FAITH NOT YOUR FATE!"

Ya'll know I was giving the o__O. I mean the sentiment was BEAUTIFUL really, but c'mon dude. I can't take you seriously. Like you need more people. Preferally, yes preferally, Jesus, Joseph, Mary (both of them), AND the twelve disciples. Under his status someone commented "If you keep this up, I'm gon have to start calling you Rev." REALLY??? The same dude that was asking people about sexual actions not more than 20 hours ago?

Or what about the chick whose status read "God Forgive me, but this fat b**** is getting on my nerves!" To which I asked her... "o__O sooo do you really think he'll forgive you?" I mean I just think that at some point in time people need to stop with the "God know my heart" excuse.

I know, I know. The relationship that a person has with Christ is a personal one, we aren't supposed to judge, and so forth. However, when I was a little girl there was a simple little song that said "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." However, nowadays I don't see much of that anywhere and I have to wonder how did this happen?

*Black is Breezie Disclaimer* Now this post is not to be judgmental, it is just to point out what I have been noticing lately about the way people, specifically African Americans, treat religion as some sort of scapegoat to do the same mess that non-believers as though their proclamation of a relationship with Jesus overrides their foolishness. How did there become such a disconnect between the reverence and representation of the God that people claim they serve?