Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions

3. The Apostles’ Creed: Racial Similarities in Commitments to Core Christian Tenets

48 3 The Apostles’ Creed Racial Similarities in Commitments to Core Christian Tenets I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell. On the third day He arose again; He ascended into heaven, And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic Church1 the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. For nearly 2,000 years, Christians (especially in the Western tradition) across places, denominations, and cultures have subscribed to the Apostles’ Creed. The creed exists in two forms; a shorter and longer version. The shorter version, often called the Old Roman SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 48 SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 48 7/30/12 10:02 AM 7/30/12 10:02 AM The Apostles’ Creed 49 Form, can be traced back as far as 140 AD. The longer form, recorded above, took final shape somewhere between the 5th and 7th centuries. It is this version that is recited by Christians around the world today.2 There are several Christian creeds, but it is the Apostles’ Creed that is upheld as describing the core essential beliefs of Christians, no matter a believer’s denomination or branch of the faith. Despite differences across times, places, cultures, races, ethnicities, nations, and traditions , the Apostles’ Creed represents the closest universal statement of fundamental Christian beliefs. We ask in this chapter whether black and white American Protestants differ in any core Christian tenets, using the Apostles’ Creed as our guide. This is the place to start to be sure, given that there is a longstanding history of mistrust between these believers; at times, each has wondered whether the other is quite fully Christian. The authors of this book, and likely many of our readers, have heard members of one racial group question the other’s commitment to Christianity. For instance, among blacks talking with blacks, Jason Shelton has heard people say things like, “Do they really believe in the same God? If they do, then how come there’s so much racism in America?” or “They may believe in God, but they don’t seem to rely on God’s Power—they’re too busy relying on themselves.” Similarly, among whites talking with whites, Michael Emerson has heard people question whether African Americans can really be practicing Christians since they seem to focus on religious emotionalism rather than theological training. He’s heard people say things like, “If they are Christians, why are so many black children born out of wedlock?” or “Why do they always seem to want the government to give them special treatment? God helps those who help themselves.” Given the questioning that often occurs in same-race groups but is rarely voiced in mixed-race groups, we explore whether there are racial differences in commitments to core Christian theological tenets. We seek to determine the extent to which black and white Protestants meaningfully differ from one another across fundamental Christian beliefs as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed. SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 49 SheltonEmerson_pp001-270.indd 49 7/30/12 10:02 AM 7/30/12 10:02 AM 50 The Apostles’ Creed Core Christian Tenets No Christian belief is more fundamental than the belief in God, the belief that a Supreme Being exists. The first four words of the Apostles ’ Creed are “I believe in God.” So we were interested in analyzing the extent to which study participants agree or disagree with the following statement: “I definitely believe in God.” More than 9 out of 10 black and white Protestants who participated in the Portraits of American Life Study (PALS) “strongly agree” that they believe in God. Only about 1 out of 100 at least “somewhat disagree” (see descriptive table B.3A). Still, the percentages are not exactly the same for the two groups. In our sample, it appears that black Protestants lean slightly more toward the nonagreement options and the “strongly agree” option than do white Protestants. So can we conclude that black and white Protestants differ from each other on this question? We would be making at least...