KEEPING IT REAL OR KEEPING IT WRONG? THE LIMITATIONS OF BORROWED BLACK THEOLOGY AS A VEHICLE FOR SEE
- Jul 7, 2017
- 4 min read
Logic is the science of reasoning in which an argument is viewed as valid or faulty based on arriving at a sound conclusion based on true claims. A proper understanding and application of logic undergirds any serious understanding and application of mathematics, science, debate, law, history, economics, sociology, psychology, legislation, and the scholarship involved in these areas.
And yet, there is one conspicuous area where logic seems to be underappreciated and woefully underutilized: Theology.
This curious phenomenon likely begins with Europe’s unashamed theft and flawed understanding of ancient African philosophy and spiritual systems. Greece and Rome – widely considered the progenitors of European civilization – took African ideas, claimed them as their own, projected themselves as the philosophical masters of humanity and referred to Africans as uncivilized and primitive.
But I digress…the point here is that when they became the self-appointed masters of religion and philosophy, they taught their misrepresented understanding of these things to all of us. This explains why they, and now many of us, mistook mythology as being literal, historical truths. They didn’t understand that the Kemetic deities they read about were not meant to represent distant actual beings, by symbolic aspects of divinity reflected in humans themselves.
So now millions of Black Christians for example, believe that a woman had a child without sexual intercourse and that child eventually grew into a man that came back from death. And they believe this despite all scientific and natural laws to the contrary.
Moreover, such religious adherents are told that no one can realize true spiritual salvation or enlightenment unless they believe in this man and the mythology surrounding him. Most were never taught that this entire story derives from the myth of Ausar, Auset and Heru in ancient Kemet (Egypt) thousands of years before Christ. Nor do most know that the story was partly based on astronomy and other observations of the natural environment. The resulting beliefs were not seen as fact, but allegory or myth designed to teach higher truths (they can thank confused and arrogant Europeans for that element of confusion).
This brings us to our current confused state of affairs. Brothers and sisters subscribing to various religious beliefs dismiss, disregard, and even revise history, geography, science and logic itself to fit their beliefs. In some cases they are told that Islam is the original religion of their ancestors, and Arabic their original language. Or that Hebrews were the original people of the Earth that created the first written ethical code. Or that the Buddah’s wise teachings were his original creations. Or that Arabs were historical allies of African people that did not help to conquer and enslave those same people.
In each of these false narratives, we witness examples of faulty claims and conclusions, blatant lies, revisionist history and horrible logic. We also cannot help but note that in each of these instances, African history, culture and ingenuity are devalued and hidden from plain sight. When this is done, African people and members of the Diaspora are also devalued. This is why some believe that it is a waste of time to pursue knowledge of Africana Studies or a degree in the discipline. This is the result of a centuries-long attempt to humiliate our ancestors and remove any trace of African genius.
Seek truth, not validation of your enemies' beliefs which you've adopted. Return to the source and stop mimicking thieves and liars with an overly simplistic and truncated understanding of the ideas your ancestors brought forth to the world. Resolve to “keep it real,” and stop helping to keep it wrong. Logic demonstrates that a copy of an original degrades in quality with each subsequent copy……BLACK LIVES, HISTORY AND IDEAS MATTER!
Agyei Tyehimba is an educator, activist and author from Harlem, N.Y. Agyei is a former NYC public schoolteacher, co-founder of KAPPA Middle School 215 in the Bronx, NY, and co-author of the Essence Bestselling book, Game Over: The Rise and Transformation of a Harlem Hustler, published in 2007 by Simon & Schuster. In 2013, he wrote The Blueprint: A BSU Handbook, teaching Black student activists how to organize and lead. In April of 2014, he released Truth for our Youth: A Self-Empowerment Book for Teens. In 2015, he wrote My Two Cents: Unsolicited Writings on Race, Politics, and Culture. Agyei has appeared on C-Span, NY1 News, and most recently on the A&E documentary, “The Mayor of Harlem: Alberto ‘Alpo’ Martinez.”
Currently, Agyei runs his own business publishing books, public speaking, and teaching Black people how to organize and fight for empowerment. He is the founder and coordinator of Harlem Liberation School and the YouTube channel Black Liberation University.
Agyei earned his Bachelor’s Degree in sociology from Syracuse University, his Master’s Degree in Africana Studies from Cornell University, and his Master’s Degree in Afro-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
If you are interested in bringing Agyei to speak or provide consultation for your organization, please contact him at truself143@gmail.com
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