Black Liberation Theology

In light of Barack Obama's trouble concerning Rev. Wright's anti-American preaching, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at Black Liberation Theology. What is it? What are it's origins? Why is it part of black religion in 21st century America?

First the history, from GotQuestions.org.

Liberation Theology is an attempt to interpret Scripture through the plight of the poor. It is largely a humanistic doctrine. It started in South America in the turbulent 1950's when Marxism was making great gains among the poor because of its emphasis on the redistribution of wealth, allowing poor peasants to share in the wealth of the colonial elite and thus upgrade their economic status in life.

Since those who had money were very reluctant to part with it in any wealth redistribution model, the use of a populist (read poor) revolt was encouraged by those who worked most closely with the poor. As a result, the Liberation Theology model was mired in Marxist dogma and revolutionary causes.

Liberation Theology has moved from the poor peasants in South America to the poor blacks in America. We now have Black Liberation Theology being preached in the black community. It is the same Marxist, revolutionary, humanistic philosophy found in South American Liberation Theology and has no more claim for a scriptural basis than the South American model has. In the same way that revolutionary fervor was stirred up in South America, Liberation Theology is now trying to stir up revolutionary fervor among Blacks in America.

In practice, BLT is centered more on the social injustices and tribulations of blacks at the hands of a white-dominated society than it is about salvation, or any other traditional religious message. As we heard from Rev. Wright, BLT perpetuates the notion that blacks continue to be the victims of institutionalized and government racism that prevents them from achieving true social, economic, political, and personal freedom. In many black religious circles, the concept of Christian salvation is synonymous with liberation. You can't have one without the other.

I understand there is lingering resentment among blacks about how they or their parents were treated in years past, but to convince significant numbers of blacks that the government invented HIV to kill blacks, that the government is building prisons specifically to incarcerate blacks, that the levies in NO were intentioally breached to kill as many blacks as possible during Katrina, and that the crack epidemic is an FBI program specifically designed to keep blacks down and dependent is reprehensible! It is, therefor, perfectly justifiable to question the judgement of a man who would be President, if he associates himself with people who have these beliefs, and questions them only when it's politically expedient to do so.