#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: Faith is Not Religion Never Was Never Has Been

NNPA_NEWSWIRE — Jesus died to save us from us. Hence, God’s grace gives us insight that in Christ, salvation is still ours if we only give all things up to the indisputable mercy of God and His love for us.

Published

6 years ago

April 21, 2019

Oakland Post

By James A. Washington, Publisher of the Dallas Weekly, NNPA Newswire Contributor

A minister friend of mine once told me that a person can have theology but no faith. He told me this because at one time I was considering going to school to study the bible. My friend, recognizing that I was a rookie trying to crack the starting lineup for Christ, suggested maybe a different course of action would be better for me and I now know he was correct.

You see most of my life I could intellectualize myself out of or into any situation. Therefore, as you can imagine, my brain was easily corrupted by Satan so much so that I never really accepted Christ into my life, although I considered myself a good and decent person.

That was the point according to my minister friend. Many people can quote scripture and are experts in what the bible says, but clearly, they have little to no faith. So instead of surrounding yourself with academicians, surround yourself with people who are believers first.

I have since found his words prophetic, because one of my blind spots dealing with faith was the hypocritical nature of scripture quoting Christians, who obviously demonstrated little faith from Sunday to Sunday. From the pulpit to the pew, it was enough to keep me out of church. That mindset you see made a winner out of the devil and a loser out of me.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Now for people of faith, that makes a lot of sense. I hear all the time that God is not a God of confusion. He has in fact made this thing rather simple.

I believe James when he says faith by itself if not accompanied by some display of works is dead. I now also believe that faith, real faith in the Almighty, demands a change in us. Faith demands that we do something, act in such a manner that those who know us best, see an attempt to walk in the ways of Christ.

There is nothing intellectual about this and I’m glad to have been hungry enough for the Word, that it led me to others’ hunger just like mine.

Now when I go to church and see what I deem hypocrisy, I cannot respond intellectually or even emotionally anymore. I am not now nor have I ever been in a position to cast the first stone.

Isn’t that the point? “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. Human beings sin and make mistakes against God. It is in our nature. Faith enters the picture as we come to realize the mystery of the gospel. Jesus died to save us from us. Hence, God’s grace gives us insight that in Christ, salvation is still ours if we only give all things up to the indisputable mercy of God and His love for us.

Once you step to Him, then life and death become pretty clear. Faith dictates that we know all of us are not worthy. We are all sinners. We all belong in the Lord’s house as often as possible, because we all do things in our own best interest as opposed to God’s. Hypocrites are hypocrites. I can’t do anything about that. I can however, recognize, how important it is to acknowledge that I’m a long way from being perfect. So is everyone else.

One of the things a faith walk will do is to give you the strength necessary to admit and then submit. Being with others who know this is as important as knowing it for yourself.

At that point theology becomes obvious and faith becomes tangible, so tangible in fact that you can see it, touch it and subsequently act on it. It doesn’t make you perfect but it sure does show, or at least it’s supposed to. May God bless and keep you always.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

COMMENTARY: Is There More to Teaching and Learning Than Testing?

Don't Miss

Thousands Celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0xUKM6U2Lpc&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

3 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”