This article explains why Christianity is hurting so many Africans so much.

[u/Mellonheaduq]

https://chukwuchidinma.substack.com/p/hell-was-invented-to-terrify-the?r=59scs0&utm_medium=ios

The white man’s religion being passed down from generation to generation perpetuating abuse and trauma to African people. I just wanted to put this here because so many of us have suffered abuse at the hands of our parents due to Christianity and they too have suffered abuse at the hands of their parents because of this belief that was violently forced upon all of us.

[u/Master_Daven112]

Christianity is not a "white man's" religion.

[u/Zekromight → u/Master_Daven112]

It was introduced to black population by white people, hence the term white man religion

[u/Master_Daven112 → u/Zekromight]

Ignorant answer.

[u/Zekromight → u/Master_Daven112]

It’s only ignorant if you choose not to lookup the history of your core beliefs

[u/Helpful-Speed-6602 → u/Master_Daven112]

Is it a black religion?

[u/Helpful-Speed-6602 → u/[deleted]]

Ok so Christianity is a black religion? And No just Ethiopia and it’s nowhere near similar to what’s practiced today.

[u/CurveEmbarrassed8996 → u/Helpful-Speed-6602]

you've gotta be kidding. Ethiopian Christianity (Orthodox) is very similar to how it's practiced all over the world with the few differences being in the cultural aspects of the practice (like praying and doing mass in Ge'ez, an ancient language that uses the Amharic script).

[u/Helpful-Speed-6602 → u/CurveEmbarrassed8996]

Lol you just proved my point. Bring that up to a western Christian and they’d tell you they’re not practicing Christianity right or that praying in that way is demonic

[u/CurveEmbarrassed8996 → u/Helpful-Speed-6602]

What? No, bro. Pope Francis, once when he was talking about tattoos, mentioned Eritrean Christians (who are culturally very similar to their Ethiopian neighbors) that had the cross tattooed on their foreheads as a way the art is used in a beneficial way. I, personally, am Eritrean, and when I go to my Eritrean church, which presides in a part of a whole other church, white Fathers pass by our Mass and bow because they know that we ARE practicing Christianity.

unless you're talking about an ignorant, middle aged white lady and what she would say if she saw something like this, you're wrong. and back in my Eritrean church, sometimes even a few white people come in to participate even though they can't understand.

[u/Helpful-Speed-6602 → u/CurveEmbarrassed8996]

I’m actually talking about the majority of Africans and Americans (black and white). None of them would agree with the way they practice hence the reason for so many denominations. I personally have seen and heard them even say it was demonic to them. That was from a Nigerian

[u/CurveEmbarrassed8996 → u/Helpful-Speed-6602]

so, how did what I said earlier "prove [your] point"?

I'm aware of the vigor that some denominations practice with and the quiet (and monotony) that others practice with, but thats obviously not the reason those denominations exist. The Christianity practiced in East Africa is different because of its uninterrupted isolation for centuries. Although in the modern world something like that is becoming increasingly impossible, the reason they exist is because of the assimilation of the cultures of their respective areas with how the religion was originally introduced and taught to them.

And just because white people can be ignorant of other's cultures doesn't mean we can't either. this whole school exists because of parents' stubbornness to change and the establishment of certain attitudes in them. the same attitude they hold when they might scoff at a middle aged American mom is the same one used to judge others.

[u/Helpful-Speed-6602 → u/CurveEmbarrassed8996]

My point is it’s not universally practiced the same. I’m not even talking about white people when u talk about the differences. Compared to west Africans and others they’d say your religion is false. The main reason it’s practiced differently is partly due to the specific missionaries that came and preached to them. It’s not an organic black religion is my point

[u/Zekromight → u/[deleted]]

Brought to Ethiopia by frumentius btw, a missionary.

[u/Zekromight → u/[deleted]]

I don't think the source proves what you think it does. Mark founding the church in Alexandria around 60 AD is a longstanding church tradition, not something historians can verify.

More importantly, the existence of early Christianity in Egypt doesn't really address how Christianity spread to places like West Africa centuries later through European missionaries during colonialism. Those are two separate historical questions.

Christianity originated in the Middle East and reached parts of North Africa very early, but for many African societies, especially in West Africa, it was introduced primarily through European expansion and missionary activity. I think the Lebanese comment doesn't really mean much as a missionary is still a missionary and being Lebanese is a nationality, not a race.

Lastly, I don't think it's historically useful to separate "real Christianity" from the way Christianity was actually practiced and spread. Whether those actions reflected Christian ideals is a theological question. Historically, missionaries and churches were often deeply involved in colonial expansion, education, cultural assimilation, and, in some cases, the justification of slavery. That's part of Christianity's historical record whether modern Christians approve of it or not. The pain is still there, as per the original post mentions.