There’s a notorious Jolson number, Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule, in which Jolson, in black-face, is seen entering a Heaven full of black angels, with a black St Peter, etc. It’s absurd of course but it did make me wonder how Christians, especially in the Southern states, regarded Heaven. Did they imagine it would be segregated or that there would be a ‘separate but equal’ section for colored folks? I can’t for a moment imagine that they would have been happy rubbing shoulders for Eternity with Old Black Joe. And if they did envisage a whites-only part of Heaven were any attempts made to justify it theologically?
If their conception of an afterlife replicated the life they were used to — an assumption I am willing to make on the grounds that not even the dumbest labourer or aristocrat was expecting to sit on a golden throne for eternity, being rewarded by God indefinitely for undisclosed reasons — then it would contain most of the elements minus those inclined to harm of the only existence known to them or their imagination.
They might be able to avoid persons they disliked, but that wouldn’t mean those persons did not go to Heaven if so qualified. Some people don’t care for all their family members: doesn’t mean the latter are cursed by God to Hell; just that the former have the option of not associating with them further.
I am perfectly prepared to believe the average black slave’s idea of heaven included no white folks.
That’s probably one of those theological questions that slave owners and segregationists tried not to think about. It’s not surprising that the abolitionist movement was predominantly made up of the fervently religious, who probably thought a lot more about the afterlife than your typical white person trying to make a buck or maintain his meager (racism supported) social status.
And not only that, I would bet that surprisingly large numbers of 21st century Christians believe that today.
A related question: how many believed (or still believe) that race exists in heaven (white people are still white, etc.)?
Or likely they assumed their Heaven would continue their earthly existence as before along with plenty of happy slaves and the scent of magnolias in the breeze.
Through that syncretism common to the layman: they may have absorbed ancient non-christian religious beliefs that individual slaves might be personal slaves for eternity — one reason norse paganism sacrificed slaves and animals with the disposing of an owner’s body ( the Shang Chinese of course buried hundreds of slaves with an owner, sometimes without killing them beforehand; but I don’t know whether this was for future service or as a personal sacrifice in destroying valuables ).
As late as 1954 another non-christian, but not devoted to slavery religion, the Latter Day Saints taught The Negro could attain Heaven ( … through strict obedience one assumes ), but as a servant forever.
Presumably the difference betwixt that and slavery would not be that one is unpaid and the other is paid, since no-one is paid in Heaven; but some remarkably obscure point of doctrine
At least some believers hold that, at the general resurrection, everyone is raised from the grave and given their own, old body back, yet healed of all hurts. The one-armed man gets his missing arm back again.
Some hold that everyone is normalized to the age of 33, Jesus’ age at the time of the Passion.
This was taught by at least one Seventh Day Adventist church. Also, illustrations in “The Watchtower,” the magazine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, depict people in heaven, having obvious modern racial/etchnic characteristics.
So…useless answer, but “Some do.”
From what I have heard, I get the feeling the is some doubt as to whether non-white people have souls.
A guy dies and goes to Heaven. St Peter meets him at the gate and gives him a tour. The walk down one street with large houses and very well-tended yards and a nice golf course. This is where the Methodists stay says Peter. They turn a corner, and it’s still nicely kept, but there are bars at every intersection. Catholic section say Peter. They come to another gate. Peter tells the guy *We need to be quiet walking past here. This is the Baptist section, and they think they’re the only ones here. *
I do- race, gender, even diverse languages- exist in Heaven. Revelation 7- John sees the redeemed of all races & languages. God delights in unity in diversity.
And it looks like they all happily mix together.
One slight correction here, the Latter Day Saints do believe in Jesus so by definition are Christian, however some more conservative Christian groups denounce them because of their additional beliefs.
One theory I’ve come across is that the frequent references in Negro spirituals to crossing the Jordan to freedom were less about the afterlife than the *present *life - they were praying for a literal crossing of the Ohio River to free territory.
Among some groups yes, like the “Christian Identity Movement”.
Underlining mine.
All I’m saying is when we die, there’s gonna be a planet for the French, and a planet for the Chinese, and we’ll all be a lot happier.
… and some of the most devout are going to be in for a big surprise.
I agree.