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• 1 media/media.png media/media.png 2017-11-30T07:29:26-08:00 Church Views and the Public Sphere 11 image_header 2017-12-04T21:25:45-08:00 Overall the church as an institution is a means of security or safety for many individuals. The church not only ensures a sense of safety on to individuals but it also incites the motion of action, whether it be judgment or radicalism, dependent on the religion. Specifically, we will be discussing Christianity as it is mentioned in James Baldwin's piece "The Fire Next Time" as we dive deeper into this topic. The public sphere relating to the church is based on the view of what is spiritually right and what can be seen as sinful. This sinfulness that is portrayed by those that are not involved in the church or carrying the views of the church are usually "taught" through a sermon, a speech on a subject relating to religion, and then practiced or avoided by the listeners of said sermon. These sermons usually push Christians in this case to act a certain way that will ensure a place in heaven or get them as close to perfection as possible.
  In the video to the right, there is a sermon by the pastor of the Verity Baptist Church that includes a message on how women are affected by the devil because they are not involved in the church or under the light of God. It can be seen how the view of anyone that is outside the church is given this perception of unholy or seen as being influenced by the devil. When this is said by a pastor or someone deeply rooted in the church the outsiders see the church as a negative place because of the judgment that is often associated with the church.
  In a selection from James Baldwin's piece "The Fire Next Time", Baldwin speaks of the "safety" that seems to be synonymous with the idea of the church. As in how if a person were to devote themselves to the church such as his family did, they would be seen as a group working towards perfection in a sense rather than his surroundings as ". . . the whores and pimps and racketeers on the Avenue had become a personal menace." This shows how the church is seen as a place that can not only promote the good in people but also embark on pointing out the people who are flawed and not a part of the public sphere that is the church. This aspect of the church is seen in any institution or part of life that includes a private and public sphere, the view that if you act or think a certain way you are seen as wrong or flawed.