Book Review: The Only Prayer I'll Ever Pray Let My People Go

The Only Prayer I'll Ever Pray Let My People Go  by Donald R. Wright  82 pages

Mr. Wright's book is by a black man and is about the issues of Christianity as, he thinks, it affects the black community.  He states in his forward:

It is very disappointing that the crime rate among blacks in America is high considering we are the most religious race of people in the country.  It is interesting that most racists [white supremist] are very religious.  The ills of the universe cannot be blamed on the non-religious.


And so, Mr. Wright takes a look at Christianity from the perspective of a black man who has turned from religious to non-religious.  He takes a path that many have taken when he decides to study Christian doctrine and the Bible for himself.  He ended up following the yellow brick road, looking behind the curtain and seeing that there is no great Redeemer there.  We have to make a difference ourselves as we humans are all we have got.  


I enjoyed the book and think that Mr. Wright has some very valid points such as the church helping to keep poor people in poverty by insisting that ten percent be placed in the plate every week.  Perhaps it is more fiscally sound to save that ten percent towards a rainy day than to hand it over to someone wearing a nice suit and driving a nice car - using your money.


The quotes are fantastic and we get some quotes from great thinkers who are black like Carter G. Woodson and Frederick Douglas, as well as quotes from Bertrand Russell, Epicurus, Robert G. Ingersoll,  and Albert Einstein.  


I loved the quote from Butterfly McQueen at the top of Chapter 3:  Let My People Go.  She says : 


"As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion."


This chapter deals with how Christianity was a friend to slavery and how slaves in the South were converted to the Christian religion.


If you get a chance to read this book, I say it is well worth your time.