Christocentric

Self-determination - Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-GOO-lee-ah) - To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

As a Christian, this principle of Kwanzaa, self-determination, has to be one of the most offensive of all the principles.  If we remember from my post on the first principle Unity, Karenga created Kwanzaa as a means to create a new set of moral values just for Black people.  He is a strong believer in Blacks not ascribing to values he felt were eurocentric so he wanted to create an afrocentric way of life – thus the seven principles of Kwanzaa also called it’s Swahili name – the Nguzo Saba.

Why so offensive to the Christian? Because Christianity is the opposite to the self-centeredness of this 2nd principle of Kwanzaa.  We are to die to self and live for Christ. God created us and speaks to us through His word, the Bible.  Jesus describes this letting go of self here in Matthew:

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

Some may ask, “well what do those verses have to do with a cultural celebration and self-determination?”  Knowing the complete context of the history of Kwanzaa would help in that understanding. Knowing Karenga’s intense disdain for what he considers eurocentric religions like Christianity and Judaism and his motivation to steer black people away from those religions would only complete the full meaning of this critique.

Karenga’s view of self is without God. His view of self is to determine our own moral values. His view of self is to create our own way of life.

Self-determination in Karenga’s world means a man-centered world based upon humanistic philosophy and on the color of one’s skin rather than the life centered upon God and His principles (the Bible) for ALL of mankind.

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More about Kwanzaa in the eBook:  The Truth About Kwanzaa

© 2009, Carlotta Morrow. All rights reserved.