5 faith facts about Harriet Tubman: ‘American Moses’ is coming to $20 bill

By: RNS Staff
April 20, 2016 Updated: April 20, 2016 at 5:11 pm
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gazette.com...
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The move will make Tubman the first African-American, the first woman in more than 100 years and the first unabashed Christian to be portrayed on a bill. (Martha Washington briefly appeared on a $1 silver certificate, and Pocahontas, on the back of the $20 bill, according to The Atlantic.)
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1. Her nickname was “Moses.”
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Harriet Tubman was born in slavery around 1820 in Maryland. After escaping in 1849 to Philadelphia, she returned to the South more than a dozen times, helping to lead hundreds of slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad.
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This earned her the nickname “Moses.” And it came from her faith in God.
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“I always tole God, ‘I’m gwine to hole stiddy on you, an’ you’ve got to see me through,'” she said.
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“Well, I guess the Lord’s mistaken this time,” Johnson said.
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Tubman replied, “I guess he isn’t, sir. Anyhow, I’m gwine to sit here till I git it.” And she did: Supporters slipped $60 into her pockets while she slept, and she was able to lead her father to freedom.
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Love her pluck, courage, tenacity. What a woman!

I can't think of a major advancement for the poor and downtrodden of every background and color which did not originate with authentic Christians taking a stand against evil and tyranny.

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We are in the era when tyranny will descend on Christians and Christianity with a fierce and ruthless thoroughness.

And the example of Tubman's courage and faith will be trashed with an engulfing dark horror presuming it will reign endlessly.

Thankfully, Tubman's example and values will eventually reign and the evils she fought so valiantly against will end up locked in hell where they came from.

a reply to: BO XIAN

The bible was the fall-back justification for slavery. Meaning that, yes, a Christian woman took a game-changing stand but it was against the dynamic that was reinforced by Christianity in the first place.

Don't credit Jesus for Harriet Tubman's bravery; credit Harriet Tubman for it.

Native genocide, slavery, discrimination, sexism... all of these things reinforced either now or in the past by mainstream western Christianity. And all of those things have been challenged by Christians who knew better at the time.

a reply to: Abysha

The twisting and distorting of Christian documents by greedy pretend Christians is no indictment on authentic Christians or authentic Christianity.

You seem to glibly side-step the FACT that ALL the significant anti-slavery advancements were began, championed and seen through by authentic Christians.

Tubman herself would assert to you that the fire in her belly and the courage to tenaciously stand time and time again; the courage to retrieve slaves and get them on the underground railroad time and time again--that fire in her belly originated and was maintained by her intimate relationship with her Lord Jesus, The Christ.

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: BO XIAN

The bible was the fall-back justification for slavery. Meaning that, yes, a Christian woman took a game-changing stand but it was against the dynamic that was reinforced by Christianity in the first place.

Don't credit Jesus for Harriet Tubman's bravery; credit Harriet Tubman for it.

Native genocide, slavery, discrimination, sexism... all of these things reinforced either now or in the past by mainstream western Christianity. And all of those things have been challenged by Christians who knew better at the time.

***Applause***

OP: I personally think Tubman deserves to be recognized, not because she was a Christian, but because she was a humanitarian. She put the welfare of others above her own safety, and fought against the vile accepted norm of the day among Christians and others who rationalized their "right" to own another human being.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: Abysha

The twisting and distorting of Christian documents by greedy pretend Christians is no indictment on authentic Christians or authentic Christianity.

You seem to glibly side-step the FACT that ALL the significant anti-slavery advancements were began, championed and seen through by authentic Christians.

Tubman herself would assert to you that the fire in her belly and the courage to tenaciously stand time and time again; the courage to retrieve slaves and get them on the underground railroad time and time again--that fire in her belly originated and was maintained by her intimate relationship with her Lord Jesus, The Christ.

I don't side-step that suggestion at all. In fact, it is part of my point.

During each of these periods of time, Christianity was used as a way to justify these evils. We both agree with that and so do most modern Christians.

During each of these periods of time, Christians eventually saw through the false dogma crap and fought against those evils. We both agree to that and so do some modern Christians.

The disconnect is that mainstream modern Christians are not able to see that they are currently in that category when it comes to modern day persecution towards those the church doesn't like... and they use the bible to justify it just like before. And also just like before, some enlightened Christians and clergy are coming forward to cut through the false dogma crap.

Yet so many Christians will look at a hero like Harriet Tubman and conflate it to Christianity's war on modernity. They don't realize that there's another Harriet Tubman out there, about to show them their own hypocrisy.

It's as if the generic Christian of every era is like "Yeah, they were wrong back then but this time... THIS time we are right about our hate"

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: Abysha

The twisting and distorting of Christian documents by greedy pretend Christians is no indictment on authentic Christians or authentic Christianity.

You seem to glibly side-step the FACT that ALL the significant anti-slavery advancements were began, championed and seen through by authentic Christians.

Tubman herself would assert to you that the fire in her belly and the courage to tenaciously stand time and time again; the courage to retrieve slaves and get them on the underground railroad time and time again--that fire in her belly originated and was maintained by her intimate relationship with her Lord Jesus, The Christ.

and you are saying that jesus is the ONLY reason she did any of this?

On Wednesday, April 20, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced that Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, on the $20 bill. The former slave and abolitionist is the first African-American, and the first woman in over a century, to be featured on the face of U.S. currency. The last female represented on U.S. notes was Martha Washington, who appeared on the $1 silver certificate from 1886 to 1957, when the certificates were discontinued.

www.dogonews.com...

a reply to: BO XIAN

I can't think of a major advancement for the poor and downtrodden of every background and color which did not originate with authentic Christians taking a stand against evil and tyranny.

You can't? Really? Here're a couple:
Ghandi


and more recently, Malala



Read more, BO. Think more (and more broadly). Jesus is not the only cool guy. He was a cool guy, but he was, after all, just a guy.
He was like Ghandi, and like Malala. And they are far more recent. And I might add, Jesus was like Bernie Sanders. A Jew. But that is off-topic.


Take off the Bible-colored glasses and decoder ring...you'll be able to see and think better.

a reply to: TzarChasm

I don't know if

SHE would say He was the only reason or the main reason. I'm fairly confident, given her record, that she'd say one of those assertions.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I had forgotten about Ghandi.

How many others can you think of?

The fact remains, the vast majority fit my description.

My perspective is that you might learn more with a different perspective. LOL.

a reply to: BO XIAN

Right, so, we have Ghandi.
We have Malala.
And we have Bernie Sanders. That's three very prominent people, two of whom are still alive and active.

None of them are Christians.


The Pope is doing a great job at it, too, but he's a Christian, for sure!! Or, are you one of those who say Catholics aren't Christians?

So then, you'd have to add Pope Francis - if you don't consider him a real "Christian" - he'd count on your list, too.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
And I might add, Jesus was like Bernie Sanders. A Jew.

He also had one pair of underwear. Not like those millionaire Pharisees who had, three, four pair of underwear.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I have a hard time thinking of anyone advocating Communism/socialism as a very truly progressive sort of bloke truly working for lasting positive change.

I think of them as tyrant enablers in whitewash.

I wonder if there's enough on record of Tubman's preferences on such scores to infer her commentary on such modern people and forces.

a reply to: BO XIAN

The fact remains, the vast majority fit my description.

The vast majority of whom?

Famous people who care about the downtrodden? Funny. I'm not a Christian, and I fight on here every bloody day for the downtrodden and oppressed, and am met "the vast majority of the time" by people who argue with me about whether or not the poor and downtrodden deserve help.

They seem to think that the power-mongers who have all the money are the more important......

anyway, I digress.
Sorry for messing up your thread.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Guess I didn't think of you as 'messing up' my thread.

I think that passion is a lot better than apathy.

IIRC . . . Someone once said . . . "I'd rather that you were hot or cold . . . "

The lukewarm get spewed . . .

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I think the main part of the topic is American, not foreign.

You agree right?

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I have a hard time thinking of anyone advocating Communism/socialism as a very truly progressive sort of bloke truly working for lasting positive change.

I'm confused... I thought you liked Jesus.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: TzarChasm

I don't know if

SHE would say He was the only reason or the main reason. I'm fairly confident, given her record, that she'd say one of those assertions.

if he is the only reason she did it, or even the main reason, then i have to admit to being a bit disappointed. i thought genuine compassion for her fellow human beings would be right there at the top of her list.

a reply to: Abysha

Where did Yeshua advocate any such?

He encouraged VOLUNTARY taking care of the widows, orphans, poor etc.

a reply to: TzarChasm

I'd love for her to come onto this thread. LOL.

He was her whole reason for getting up in the morning and taking another breath, in my reading of her bio.

Her slavery work naturally flowed out of and was sustained by her relationship with HIM.