I’m sure everyone has heard Michael Houston’s confession that he introduced the beloved Whitney to crack. That in and of itself is tragic. However there is a key element that makes this even more tragic. Black women are said to be the most religious group in the United States but what do we have to show for it?

God had spoken. Instantly, a sense of calm and confidence enveloped her. In times like these, when she feels anxious, afraid or unsure, Dickson relies on her faith.

So, too, do nearly nine in 10 African American women,

If you look at the condition of the black woman in America, it would appear that we do not have much to show for it. Consider Whitney’s tragic life. She was a church girl who did not fail to mention that Jesus was her Lord and Savior. I won’t argue yay or nay on that point. I will point out that she turned to drugs instead of “her Lord” and the price she paid was death. It appears that most black women are choosing a master other than the one they claim. Just look at our numbers. We lead the pack among women when it comes to obesity and poor nutritional habits, both indicators that we are not engaging in self care,  etc.  One would think that such a dependence on faith would produce better results than that. What is it that draws black women towards religion? Is it tradition or desperation? Many black women feel so defeated by society that we are desperate for anything that feeds us a notion of a better place. We desire a paradise instead of the hell in which we currently reside.  After all, it is this hell (society) that tells black women that we are worthless and responsible for all the ills of our race. That leads me to a possible conclusion: Black women generally have a superficial attachment to religion. Could that be why it didn’t save Whitney and other black women like her?