The fire-and-brimstone church no longer has a universal grip on sinners in search of spiritual uplift. Black folks are looking for inner social change through a myriad of spiritual avenues, from the meditative state of Buddhism to the humanistic unity of the Baha’i Faith. A quick-hit fact sheet on some alternatives.

Buddhism
When Founded:
In 535 BCE, in Northern India by the first known Budda, Siddhartha Gautama.
Who They Worship:
Basic tenets are based not on a creator god but a philosophical way of practical thinking where actions have consequences and one must take responsibility for their own lives.
Number of Followers: 
About 365 million.
Beliefs: 
Reincarnation through rebirth. It stresses a path of spiritual development and insight as means of developing the qualities of awareness, kindness, wisdom and ultimate enlightenment.
The Fine Print: 
Eternal recycling program: Paper or plastic? Earth or Nirvana.
Recognizable Member: 
Performer Tina Turner

(Ken Parrish Perkins is a television writer who occasionally ditches his prime time preoccupation for higher order thinking.)