Question

I have travelled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at her beautiful churches with their spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlay of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over again I have found myself asking: "Who worships here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were their voices of support when tired, bruised, and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?" What is the main idea of the paragraph?

Answer 1

The paragraph critiques the white religious institutions in the South for their passive stance and lack of support for racial justice during the Civil Rights Movement.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main idea of the paragraph is a critical reflection on the silence and complicity of the white religious institutions in the South during the Civil Rights Movement. The author expresses disappointment in the lack of moral support from religious leaders when it came to issues of racial justice and integration. Despite the elegant churches and extensive religious education buildings across Alabama, Mississippi, and other Southern states, the author questions the values of those who worship there, especially in light of their inaction and silence during times of racial tension and injustice.

Answer 2

One main idea could be how uncertain the character is feeling about the area around her/him.