June 1, 2020
1. On George Floyd, racism, and policing:
AND Campaign statement on racialized violence in America
Any theology or ideology that minimizes or denies the importance of justice in a social context is not biblical and must be called out accordingly. We cannot place our cultural preferences, partisan interests and flawed race narratives ahead of the Christian justice imperative.
"George Floyd Left a Gospel Legacy in Houston"
Before moving to Minneapolis for a job opportunity through a Christian work program, the 46-year-old spent almost his entire life in the historically black Third Ward, where he was called “Big Floyd” and regarded as an “OG,” a de-facto community leader and elder statesmen, his ministry partners say.
Floyd spoke of breaking the cycle of violence he saw among young people and used his influence to bring outside ministries to the area to do discipleship and outreach, particularly in the Cuney Homes housing project, locally known as “the Bricks.”
"What George Floyd’s Death Should Remind Us About Justice and the Gospel"
Often those charging “liberalism” of Bible-believing people who lament the ongoing problem of racial injustice are revealing that there is indeed a problem with “liberalism,” and it is theirs. All Scripture is breathed out by God, and is therefore profitable. And the Scripture speaks—from Moses to the prophets to Jesus to the apostles to the early church of Acts and beyond—to such matters. To avoid such Scriptures or to ignore them is just as “liberal” as those who do the reverse—and emphasize the so-called “social morality” texts while downplaying those that call for personal repentance and faith or those that call for so-called “personal morality.” It’s the kind of “liberalism” that believes sin can be blotted out by ignoring it or by sanctifying it or by trusting the blind forces of history to move beyond it. The unbelieving world can see this for what it is. Those growing up in the church can see it too. And, the truth is, so can the consciences of those involved.
"Why speaking out against the killing of George Floyd is a pro-life issue"
There are many evangelicals who don’t seem to understand how deadly racism is and I get it. Before I got arrested for trying to steal my own car, I didn’t realize just how dangerous non-white skin is in a system where minorities are constantly devalued. But I was forced to learn because my life depended on it.
I believe in this moment that God is calling His people to repentance on the issue of racism in America and if we all listen closely, God has a path to powerfully constructive and redemptive change that can foster respect for our common humanity.
Video of full speech by George Floyd's brother, Terrence Floyd, for prayer vigil today at site of George Floyd's death.
West: There’s a common strand of critique between Brother Robby and myself, which is a profound rejection of idolatry. Market, state, race, gender: all of these can become idols. An idol is anything that is deified and fetishized rather than placed under the cross. That idolatry leads to spiritual poverty.
...
George: Trump has delivered on some pro-life promises. I believe that this is basically transactional. And it raises the question about whether, in the long run, the cause will be damaged by the taint of association with Trump, and with those of his other policies that are clearly not consistent with a pro-life ethic.
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West: I don’t think that the vast majority of Christians who voted for Donald Trump were, or are, excited about him. A slice, but not the vast majority. Most of those Christians feel caught. They chose between a milquetoast neoliberal candidate who looks down on them, and Trump, who they didn’t really like but who they felt was a politician willing to speak to them in a manner that was not condescending.
I think most Christians find President Trump’s behavior degrading. It’s very important that we don’t use any lazy stereotypes to characterize even evangelical Christians’ relation with Trump. Brother Robby and I were recently speaking at Liberty University in Virginia, a conservative evangelical school whose president is the prominent Trump supporter Jerry Falwell Jr. We didn’t run into any uncritical defenders of Trump there at all.
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West: Christian witness has got to cut deeper than politics. It comes down to the relation between the cross and the flag, you see. No nation will ever exhaust the cross. No politician will ever exhaust the kind of truth we as Christians are to bear in the world. We believe in witness over and against political power.
3. "Reclaiming Social Justice," Public Discourse
Because both progressive and conservative approaches to social justice aim for fairness and the protection of individual dignity, especially for the most vulnerable, there is overlap between them. So there is room for common cause among those on the right and left. However, the origins and implications of the more conservative understanding seem to have been mostly forgotten or neglected. They ought to be elevated in our public discussions.
4. "The Church and State in a Time of Pandemic"
The evangelical pastor John MacArthur recently quoted the Puritan Richard Baxter, “where he says, ‘If the magistrate, asks you to refrain from meeting because of a pestilence, you do not meet. On the other hand, if the magistrate tries to force you not to meet because of persecution of Christianity, you meet anyway.’”
5. "Why It's Important to See QAnon as a 'Hyper-Real' Religion"
The QAnon theology (conceptions of the sacred, gods, spirits, demons, the ancestors, culture heroes and/or other superhuman agents) is rooted in American evangelicalism and neo-charismatic movements developed in the 1970s and 1980s—specifically theology involving a worldwide cabal that controlled governments and aimed to control the freedoms of people through technology, medicine, and liberalism. For example, QAnon reworked elements of the Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) panic (aka “satanic panic”)that originated in the U.S. in the 80s. SRA was the belief that a global network of elites was breeding and kidnapping children for the purposes of pornography, sex trafficking, and Satanic ritual sacrifice.
Furthermore, QAnon adopts the language of spiritual warfare found in many neo-charismatic movements.
6. Live Action: Planned Parenthood officials admit under oath to selling aborted body parts
An explosive new video from the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) contradicts past claims from Planned Parenthood that the corporation never participated in the sale of aborted baby body parts but merely donated them and was compensated for expenses. Featuring testimony from Planned Parenthood officials under oath in 2019, as well as documents from those officials’ admissions, the video shows these executives and directors admitting to actually selling body parts, which is illegal.
7. Divine Whispers in a Day of Disease: A BreakPoint Symposium
Many Christian leaders answer a question about God speaking during times of crisis.
Michael Farris:
... The famous verse of II Chronicles 7:14 calls for a people to humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, pray, and seek God’s face. If such a people respond in that spirit, God promises that He will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
But as I have heard many Christian speakers use this verse, a significant portion of them point to the evil doers that are external to the church—people that make no pretense of following God. Such an application is not valid for this verse. It is aimed squarely at “My people who are called by My Name.”
I spend a good deal of time defending God’s people and their houses of worship from unconstitutional actions by governments that are hostile to Christian worship and even more hostile to Christians who dare to practice their faith in their workplaces. And I will continue to do so.
But we must not miss—and I must not miss—the central truth from this verse in II Chronicles. If we want God to heal our land, then it is God’s people who need to turn from our wicked ways and seek His face. ...
8. "‘AKA Jane Roe’ and the humiliation of the pro-life movement"
Thus, humility does not give us an excuse to not repent of our wrongs, or not learn from our mistakes, or not listen to the critics. Because the fact is — and we didn’t need the documentary to show us this — the pro-life movement is riddled with sin and error.
We must be humble enough to admit when we have bamboozled and co-opted. We must be humble enough to accept where we have been bamboozled or co-opted. We must be humble enough to examine these complications ....
9. New book available in August: White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones.
10. The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity was published today.
I wrote one of the chapters. Subscribers to this newsletter can get a copy for 40% off with the code DANGER40.
Later today, a subscriber to this newsletter will be randomly selected to receive a free copy.
(Header photo by Chris Dixon on Unsplash)
