[Editor’s note: Critical Race Theory (CRT) has become one of the predominant schools of thought behind the push for racial reconciliation in the Evangelical Church. CRT emerged as an offshoot of Critical Theory, a neo-Marxist philosophy that has its roots in the Frankfurt School and its methods are drawn from Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. CRT teaches that institutional racism exists within every structure of society and that these structures are intrinsically designed in such a manner as to protect and preserve “white supremacy” in our culture. Further, CRT does not rely on factual statistics or objective evidence to support the theory, rather it relies on anecdotal evidence and personal experience. One of the leading scholars promoting CRT in the Southern Baptist Convention is Jarvis Williams, Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Williams authored a book, Removing the Stain of Racism from the Southern Baptist Convention, which undoubtedly advances this theory. Williams’ Marxist ideas have infected the Southern Baptist Convention in remarkable ways; the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) led by Russell Moore has latched on to this theory and made it the predominant cause of the convention. Disguised as ‘Racial Reconciliation’ Critical Race Theory is now being preached from Southern Baptist pulpits all over the nation, yet, these ideas have moved far beyond a gospel call for Christians to reject and repudiate racism in all its forms. It has become a distraction from the great commission and a social justice war led and dominated by the culture that the professing Church has been bullied by the neo-Marxists into fighting. The entire movement is anti-gospel.]
In 1995, leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) apologized for, repented of, and issued a statement repudiating racism in all forms. Twenty-two years later, instigated by William McKissic, the SBC leaders once again had to apologize and issue not just another statement affirming its belief that racism in all its forms is sinful, but a resolution that decries racism in every form. Apparently, repentance and repudiation of racism by SBC leaders are not enough. Apologizing for someone else’s sin isn’t enough either. And this demand is coming, not from the non-Christian world, but from a Christian pastor nonetheless.
I think racism in all its forms ought to be repudiated and treated as a form of hatred, a practice that no true child of God with genuine faith can actually perform (1 John 2:9 & 11). Here is a serious question for you: can you repent of a sin that you didn’t actually commit? If Bill offends you, wrongs you, treats you unjustly, how is it possible for me to repent and apologize for Bill’s behavior? I find it all very confusing and I am very curious to know what is really going on here. I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye. There almost always is.
The original resolution presented at the 2017 SBC Convention in Phoenix can be found here: Original Resolution. The resolution that ultimately passed can be found here: passed resolution.
Now that the SBC has passed a resolution, I suppose that settles it. This is what “done” looks like. There, we killed racism with one document, one resolution. It’s over. Next issue, please! Yes, I am annoyed. I am already wondering how the next apology for racism will take shape at next year’s convention, or the one after that. I am not annoyed that the church preaches that racism is a sin and is inconsistent with true faith and life in Christ. That should be part of our preaching and teaching the same as any other sin we preach and teach about, like, you know, adultery, or fornication, or lying, or drunkenness. Right? I am going to go out on a limb here and risk it all: I bet you that adultery, fornication, drunkenness, and lying are far bigger problems for people in SBC churches than racism. I bet if you add the numbers up, it would be embarrassing. So what are we to do? I know, let’s pass a resolution condemning these things. That will fix it!
What exactly are the SBC leaders doing? What exactly is William McKissic doing? Are we to think that unless the SBC adopts a resolution condemning something as obviously sinful as white supremacy that our members and churches may be deceived into adopting it? I find even the hint of such a suggestion outrageous.
I hate politics. I hate even the smell of politics. The church entered into a long, dark period when it embraced Constantinianism. This commingling of politics and Christianity was devastating from beginning to end. And I cannot help but wonder if what I am seeing now is simply political pandering. We want to be “seen” as condemning racism. So we issue this resolution for the appearance it gives. What other reason could there be? We don’t have a problem with white supremacy. If there are those in the SBC who have embraced it (if you can actually define what this alt-right-white supremacy thing actually is), issuing a resolution isn’t going to produce repentance. Scripture already condemns it. If Scripture won’t convince them, what chance does a resolution have? So, what are the leaders doing? What is William McKissic doing?
Does McKissic think that it is the mission of the church to end racism? Should we actively work to eradicate the sin of racism from our culture? Why? Why that sin? Why not adultery? There are a lot more adulterers than there are racists! Go ahead, bet me! Why pick this one? Is it someone’s pet? Is it someone’s cause? It isn’t the mission of the church to eradicate sin. The only sin we are called to eradicate is our own as we grow in sanctification!
We have real problems in our churches…big ones. We have a biblically ignorant membership who would rather spend a thousand years in purgatory (if there were such a place) than to expend an ounce of REAL energy attempting to understand Scripture, to study doctrine, and to be absorbed in these things. And this problem is on such a massive scale that it is immeasurable. Fix that problem, and you won’t have to bother with another resolution at the SBC convention…I promise!
Just stop it, SBC leaders. Stop talking about the past. Stop talking about sins of other people who have been dead for years now. They are not us and they never were us. If they were racists, as racism is defined, then they never knew Christ. And God has extended just recompense upon them. Preach the word! Thunder divine truth. When you condemn racism, don’t forget to condemn all of it – black, white, yellow, brown. In case you didn’t realize it, white people are not the only racists on the planet.
[Reposted with Permission from ReformedReasons.com.]
