A look at “Christianity And Critical Race Theory, Part 1” - Scott Reeve

A look at “Christianity And Critical Race Theory, Part 1”

In this and a later edition of “Theology & Culture”, we want to spend time discussing a subject that is a hot topic and seems to have a firm grip on society and culture.  In fact, it is being taught in schools and businesses, and in some cases, churches.

As we shall see, it is impossible to deal with all the multi-faceted ideas connected to what we are talking about in this and a follow-up article.  We are going to give a thumbnail sketch of the issue and in the future continue the discussion.  So, here we go.

We are talking about “Critical Race Theory” (CRT).  Sadly, there are those, both inside and outside the church, that have jumped with both feet in to this highly divisive, destructive viewpoint of human interaction.  As we shall see, CRT is incompatible with Biblical Christianity.

As we begin, it is important to define what we are talking about.  That in itself can be challenging since people come up with different definitions of what CRT is.  But in essence, CRT sees the world and the problems of the world through power dynamics.  It sees certain minorities (race and otherwise) as oppressed and held down by others, specifically the white race being the culprit.

One of the areas of weakness of CRT is that it plays the oppressor-oppressed card and does away with any personal responsibility.  In fact, it could be argued that it focuses so much on suppression that it takes away the desire for people to rise above any supposed ills that they face or have faced in their lives because they “feel” held back and thus, the need to dismantle society and reconstruct it to supposedly end this problem.

With CRT, All issues are based in racism, and whether conscious of it or not, specific groups of people are racist, pure and simple.  Sadly, African-Americans who have spoken out against CRT have been maligned and name-called because they refuse to get caught up in the deceptive lies associated with CRT.

There are several dynamics at play.  Let us begin with this fact - Racism is wrong, period.  To say that racism has never existed or does not exist today is to speak out of ignorance.  But to assign all social ills and problems to one issue as the foundation is non-sensical.  The problem is, and has
always been, man’s nature.  Racism of any type is the result of sin.  The answer is treating people as God expects is found in the Gospel of Christ which changes and transforms us.

Biblically, Galatians 3:28 tells us that for those who know Christ, all are equal in Him.  We are to show the love of God to all people, and any committed Christian is more than aware of this.  A true dedicated believer sees people through the eyes of God, not their social or cultural standing.

Also, Acts 17:26 tells us that we all descended from Adam and Eve.  Sin is what leads people to mistreat others.  It grieves the heart of God when we put up walls and barriers based on one’s race.

 Let us continue the point.  To assume that all whites are racist, as is claimed by many proponents of CRT, is nonsense.  In fact, many people that I know are color blind.  The color of one’s skin does not matter.  It is about a person’s integrity and character. 

It is also ignorant to say that only a certain group of people are racist.  Again, this plays on the power dynamics of oppression, that a particular people group is holding down other groups from achieving anything.  The fact is, you can be black, white, Asian, Native American, or any race, and be racist.

Sadly, denominations have jumped on the bandwagon when it comes to race relations.  That is not necessarily bad.  But the assumption by many is that predominantly white churches have failed in dealing with the issue of racism, is disingenuous.  That is not to say that issues do not exist in churches.  But the proverbial lumping everyone together to make a point is irresponsible. 

Many church bodies and denominations have felt the pressure to be involved in the issue of racial reconciliation.  The concern I have is that in doing so there is an underlying belief that churches that may be predominantly white are inherently racist or ignorant when it comes to the thinking of other races.  I see that in some of the things I have read.

We cannot say it enough.  Racism is wrong.  A person who knows Christ as Lord and Savior and is walking with Him will not be a racist.  They will also speak up against any and all racism, regardless of who is committing this sin.

CRT is destructive and divisive.  It has its roots in Marxist thinking (this information is available).  It teaches, again, that, in general, a race (generally white) has oppressed minorities and thus, we must flip things around in our country to fix the situation. 

As we wrap up this first look at CRT, we must ask ourselves as followers of Christ, “What should we do in response to this prevailing worldview (it is a worldview) that is capturing our culture?”  Let us suggest three things:

1) Do not let people brand you a racist based on your skin color. Tell them that a Biblical worldview sees issues of the world as sin problems.  That may reveal itself in the sin of racism, but not all whites, or blacks, or Asians, are racist because of skin color.  Remind them that to put everyone in the same pot and label a particular group racist is irrational and unfair.

2) Speak out against mistreatment of anyone.  Racism, persecution of others, no matter who or what the situation, is wrong.  State it.  This is not an admission of guilt.  It is an acknowledgement of what Scripture states regarding how we are to treat others.

3) Let your voice be heard regarding CRT being taught in schools and other areas of culture, such as businesses, etc.  If you are a parent, you need to be aware if your school is teaching the tenets of CRT, whether they use the exact words or not.  In Iowa they were pushing for it to be taught in schools along with strong radically left ideologies attached to it.  The governor signed a law prohibiting the teaching of it in government diversity training and in schools.

This does not bring to an end what proponents of CRT will attempt to do.  They will continue to push hard for it to be taught and in some states, it is already happening.  Be aware as a parent, employee, a concerned citizen.  CRT is meant to divide, not unite, our nation.

We will discuss more on this radical unbiblical teaching in another “Theology and Culture” article.