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Thread: Can we be honest for a brief moment? There are 5 main arguments believers are having about racism. The conflict over race is not about CRT and its validity. The (1st) conflict is really over the evidence that proves or disproves the existence of systemic racism
What I mean is, who’s/what evidence is empirical to prove or disprove the existence of systemic racism? For those who affirm CRT, it is proof. And others go to Civil Rights Legislation for disproof. Saying that “Systemic Racism” ended in the 1964 Civil Rights
Era.
Era.
The second most prevalent argument is over the definition of systemic. And depending on the definition, it may be accurate to say there is no systemic racism. But that depends on the way one is using the word systemic. Yet ppl seem to rarely define what they mean by systemic
The third argument is over the validity of experience. How much does personal experience count in one’s evaluation of racism? Some say none. That is just Standpoint Epistemology. Personal Agency matters not Personal Experience. But how does one do that?
How does one say your personal experience is not truth, but your responsibility to act against that experience is? Personal Agency comes out of personal experience. There is no agency without experience. I’m responsible for what? My actions stemming from my experiences.
The 4th argument is over the validity of the church’s repentance of racism. Sure some progress has been made in culture. But when did the church have its “Civil Rights Legislation” moment? When did the church say we have repented of racism? Of course there has been some of that
For the most part churches aren’t intentionally segregating by race, but that’s not necessarily repentance. That’s just bygones. The reality is the church doesn’t know how to repent of long-standing issues that were pervasive bcuz we don’t have any historical examples of doing so
I’m not blaming anyone for this. We actually have inherited a gospel proclamation and demonstration that are unbiblical. It is individualistic not communal. By this I mean, our gospel cares about me as an individual, not about we as a church community set apart to glorify God
The Gospel we have doesn’t grieve over brothers and sisters suffering in different parts of the world, let alone across town. It’s all about me, my local church, and those who are like minded. But when we care communally, we have Peter’s mindset...
1 Peter 5:9 “Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.” We are connected, whether we like it or not. Lastly, all of these form one main argument that is the real argument over race
We’re arguing over who the enemy is. And we’ve so lost our biblical sensitivities that bringing scripture to bear on this is considered a cop out, soft, spineless etc. Say what you want, but you can’t say it better than Paul.
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens”
There’s much more that could be said about these arguments, and I plan to address them in a separate thread. I just wanted to, for now, highlight the underlying arguments. Mainly bcuz I’m getting tired of CRT being the scapegoat. Seriously, if we take CRT out completely....
You still have a substantial discrepancy on race that you have to deal with. And “Just preach the gospel” isn’t cutting it. Why? Bcuz we were preaching the Gospel during slavery and Jim Crow too. It’s time to start living that gospel. Selah!
