Tue 19 Dec 2006
As I’ve noted (here and here), I’ve been reading Ronald J. Sider’s The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World? Sider argues that there is a crisis in modern evangelicalism in that most professing Christians live no differently than the rest of the world. Sider argues that part of the problem is that the idea of salvation has been reduced merely to the individual’s sins being forgiven. Many modern understandings of the Gospel lack the idea of repentance, of a changed life and a community of new, changed people. The result is that many professing believers simply don’t believe that their lives must change because, after all, their sins have been forgiven!
But this individualistic perception of men and women existing primarily as souls has ramifications for many areas of life, some of which we might not immediately expect. For example, at least in America, churches remain some of the most highly segregated institutions. The seclusion exists on both sides of the divide with few extended hands coming from either side. But the problem is not just segregation, it is often outright racism. Sider notes a Gallup poll which argues that at “17 percent, Baptists and evangelicals were among the most likely groups to object to black neighbors, and 20 percent of Southern Baptists objected to black neighbors.” Sider laments:
Evangelicals may have some good biblical theology about the body of Christ, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, nor black nor white. But if they do not work out this theology in practice, such that white evangelicals welcome black neighbors and work to end racist structures, then … the whole thing stinks.”
Why is this? How can the one instution that can truly claim to have society’s barriers smashed still live behind this wall of excusion, fear and hatred? Sider claims that the problem still persists, at least in part, because so many of us have adopted such an individualistic approach to salvation. The most common evangelical approach to ending racism is change at the individual level: “getting to know people of another race.” Sider cites a recent study in which this was the response of 89 percent chose this option, while only 38 percent chose integrating neighborhoods. Sider notes that in “the years 1994-1998, twenty stories in Christianity Today advocated overcoming racism by getting to know a person of another race,” while “only two talked of racially integrated neighborhoods.”
Perhaps the most well-known advocate of the “hug another race” approach has been the men’s movement, Promise Keepers. Sider quotes the organization’s chairman as saying: “God moves in one heart at a time. The only way to change men [is] to change their hearts.” The organization has also argued that “racisim is overcome not by legislation but by relationships.”
Yet, evangelicals certainly pursue legislation and structural changes for issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Our solution has not been to merely befriend gay and lesbians. We have sought to make abortion-on-demand illegal and we have sought to protect legal barriers to the definition of marriage. These “structural” and legislative approaches certainly challenge our own notion that we change society “one person at a time.” William Wilberforce and other evangelical abolitionists certainly took a broad approach to ending slavery. They didn’t argue that the only way was to convert all of the slave owners, they worked for new laws that would change the very structures involved.
I don’t pretend to understand why the individualistic approach has prevailed with racism yet not with issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. However, I do understand that believers on both sides of the divide must do more as institutions to change institutions. We have to be willing to admit that we have not done enough and what we have done, for the most part, hasn’t worked. We must be willing to take the same public, united stand against racism that we have against abortion (though there is much more that could and should be done on that issue as well). We must stand, united, living as though we believe that, in Christ, the barriers have truly been broken (Galatians 3:28, etc.).
- Read The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World? by Ronald J. Sider.
- Read books by and about William Wilberforce
on 19 Dec 2006 at 1:18 pm 1.SolShine7 said …
I applaud you for being bold enough to address this issue in your blog and life. I agree with you 100% on this one. As a multi-ethnic woman, this is part of my ministry to reach out to people of various ethnicities. It’s important for Christians to be on the forefront of this battle, especially in this country because of our seedy racism history.
I make an effort to stay informed with what other ethnic groups than my own are dealing with. I wrote a blog about the Rosie O’Donnell “ching chong” comments that highly offended Asian-Americans. I thought O’Donnell’s comments were offensive to ALL Americans and am saddened by how the America Church doesn’t stand-up against such negative racist mindsets in media. The blog I did about the O’Donnell incident got more comments from people than any other post I wrote. Somehow, people surfed in and left their two cents. Probably because I was activate in commenting on some noteable non-Christian blogs who were talking about the issue. I included a scripture in that post and those people were exposed to the Word. Hopefully, my genuine passion to stand with them in their fight against racist views will point to them to light of Jesus.
I would have liked to see Christians be more outspoken about Michael Richards racist comments too. It’s the Christians who should be out there demanding apologizes and standing up for the minorities in this country and abroad.
Great post! This is just another reason why your blog is STILL my favorite.
on 19 Dec 2006 at 5:42 pm 2.james said …
For 50 years minorities have been allowed to vote. People don’t realize that races don’t mix together and survive. That’s why they have latino, black, asian and white neighborhoods. They don’t have non-discrimintory neighborhoods anywhere in America. Races of people survive by being racist and huddling together as a group. Look at the prison system, that is a perfect example of what is going on in society in general. The pathetic thing is to see all these employment forms that seem to be neutral but when you apply you don’t get hired because you’re a white male. Neutrality is always a cover to decieve people of the real agenda. If America gets nuked by terrorist and law and order break down you can bet mexicans will be killing white men like nazis did to jews.
on 19 Dec 2006 at 7:12 pm 3.Jared Haggard said …
Great post!
What kind of legislation do you think would help prevent racism?
Whoever has an answer, I would love to hear it.
Thanks
on 19 Dec 2006 at 10:21 pm 4.Jake T said …
very well said. you really hit the nail on the head with this one. good job.
on 19 Dec 2006 at 10:45 pm 5.Jim I said …
Good stuff to think about, Brent. I must admit that I am inclined to tune out of the public debates on race because so many of the regular players lack credibility on the subject, appearing to love the spotlight more than they love the things of God.
John Piper has some good messages at his site on race and the church. We must be the first to confess that there is but one race, Adam’s helpless sinners. After all, the church’s foundational controversy was an ethnic/spiritual chasm that was addressed with sound, Christ-honoring doctrine.
On the political side, I too am wondering what kind of legislation is just and useful. It seems to me that one possible reason for people’s hesitancy on endorsing a legislative solution is that they’ve witnessed so many well intentioned race laws actually make things worse.
It was an eye opening experience for me to read Shelby Steele’s The Content of Our Character.
I understand he also has a new one called White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era.
——————
james, you need to back off your fleshly imagination of race wars and start reading Galatians. Forgive the annoyance of being asked your race on a form, and don’t let misguided solutions create a hateful mindset. Instead put on Christ who did not cling to his rights, but gave them up to redeem for Himself one people, called from every tribe and nation.
Philippians 2:1-9
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
on 19 Dec 2006 at 10:58 pm 6.Steve said …
Great post, thanks. Anybody who quotes Sider in their blog will receive a many rewards in heaven.
There is much to learned from this post.
on 20 Dec 2006 at 4:57 pm 7.Gary J said …
Racism is very hard to legislate against because, for the most part, it’s an attitude, not an action.
There are actions that are evidence of racism - e.g., cross-burning, vandalizing churches - and there are laws against those. But, for example, forcing people by law to integrate their churches or neighborhoods would be met with resistance from all quarters.
People naturally gravitate towards places and people with which they’re most familiar. There’s comfort and ease there. To do otherwise, deciding to break out of that comfort zone, requires a missionary mindset where one is motivated by purpose rather than ease. That’s a tough sell because the purpose is hard to nail down.
What’s the ultimate goal? To live in an integrated neighborhood? To attend a multiracial church? Those are just window dressing if there’s no love or trust happening between people of different races. The ultimate goal turns out to be: get people from different races to like each other.
Thus, the goal of the “missionary” is to go live in a racially mixed neighborhood and build relationships. I’ve been trying for 12 years with very little success. How’s it going for you?
on 20 Dec 2006 at 7:45 pm 8.GUNNY HARTMAN said …
An issue near and dear to my heart.
The church should be leading the way, but they’re dragging their feet.
http://gunny93.blogspot.com/2006/02/not-tomorrow-not-after-breakfast-now.html
I was severely whipped by the humanistic approach in my masters in Educational Administration program where diversity was valued for diversity’s sake.
In my mind, diversity is valued for the sake of God’s pleasure and glory. It’s important to Him. It should be important to us as well.
MLK’s dream should be ours, in the church, that is.
http://gunny93.blogspot.com/2006/02/outdated-imperialist-dogma-which.html
One last gripe, so to speak. I hate the homogeneous principle of church planting, where diversity is actually discouraged as it impedes church growth.
Of course it’s harder to grow a church where it’s harder to love folks because they are different than you! But isn’t that the transforming nature of the Gospel?!
on 21 Dec 2006 at 1:25 am 9.Carey D said …
Great post, Brent. I wish you would address more the concept of legislating morality. I’m not clear as to your stance on this.
I agree with an earlier comment — integrated neighborhoods and churches are just window-dressing; surely the “solution” to the problem are the changed hearts you spoke of in your post.
It seems to me that many of the politically correct niceties that are intended to “bring people together” — rather serve the purpose of only making us feel better on the surface about the steps we’ve taken “forward.”
Legislating integration may put a nice coat of paint on the problem, but ignores the rotting wood of racism underneath that still persists in the minds of people (esp. in the South, where I grew up).
In short, I agree with what I believe you are saying: The scars of racism will be healed in the church (and elsewhere) when Christians set an example of truly changed hearts; not just paying lip service to political correctness by “getting to know a black man” (gasp!) — but by letting Christ change our hearts to truly love all people.