(Phot0 by ejsimpson.com) I hope that the readers of this blog and the current series on race (this is the 6th post in this series: see post #1 here) have begun to realize that racism and our racist past is much worse than many have realized. I hope they have also begun to consider that maybe the system has been set up, and perhaps still is, in such a way that fosters the oppression of people of color. And, as... Read more
The behavior of Christians is often cited as a justification for rejecting Christianity. Whether it is the Church’s involvement in the Crusades, the Inquisitions, or the Salem witch trials, the fact is, such actions betray the very beliefs that Christians allegedly espouse. Christians commonly respond to such accusations by attempting to divorce themselves from such events. After all, “if I were there, I would never have supported the crusades.” “the Inquisitions were done by the Catholics and I am not... Read more
There is no question that throughout American history Christians were instrumental in the propagation of systemic racism. From the slave trade to the Jim Crow laws, pastors were some of the leading proponents of the oppression of people of color. Consequently, even if one denies that systemic racism continues into our day, systemic racism is a sin for which we, as the body of Christ, must repent. Why this information is critical. Let me posit three reasons why this series... Read more
Are all persons created equal? We have established in previous posts that biblically the answer to this question is an unequivocal “yes.” I doubt that among Christian readers today this claim even needs much defense.[1] The question, however, is whether or not “all persons are created equal” has been true in American history? For many readers, I suspect that the answer here is also an unequivocal “yes.” American history, however, suggests that things might not be quite so simple.... Read more
In Acts 6, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, tells us that, In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1). Although Luke does not provide much by the way of details, it is reasonable to suppose that this division within the early Christian movement was racially charged—race, of course, here in... Read more
“Racism does not exist because I am not a racist.” We have all heard it. Some of us may have even said it. There are, of course, serious problems with this sort of thinking. Let me begin by noting that racism is a sin problem and until we see it as such we will not make much headway into resolving the injustices that racism causes.[1] I find it surprising, and yet not surprising, that many object to the assertion... Read more
“Church is not the place for me.” This is what many non-churched persons think after listening to Christians! For the last 3 months I have been posting about gender and justice (see my first post here). There are several things I hope to have accomplished in these posts. #1 You can be a conservative-evangelical with a high view of Scripture and believe that God has ordained equality between the genders. That’s right. I am not a liberal. BTW can we... Read more
Christians and the Bible are misogynistic: so the claim goes. And the proof is found in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.” As with 1 Cor 11:2-16 (see my previous three posts... Read more
There is no question that 1 Cor 11:2-16 appears to teach that women are subordinate to men. But does it really say that? Upon examining 1 Cor 11:2-16, it makes the most sense of the passage, as well as the larger context of 1 Cor 11-14, to suggest that the majority of the argumentation in 1 Cor 11:3-10 are the words of the Corinthians, with a few interjections of Paul, and that 1 Cor 11:11-16 constitute Paul’s response.[1] This... Read more
There is no question that 1 Cor 11:2-16 appears to teach that women are subordinate to men. But does it really say that? It is my contention that a close reading of the text confirms that Paul was citing his opponents in order to rebut them. In my last post, I provided an overview of the problem in Corinth. As I noted, one of the issues behind 1 Cor 11:1-14:40 was that a group of men in the congregation at... Read more
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