The Gnostics
I want to spend just a few more minutes on this CRT and reparations stuff now invading churches beyond the topic of this morning, but also related to it.
If you read the criticisms of those who don’t embrace reparations or don’t embrace critical theory as a framework, it boils down to “read more non-white people.”
The gospel writers and much of the early church consisted of non-white writers. Augustine was a Berber from North Africa, for example. And they refuse to include non-white authors who disagree with them like Voddie Baucham.
What’s really going on here is a new variation of Gnosticism as they embrace their new idols. The critical theory proponents and the reparationists claim they have some special insight that no one else possesses. You are either a white supremacist or enlightened like them. To get over your white supremacy, you must read their special insights and special authors who can reveal for you the special path to enlightenment and the hidden secret truths within Christianity that make it all so more meaningful.
It is Gnosticism. It is pervasive in this movement. We see it in the church. It is overwhelmingly white pastors who have become convicted that there is systemic racism and if only we will read their authors and see the world as they do, we too shall become enlightened.
My friend Patrick Ruffini runs a data group called Echelon Insights. I want you to consider a data point Patrick shared. Of those who agree with the statement “Racism is built into our society, including into its policies and institutions,” only 54% of black Democrats with that statement, but 75% of white college-educated Democrats believe it.
Likewise, almost 50% of black Democrats believe if you work hard enough you can get ahead in this country. Only 33% of white college-educated Democrats believe that.
The problems we have in the country and in the church tend to come from the over-educated white academics who believe themselves smarter and more knowledgeable on these subjects and possess an overwhelming sense of guilt from which the gospel they preach has not possessed and freed them.
On reparations and white supremacy, within the evangelical church, it is a certain subset of mostly white pastors who have poured themselves into this with a startling level of arrogance. You must follow them and embrace the world as they see it, then you too will see.
That’s the opposite of a gospel open to all. It is just Gnosticism in the twenty-first century, but they’ll wave their hands and just say I’m too into white supremacy culture to get it. Yet they’re the white supremacists lecturing black people and everyone else that they must see the world a certain way.
Maybe they need to repent and embrace the real gospel.
A fine and truthful column. I would add only one point of disagreement: This is not genuine guilt, which shows its sincerity by its honest, persistent efforts to help those who've been disadvantaged in life. Rather, it's a brazen sense of superiority disguised in the costume of a conscience-more-sensitive-than-thine. That's why the wokesters show such indifference to the real interests of, say, black store-owners whose premises have been trashed by rioters, or young black students now being encouraged to discard ambition, discipline and hard work as the way to achieve success. Why should they care what happens to real people? They're far too busy preening and strutting and showing off their virtue bona fides.
Only idiots believe that there is some kind of justice when people who had nothing to do with slavery pay reparations to people who had nothing to do with being slaves.