General
What the Justice Generation Needs to Learn About Race and Slavery
I’m on a break between quarters after grading numerous papers.
One of the final ones was written by an African American pastor who is a great guy. But he made a fatal mistake often found among preachers obtaining degrees. He preached a passionate sermon in his paper (what he already knew) instead of telling me what he learned from a classic book on world missions.
He spent half the paper speaking about racism.
I thanked him for his burden, but had to knock his grade for not following directions. His paper provoked a question:
What does the “justice generation” need to learn about race and slavery?
Reparations Promotes Envy Not Responsibility
Evanston, Illinois became the first city in America to pass a “reparations” law to compensate for slavery. $25,000 checks will go out soon to black residents only–and many of them are unhappy and want more money.
Paying people today for yesterday’s sins is governmental and cultural insanity.
In Washington, D.C., a bill is making its way through the House of Representatives demanding that all non-black Americans pay reparations for the sins of slavery committed hundreds of years ago. That would divide America further and bankrupt the nation.
Reparations is a bad idea. It promotes envy (a sin) not responsibility (a virtue).
Reparations Promotes Envy Not Responsibility
I saw an article recently on the foolishness of reparations that made me feel like I was reading my own writing.
Here is what Star Parker had to say.
My Ancestors Were Slaves. Here’s What I Think About Reparations
“The House Judiciary Committee just held hearings on H.R. 40, which would establish a commission to look into ways in which African Americans could be compensated, including possible payments of trillions of dollars to individuals.”
“The commission would examine the role of government in supporting the institution of slavery, ‘discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed African slaves and their descendants,’ and ‘lingering negative effects of the institution of slavery … on living African Americans and on society.’”
“My ancestors were slaves. And my life as a young woman was a mess.”
“Was my life a mess because my ancestors were slaves? I don’t think so.”
“My life was a mess because I lived a wanton, irresponsible existence, defined by promiscuity, petty crimes, and scamming the nation’s well-meaning but totally confused welfare system to the greatest extent of my ability.”
“Did I need reparations to turn things around for me? Certainly not. I needed a wake-up call, which, to my great gratitude, I got from a few church-going black Christians who told me the way I was living was unacceptable.”
“I went to church, took back responsibility for my life, and turned my circumstances around.”
“The problem with the idea of reparations is it redirects attention away from exactly where attention is needed: on individuals’ personal responsibility for their own unique lives.”
“And it redirects attention in such a way to encourage individuals to believe that some abstract, collective entity from the past is the cause of all their individual problems in the present.”
“Compensation for damages is a basic legal principle.”
“It’s about personal responsibility. Individual A sues individual B for damages caused. Exactly what the damages were and exactly how B injured A must be shown in a court of law.”
“Today, only a small fraction of our population has ancestors who were around before 1865 when slavery was legal. The idea of collective guilt, with no specific individual identified as causing the damage and no specific individual showing how he or she was damaged, doesn’t fly.”
“If there is any legitimate claim of collective guilt, it is the guilt of original sin, which we learn in the book of Genesis. Every man and woman is imperfect and responsible for fixing themselves—and, by doing so, helping to fix the world.”
“There is no word more frequently used in political discussions than ‘freedom.’ But rarely discussed is what gives meaning to the word ‘freedom,’ and that is understanding that individuals have free choice—the power and responsibility to choose how to live.”
“Only when we understand that there is good and evil, that there is sin, does free choice have meaning. It means individuals have the power and responsibility to choose how to live—that their individual choices matter.”
“Driving the push for reparations are policies on race that obliterate this key idea that every individual, regardless of circumstance and history, is unique and has free choice. The political idea of freedom becomes irrelevant because free choice becomes irrelevant.”
“So-called critical race theory says everything is about culture. Because, per their claim, the USA is about what they define as white culture, the cultural script needs to be rewritten to make things fair for those who are not white. Put politicians in charge of making things fair.”
“No, I am sorry; I always thought the problem with racism is it denies the uniqueness, dignity, and personal responsibility of each individual.”
“If the ideal we seek is a free country with free citizens, then commissions such as that proposed in H.R. 40, which pretend to be about justice but are really about a left-wing agenda to put government in charge of our lives, are not the way to go.”
Exactly right.
I am not African American like Parker, but here’s what I shared a year ago.
Everybody’s Ancestors Were Slaves
Some people believe that every non-black in American needs to pay up for slavery (reparations).
Could any public policy be more absurd or expensive than that? (Unfortunately, that answer is yes but I digress.)
Have we so lost our common sense in the West that we forget that ALL our ancestors were once slaves to other nations?
- During the Roman Empire, half of its citizens were slaves–for nearly one thousand years. Should we send a bill to Italy?
- China and Mongolia made each other slaves for centuries–and finally built the Great Wall of China over the conflict (in which 2 million slaves died during its construction). Should Ulaanbaatar write Beijing a check?
- European nations took turns being the slaves for centuries. The Vikings made slaves of the Celts. The Visigoths enslaved the Slavs. Come to think of it, my German ancestors were slaves of the Goths for hundreds of years. Should I appeal to Angela Merkel for a reparations check?
- In the 20th century, the USSR enslaved numerous nations and the Imperial Japanese raped and oppressed the Chinese for a decade. Time to make that right with money?
As ugly as slavery is, during the seven thousand years of human history, more people have served as slaves of another culture than enjoyed the blessings of freedom. In some centuries they were the conquerors and in others the conquered.
Who should be paid? How far back should we go? What if you are half-slave? Or one-tenth?
You can’t pay for past sins.
God’s Word says it best:
“‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live. The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins.”
“Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die” (Ezekiel 18:19-21).
That’s what Star Parker learned by experience. She chose responsible character which empowers a life instead of envy and greed which poison and destroy it.
In a book I ghost-wrote eighteen months ago about the life of Dr. Corinthia Boone, she recalls that her grandparents, who were children of freed slaves (just one generation removed), never demanded “a hand-out, just a hand up.”
Let’s follow their example–through the love of Jesus Christ.
Everyone’s ancestors were slaves. Let’s leave the past behind–and offer a helping hand to everybody who needs one–by rejecting envy and promoting responsibility in every precious human life.
Where are the Saints and the Patriots?
No, I’m not talking about those Saints and Patriots.
The football Saints rode a future Hall of Fame quarterback to a Super Bowl victory. Another G.O.A.T. quarterback carried the Patriots to the pigskin promised land six times. One month ago, he did it again with some pirates (Buccaneers).
I know where those Saints and Patriots live–in New Orleans and New England. But, America is in trouble and I’m looking for the real ones needed to fight our current spiritual and cultural war.
Where are the saints of God and patriots of the American Republic?
Where are the Saints and the Patriots?
We live in dangerous times. The United States remains engulfed in a worldview battle that could decide the future destiny of this nation and the world as we know it–in our lifetime.
Yet, America remains the guardian of the Free World and the beacon for spreading the Good News of Christ worldwide. We send the most missionaries, provide the bulk of humanitarian aid, and have kept evil nations at bay with our military force and nuclear arsenal for the past one hundred years.
The Fourth Wave of Modern Missions is helping in positive ways as believers from Africa, Latin America, Oceania, and Asia are rising to take their place in sharing Jesus’ love with the nearly eight billion world inhabitants. This is a wonderful and providential act of God.
But America and the Western World still play an important role. The United States in particular fuels the economic engine of progress and innovation–pulling millions out of poverty and inspiring hope and human initiative. If America’s biblical values, economy, and military strength degrade, then the world will be a darker place. Same with Europe.
The Fourth Wave could ebb in this generation. That’s the plan of the forces of evil.
I have been writing for months about the new American Axis of Evil (AAE) that threatens our country and the world. I described them this way five months ago:
“The real collusion in America comes from three powerful groups who have joined forces to obtain power in our country:
- The Democratic Party which has been taken over by secular-progressives (leftists).
- The liberal media including the three major networks, CNN and MSNBC, The New York Times, and the Washington Post.
- The Deep State (the Swamp) –federal workers entrenched in the D.C. bureaucracy.”
“All three groups were once mainstream (fair and decent), composed of varied factions, and generally adhered to Judeo-Christian values. No more. In 2020, they have deceptively aligned to dismantle America as we know it.”
I wrote those words before the November election. Shockingly, eighty million people elected a mentally challenged Joe Biden to the U.S. presidency and gave the “Axis” control of both chambers of Congress.
Georgia electing two radical leftists to the Senate sealed the deal. Since that time, the Biden administration has moved quickly to destroy many aspects of American life.
I do not use the word “destroy” carelessly. Standing invisibly behind the evil triumvirate are demonic forces who’s multi-thousand-year goal has been to destroy human beings and bring them to a hellish end. Jesus himself said: “The thief (Lucifer and his demons) comes to steal, kill and destroy” (John 8:10).
Is there any doubt that the AAE is committed to destroying our nation?
- They are destroying the family through sexual liberation from biblical norms which bless individuals and support family harmony and happiness. The latest push is forcing transgender confusion in the schools, women’s sports, and every public bathroom.
- They are committed to destroying unity and equality through preferring certain groups over others (equity) and using racism as an excuse for violence.
- They are destroying our history by tearing down statutes, re-naming buildings, and re-writing the history books (1619 Project) while blaming white supremacy for all social ills.
- They are destroying free speech and due process through the cancel culture, woke intimidation, and the media censorship (Dr. Seuss and even Disney movies).
- They are destroying our cities by condoning rioting and looting (when it fits progressive causes), defunding he police, and giving free bail and benefits to lawbreakers.
- They are destroying the economy through reckless deficits, the war on fossil fuels (do you like the rising gas prices?) and increasing regulations.
- They are destroying our national sovereignty through open borders and free handouts to illegals.
- They are destroying children through abortion and working people through lockdowns and fear-peddling.
I could list numerous other categories. But I think you see it with your own eyes.
Of course, satanic legions have been battling human culture since the beginning of time. That is not new. But we live in an era of nearly eight billion people with high tech capabilities, weapons of mass destruction, and a growing global homogeneity.
In America’s past, generations have risen to check and stop the tide of evil.
Where are the saints and patriots of the 2020’s?
Early America had the Pilgrims and Puritans. The Pilgrims were the prayer warrior separatists of the day and the Puritans the reformers in American society. Together, they pushed back evil through revivals, godly education, and strong families.
The Revolutionary War saw ministers sound the alarm for liberty while others joined “Committees of Correspondence” and fought in the army against tyranny. One American clergyman preached a sermon with vestal robes, then tore them off revealing his military uniform. He then signed up recruits for the Colonial Army in the church hall.
The Civil War period produced great revivalists like Charles Finney and abolitionists like Harriet Tubman. God’s saints called the people to repentance and his revolutionaries won a victory over slavery and a divided Union.
In the 20th century, FDR led the nation in prayer over the radio against the fascists and Nazis of East and West (Japan and Germany). Millions of folks joined the army while others prayed, manned the factories, and trusted God for deliverance.
Both saints and patriots are needed in our day to defeat evil. Saints are believers in Christ who share the Good News, pray, and live holy and virtuous lives. They act as a spiritual air force in confronting the powers of darkness.
Patriots share similar values but focus more on issues, order in society (self-defense, police, and armed forces), and social reform. They form the cultural army.
More recently, Martin Luther King led the Civil rights movement of the 60’s, and in the 1980’s, Washington For Jesus fueled the election of Ronald Reagan and “Morning in America.” The Moral Majority and other groups fought the culture wars. Two decades ago, Tea Party patriots organized to oppose big government and elect fiscal conservatives.
Most of the saints and patriots in American history were young. Youth carry the passion and strength needed for renewal and victory. Older “generals” are needed, but the energy and vision of younger generations always propel both revival and social reformation.
Where are the youthful saints and patriots of today? Were they killed in the abortion holocaust (65 million kids)? Have those who survived been brainwashed into voting for their own destruction?
Every major city and town in America need a rebirth of passionate saints and patriots. Prayer people and activists. Good News proclaimers and societal guardians.
I encourage you to call people together using every means possible. We must develop greater unity than the forces against us. Gather God’s saints and political patriots as one to stand up in this generation. Inspire them to protect and renew the precious heritage God has given each American city and county.
“When the leaders led, and the people volunteered. Bless the Lord!” (Judges 5:2).
What is your part in the next American revival and revolution?