This represents the third post in this series, a series which I no plans to write in the first place, and one which, at least in part, I would rather not continue today.
I could say that events compel me to write on this subject again, but that would be inaccurate. Events compel not such thing from me. I am entirely free to write on whatever subject I choose, the events of the day notwithstanding.
But given that the entirety of American society, including the professed Evangelical/Protestant church, seems bound and determined to draw all the wrong lessons from the recent racial tension in the United States, I would be remiss as a blogger and as a Christian were I to pass over these extraordinary errors in silence.
A person holding a phone walks past burning vehicles following riots protesting the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 in the custody of Minneapolis Police, in Seattle, Washington on May 30, 2020. JASON REDMOND
“Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together…And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said…”we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.”
Eph. 19:32, 35, 39, 40
“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.”
Charles Mackay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
It’s hard to believe that less than a week ago almost no one knew the name George Floyd. My, how things have changed.
Last week, I completed an outline for my planned post for today. It was going to be a continuation of my series “This is Going to Hurt” and cover the topic of fiat currencies. In fact, I planned on sticking with that topic as recently as yesterday. But the more I thought about it in light of the riots convulsing my country, riots that are taking place even as I write, the less appropriate it seemed to address issues of monetary policy. Not that monetary policy isn’t important. But as a writer who seeks to apply the Scriptures to matters of economics and politics, sometime events reach a critical mass where they force themselves on you, whether you like it or not. That’s where I find myself on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
For my part, I’d rather avoid the topic of the George Floyd riots altogether. For it is impossible to write honestly about these riots and without at the same time touching on the issue of race, an explosive topic that has intimidated more than a few commentators. It may be that this author has himself ducked the topic over the years at least in part for that very reason.
Nevertheless, when major cities all across America are both figuratively and literally on fire – including my hometown of Cincinnati – were I to remain silent, I would be shirking my duty as a writer.
So with all that said, let’s dive into this ongoing mess as see what items of interest we can find.
Antifa at Charlottesville. Take care what you say about theses guys. According to the MSM, business leaders, and all right thinking people everywhere, these fine gentlemen are freedom fighters and above reproach.
A little over a week has passed since the Charlottesville riot on August 12, enough time for further reflection and for further details to emerge. For these reasons, and due to the controversy arising over president Trump’s comments on the riot, it seemed good to me to write a follow up to last week’s post, Charlottesville – A Few Thoughts.
Racism Is Sin
It really shouldn’t be necessary to state the obvious truth that racism is incompatible with Christianity, that it is a sin, that it represents a failure to love our neighbor as ourselves. God is not a respecter of persons, and neither should be the followers of Christ.
But while it shouldn’t be necessary to decry racism, and doing so almost feels a bit like virtue signaling, in today’s world of PC intolerance it probably is a reasonable first step, especially for any writer whose views do not comport with the straightjacket orthodoxies of the cultural Marxist goon squads that control public discourse at the moment.
White nationalists and protestors clash in Charlottesville, Virginia – ABC News.
You never know what’s next. That’s both the joy and the danger of writing political commentary. When events occur tha call out for commentary, sometimes you’re well prepared, and at other times not so much. The uproar over the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia? For this author it falls under the category of not so much.
When discussing an emotional issue such as race, it is always tempting to fall into the error of thinking one must pick sides. One is either on the side of Black Lives matter or the White Nationalists. We’re either for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) or with Richard Spencer and the National Policy Institute. Forgotten many times is a third possibility: both sides may be wrong.
For example, in the 1930s the great political conflict in Europe was between the Marxist on the one hand, and the fascists on the other. One was either a Marxist or a fascist. If one was right the other was wrong. But looking back on that period through the intervening 8 decades, many people today likely would say both sides were in error. And, of course, they would be right to do so.
In like fashion, looking at today’s conflict between the SJW left and the Alt-right, the proper stance of the Christian is to reject both points of view as unbiblical. Why do I say this?
Lux Lucet 