Comments on: After the Protests and Riots, What?

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 22:28:41 +0000

I read the article and also saw him interviewed on the subject. He seems fair and believable, and his findings don’t really surprise me, though they truly sadden me. We have a very long way to go, and I appreciate your attitude of humility in recognizing that. I’m a learner too, and at this point feel that I need to spend more time learning from African-Americans (and there are now a host of resources) rather than coming up with my own opinions and suggestions. I guess my answer is that I don’t really feel qualified to offer advice. Like you, I need to work on my own perspective and practice. –Philip

By: Richard Elfers

Richard Elfers — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 18:43:13 +0000

Philip,
I just heard an Andy Stanley podcast about gratitude. He told us to express thanks to those who have helped us. You are one of those people whose books have had a enormous influence on my thinking and my life. Thanks for being nuanced and balanced!

I wrote a book where I am using and crediting your thoughts from “Disappointment with God”, and “Christians and Politics: Uneasy Partners”.

Christians today are just as divided as they were in the time of Paul and the apostles. My book reveals the traditions and customs that have shaped modern Christianity that have no biblical basis. I don’t know if I’ll get any readers because most Christians don’t want to know about these contradictions since they now form the basis of much of their faith.

Also, I write a column for a local newspaper. I plan on using the ideas from this article as a basis of moderation for a secular audience.

Thanks again for writing so well and being a thinking Christian!
Richard

By: Mike Johnston

Mike Johnston — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 01:03:38 +0000

Hello, Mr. Yancey,
I am an avid reader of your books and blog. I am very interested in your thoughts, reactions and insights in response to an online article — so far appearing recently in The Atlantic and MSNBC — by Robert P. Jones, CEO and founder of the nonprofit PRRI. He indicates he is a social scientist who grew up in the Southern Baptist denomination, yet has disconnected from that denomination for many reasons. The article is a long excerpt/adaption from his book “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity.”
The author’s conclusion, based on surveys, opinion polls and other means to gauge American Christianity, seems to be that racism indicators among white Christians (mainline and evangeelical) is currently higher than among nonreligious whites (and others) in the United States. Furthermore, white U.S. Christians are consistently more likely than whites who are religiously unaffiliated to deny the existance of structural racism.
Please don’t rely on my nutshell above; when you have time I would encourage your reading of the article (or the book!).
In your book “Soul Survivor” in recall you sharing much about your growing up in a fundamental church in the South and its effects on your faith, your understanding of Jesus, how to live out your faith, etc. So, Mr. Jones also seems like a fellow Soul Survivor.
I’m not asking you to affirm or deny Mr. Jones’ findings, but to give any wisdom and direction for me as a white (Irish!) Christian man who is grappling with the divisive forces that are hitting the United States now. I grew up in the United Methodist Church in western Washington State, and was reached by the Navigators’ ministry with the reality of Jesus as man and God on the University of Washington campus in the turbulent 1969-73 period. I have been part of a Christian and Missionary and Alliance Church for many years…yet sometimes I feel any real, deep changes in me and my attitude and service have been weak…usually after indulging in some sin and reading an article like Mr. Jones.’ And I’m not looking for absolution…
Well, I could go on (and my wife would say “on, and on, and on”) but I would greatly appreciate any reactions to the Jones’ article. (Also will dig into your June 12, 2020 blog)
Sincerly,
Mike JohnstonY

By: Jeff Sida

Jeff Sida — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:05:04 +0000

Mr Yancey, I object to your use of the word ” rioters ” to describe protesters. There are always destructive people pursuing their own agenda at such times. But failing to differentiate makes you sound like a Fox News columnist.

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 02:45:24 +0000

In reply to Rob Lilwall. For regular news, I follow BBC on TV and also their daily and weekly roundup podcasts. The Economist is very thorough, but so intimidatingly long! For perspective, I follow the daily recommendations of the Trinity Forum. For a membership donation, they provide a daily summary of five links with more in-depth coverage. I read Time magazine regularly too. I know what you mean about the fatigue factor.

By: Rob Lilwall

Rob Lilwall — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 01:14:30 +0000

Thank you Philip, this is such a helpful and inspiring reflection.

I was wondering. How many hours a week would you usually spend reading news, where do you go to get your news from, and how do you try to find a balance of perspectives? Do you watch news on TV too, or mainly read it?

I don’t want to spend endless hours reading different perspectives, and so many news outlets seem to be ideologically driven/partisan/ contradictory

Recently, I have taken to giving up news for most of the week (as it was just filling my head with so much gloom and muddle) and then just reading the Economist on Fridays to catch up, but they also have their ideological drivers…

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 03:03:29 +0000

Two excellent men who speak from experience & biblical knowledge on racism.

Voddie Baucham, Jr.
Robert Woodson (Robert Woodson Institute)

By: Guy Manuell

Guy Manuell — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 00:21:01 +0000

My blog (www.gmanuell.com from Australia) dated 14 June 2020 considered the terms ‘race’ and ‘racism’ with respect to differences in human beings. I repeat what I said then and will expand on it.
The God of the Bible doesn’t recognise races, except one human race. He doesn’t think in terms of ‘black lives matter’—He thinks that every single life (that He created!) matters. This God only recognises individuals. God wants to love and care for everyone personally: as someone for whom His Son, the Lord Jesus, shed His blood so that all of us could avoid shedding one another’s blood.
As shown below, ‘race’ is a fiction of the human mind but ‘racism’ is the real thing: the judging people of different so-called ‘races’ as superior or inferior to one another. Much (but not all) of racism is based on the colour of a person’s skin—something over which they had no control when they were born.
I am puzzled that most Christians do not seem to recognise this fundamental truth and that they do not react strongly in rejecting the concept of various human ‘races.’ This rejection of ‘race’ provides a wonderful opportunity for Christians to tell the world a new story which changes all our presuppositions concerning the interaction of different people, no matter what their differences: physical, mental or emotional.
‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.’ (Psalm 51:10)
We need to understand the modern origin of the concept of different ‘races’ amongst humanity to see how evil is this notion. There have always been differences between groups of people based on location, language, culture and religion and, regrettably, that has caused the death of millions. I don’t expect that to change. But the addition of ‘race’ to this list only broadens the opportunity for demeaning people.
Would this solve the problem? Not at all! This word could easily be replaced by ‘tribe/tribalism’ or some other term. The underlying issue is the disposition of our heart and mind. Some catchy slogans reflect this:
• The problem of the heart is the heart of the problem.
• It is a sin problem, not a skin problem.
• It’s grace, not race, that matters.
The classification of people into different ‘races’ is of relatively recent origin when that term is considered in the broad sweep of human history.
Carl Linnaeus (1707-78) was a Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician, who is regarded the father of taxonomy because he invented the modern system of naming organisms (animals, plants and minerals). He was a brilliant man whose great contribution to science is acknowledged the world over. He was also a man of strong Christian conviction. However, he took one step too far when he decided to include humanity in his taxonomical investigations. Linnaeus noted the similar taxonomy of monkeys and human beings and decided that there was no difference between them, except for human speech.#
He initially classified humans and monkeys as part of the same taxonomical group known as ‘Anthropomorpha,’ meaning ‘man-like.’ He invented the ‘scientific’ notion that humanity could be divided into four races: initially, he started with whitish European, reddish American, tawny Asian and blackish African.* He changed and increased these descriptions over time; nevertheless, Linnaeus always believed that humans and apes both belonged to the animal kingdom and should be classified accordingly. He gave humans the name, ‘homo sapiens.’
Of course, this raised difficult issues for theologians and natural historians. The Bible’s teaching is clear. Humans were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and designed to rule His creation on earth (Genesis 1:26, 28). Male and female humans were something that God had not created before. How could the distinct ruler of everything on earth, at the same time, be part of the ruled?
In response to criticism from a German botanist, Johann Georg Gmelin, Linnaeus replied in a letter dated 25 February 1747 (my emphases):

‘It does not please [you] that I’ve placed Man among the Anthropomorpha, perhaps because of the term ‘with human form,’ but man learns to know himself. Let’s not quibble over words. It will be the same to me whatever name we apply. But I seek from you and from the whole world a generic difference between man and simian [apes] that [follows] from the principles of Natural History. I absolutely know of none.’@

In historical terms, Linnaeus won. Since then, a human being was considered to be part of the animal kingdom and, similarly, could be classified into different groups. My earlier blog noted the dreadful impact of theories generated by the influential Blumenbach in the 1770s, derived from Linnaeus’ conclusions. To criticise the ideas of these people is not to condemn them morally. But it is legitimate to reject their conclusions.
Many Christians, in particular, appear to have learnt little from the disastrous slave trade of the UK, USA and European countries; systemic cultural and legal discrimination in the USA; apartheid in South Africa; and the horrors of Nazi Germany. These outcomes are all based on the ideas of failed human thinking.
Everyone who discusses ‘race’ according to classifications of the one race of human beings is demeaning those (every one of them, including themselves!!) who were and are created in the image of God by subdividing them into different groups.
By accepting the ‘science’(?!) of people like Linnaeus and Blumenbach, people everywhere are confirming the apostle Paul’s criticism of humanity:
‘For even though they knew God, they did not honour Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.’ (Romans 1:21-22)
Christians need to stand up for the truth by rejecting the notion of ‘race’ amongst human beings once and for all. That will begin a decline in racism. That would be a small step forward for Christians.

* See Braziel, Jana Evans, ‘Genre, race, erasure: a genealogical critique of “American” autobiography,’ in J A Young & J E Braziel (eds), ‘Erasing Public Memory: Race, Aesthetics, and Cultural Amnesia in the Americas’ (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2007), 35-70.
# For these references, see Frängsmyr, Tore, Sten Lindroth, Gunnar Erikson & Gunnar Broberg, ‘Linnaeus, the Man and his Work’ (Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1983), 159, 166, 175.
@ Gribbin, Mary & John Gribbin, ‘Flower Hunters’ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 56.

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 13:51:13 +0000

In reply to Daniel. I appreciate your spirit, your passion, and your practical suggestions. I began the post with the riots because those white evangelicals are exactly the people I would like to reach--I am one, after all. Many wrongly dismiss the legitimacy of protests because of the violence and chaos that took place. I started with the common ground that we all should agree on, and then hoped to work toward ways to move forward. Don't give up, please. We need your voice.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 04:18:33 +0000

Greetings Mr. Yancey;
I have been blessed by your books and your talks over the years and I was looking forward to hear what you had to say about the RIGHTEOUS PROTESTS that are going on around the country and all over the world to bring an end to POLICE BRUTALITY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM. After reading your post I realized that what captured your imagination was the damage caused to property and the “similarity” between the BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS and a disbanded 60’s militant Marxist organization. One of the popular chants at the various protests we have been witnessing is , ” What’s his/her name”? There is a reason for that. White America , especially white Evangelical/Protestant America,doesn’t want to hear the names of the countless men and women that have been gunned down by the police.White Evangelical Christians bend over back wards to white wash the DIABOLICAL SIN OF RACISM. This is very unfortunate. White America is content to live comfortably, continuing to enjoy the benefits of white privilege and systemic racism while Black America suffers from both the lived out legacy of slavery and systemic racism. What adds insult to injury is the stubborn and arrogant refusal of WHITE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS to come to grips with this reality and repent and join hands with their black brothers and sisters to get rid of this scourge. White America is yet to realize that WHITE SILENCE IS VIOLENCE. I will give you three examples to illustrate my case. During the past month , three leading white evangelicals made outrageous statements about the current situation. Two are mega church pastors and one is the president of a well known christian university. Let me start with the “enlightened” university president. Due to his opposition to a mask mandate in the state he lives in, he thought it appropriate to post a racist picture just to score political points. Result, black faculty and students are leaving. A white evangelical pastor of a mega church from your birth state suggested that ” white privilege” triggers white people. So his solution, “instead of using the phrase white privilege, let us call it “white blessings” because white people are living in the blessing of slavery that built the frame work they live in today. Last but not least, another white evangelical pastor and televangelist from the mid west called slavery ” a birth defect” . Not a sin, not an abomination , a ” birth defect”. I wish I was making this up, but I am not. So in closing Mr. Yancey, I have heard you say in many interviews that the books you write are a result of your attempt to understand a subject matter you don’t understand fully. As a result , you have blessed millions ( my self included ) with your writings. It’s my hope that you will research and study this painful subject matter and use your pen and platform to bring about true repentance and healing to a nation that desperately needs it.May God bless you and your family and may He heal our nation.