Chapter 9 - The Multicultural and Critical Race (The Culture War)
The multicultural and critical race issue
In this culture war that we are finding ourselves entangled in, it is important to get a clear biblical perspective on the heart of God for our lives.
Group identity politics
It is the kind of politics in which groups of people have a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity, that tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group.
Notes from Jonathan Leeman’s 2020 T4G address:
1. What Is Identity Politics?
It is an approach to politics based on one’s group identity.
It comes with a basic worldview which measures life in terms of power generally and the division of groups between the oppressor and oppressed specifically.
It views life and truth as socially constructed.
The primary political activity of oppressed groups is consciousness-raising and collective action.
2. Identity Politics Is an Unexpected Ally
It reminds us of what the Bible teaches about the pervasiveness of sin.
It helps us better understand the Bible’s call to repentance and the unity that only come through repentance.
It encourages us to consider more carefully the prominent role the Bible gives to justice.
It helps us better understand what the Bible teaches about authority, at least perversions of authority in the fall.
3. Identity Politics Is a Misleading Ally—An Anti-Theology
Its doctrine of creation: It treats both group and the individual as god. Therefore, there is little basis for human unity or dignity.
Its doctrine of sin and the fall: It offers a different list of sins than the Bible’s, which creates new injustices. It also overlooks the universality of sin.
Its doctrine of redemption: It offers salvation by merit, which yields self-righteousness. And it insists on political agreement, which yields division.
Are our present divisions the fault of identity politics?
Identity politics is a cause of some of our divisions.
But identity politics is also the symptom of older sins, sins which are also responsible for our present divisions.
4. Where Do We Go From Here?
Preach the political power of justification by faith alone, which is the source of the church’s spiritual and political (not partisan) unity.
Point to the church as the political hope of the nations and where we find our primary identity together in Christ.
Preach the whole Bible.
Maintain both love and truth.
Membership Is Identity
by John MacArthur
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
A + A – RESET
Our society is suffering from an identity crisis. Collectively and individually, people today don’t have a strong sense of who they are, what they want, or how to achieve it. They drift anchorless through life, following the whims and fads of the world instead of accepting responsibility and pursuing maturity.
Christians don’t need to struggle with that kind of identity crisis. We’ve been redeemed and claimed by Christ, brought into His family, and are being transformed into His likeness. To some degree, it should be difficult to tell where He stops and where you start, so to speak. As Paul says in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
That glorious truth describes the spiritual state of every believer. We are no longer isolated and alone—the Lord bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) and grafted us into His family (Romans 11:17). We bear His name, and our transformed lives are a testimony to His love and power. Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf establishes our new identity for eternity—we are His church, His body, and His bride.
But if individually we are identified with Christ, why then do so many Christians refuse to identify with the church—a collection of others likewise identified with the Savior? Why do they refuse church membership and eschew fellowship with a local congregation? If the Lord has made us all one family in eternity, why do so many believers spend so much time here on earth avoiding one another?
Paul sternly warned Timothy to not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord (2 Timothy 1:8). In his case, Timothy had real reasons to be afraid of publicly proclaiming his faith and identifying with the church—he faced the constant threat of physical persecution, imprisonment, and even death.
The majority of believers today won’t ever face that kind of pressure. Instead, the resistance to identify with the church is born out of the fear of man. In our perpetually shallow and increasingly atheistic culture, there’s nothing cool about the church. So rather than being saddled with the stigma of buttoned-down religion, some believers try to discreetly live out their faith through loose affiliation with one—and sometimes more than one—congregation. Others just avoid the church altogether, ashamed that anyone might think they belong.
The idea of giving in to that kind of meager pressure would be laughable if so many Christians weren’t doing it every day. But rather than proudly and publicly uniting with other believers, they chase fickle popularity. Maybe you’ve been tempted at times to do the same.
What you do in the face of that temptation says a lot about the true state of your heart. The best indication of your priorities is how and where you spend your time and energy, whether it’s a political movement, a school board, a neighborhood committee, or a fan club.
And of all the organizations you could belong to, the church is by far the most important. Your commitment to and identification with your local congregation speaks volumes about who you are and what matters most to you. In fact, your participation in your church is so much more than a once- or twice-a-week activity—it’s a gathering of people who are no longer citizens of this world; a fellowship of men and women who have been transformed into new creatures and united in faith. The church is a foretaste of the glories that await us in eternity.
So if you claim to love the Lord but refuse to identify with His people, it raises understandable questions about the veracity of your love. At the same time, if your reputation with the unsaved world means enough to keep you away from the church, you have cause for serious concerns about whether you’ve truly repented and believed in the first place.
One other thing to consider when it comes to reputations: it’s true yours could suffer in some circles if you publicly identify with your local church—it might even be humiliating for you.
But that’s nothing compared to the humiliations Christ willingly and sacrificially suffered on our behalf. And if the Lord is willing to associate Himself with weak, sinful people like us, we can’t keep Him or His church at arm’s length. If He’s not ashamed to call us His, we cannot be ashamed to call Him ours.
https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B130123/membership-is-identity
The biblical perspective on our conduct in a world where there is an identity crisis.
Philippians 1:27 – 30
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
Mass immigration
Food, clothing, manners and mannerisms, norms, cleanliness,
Is Migration Europe’s Achilles Heel?
Yes, because it exposes long-term weak spots of European integration, thus undermining integration itself. And it cuts across all levels of society and politics, which means the topic of migration is sensitive for almost everybody.
Firstly, it is a security issue but each of the EU governments—and the UK—view it differently. The threat perception may vary, but there is one common denominator: it is necessary to increase the protection of the EU’s external borders. This is a crucial test of the union’s common security policy.
Secondly, it is a cultural issue within societies across Europe. There are vast historical differences when it comes to member states’ experiences with migration. For example, the East of the EU does not have any colonial heritage, such as the one that influences the Western approach to migration. There is a difference between the perception of Ukrainian refugees and Syrian ones. It creates a lot of tension at local and regional levels.
Thirdly, this complexity makes it almost impossible for politicians to come to a solution that would be acceptable for the Southern and Eastern flanks of the EU, which perceive the problem quite differently. Any compromise—the traditional engine of EU integration—seems to be hard to achieve.
https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/88486
I believe that South Africa has faced similar challenges with refugees from countries north of South Africa streaming into South Africa resulting in Xenophobia resulting in conflict.
Cultural differences
Let’s look at issues from a Western, Tribal and Christ cultural point of view.
Western society has a culture of idols and idol makers. They worship actors, singers, bands, fashion designers, technology experts, sports professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, and others as “stars” or heroes. Fame of individuals come under the spotlight when they deviate from the “image” that they have become known for and have a social obligation to uphold. This results in a gossip culture where these stars and heroes “fall from grace.” Paparazzi fuel the flames of either the affirmation of their idol status or of the vilification of them when they act contrary.
Western society also evolved to the point where “self” is worshipped. Selfies are the act of self-worship and only the best angle and location is worthy of social posts where others can admire, like and praise these self-images.
Western society sees success as measured in earthly possessions, assets, net-worth, wealth, position, and fame. You are successful if you have a portfolio of properties, a car collection, the owner of an entrepreneurial empire and that exhibits their wealth.
Tribal societies are known for the worship of their ancestors. They look to sangomas as highly respected healers that diagnose, prescribe, and often perform rituals to heal a person physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. The sangoma may address all of these realms in the healing process, which usually involves divination, herbal medicine, and specific customized rituals to cure illness and restore well-being. An individual who is called to be a sangoma must be called by spirit. The calling, ukutwasa, denotes an ancestral and cultural responsibility and is initiated usually by an illness, which is accompanied by strange dreams and visions. Sangomas go through an initiation period, which can last from months to years, depending on the circumstances. Sangomas learn to read dingaka, or oracle bones, to be used in divination to detect the presence of spirits around a sick person, resentful ancestral spirits, offended nature spirits, or malevolent spirits. Sangomas must also understand the power and workings of the human mind. The source of their power is called umbilini, which they learn to summon at will through the beating of a drum or through deep meditation. They also learn how to access the knowledge of the universe—past, present, and future—said to be contained in a hidden lake in the spirit world. Highly skilled sangomas are said to be able to make herbal medicines, interpret dreams, incorporate spirits, control weather, and predict the future. Most sangomas are women.
They see success as loyalty to the ancestors, loyalty to traditional values, having many wives, many children, having deep social relationships and having an impact in their society, having land and many livestock. Being obese is a sign of prosperity to them.
There are five major African initiation rites which are fundamental to human growth and development. These rites were originally established by African ancestors while they were living in order to link the individual to the community and the community to the broader and more potent spiritual world. Initiation rites are a natural and necessary part of a community, as are arms and legs natural and necessary extension of the human body. These rites are critical to individual and community development, and it should not to be taken for granted that people automatically grow and develop into responsible, community-oriented adults.
The process of initiation concerns undergoing a fundamental set of rites to start a new phase or beginning in life. It marks the passing from one phase in life to the next more mature phase. Initiation fundamentally has to do with transformation, and has been a central component of traditional African cultures since time immemorial. The details of the rites vary among the different societies, but these rites are nevertheless basic components of the society as they help guide the person from one stage in life into the next stage of one’s life and development, that is, from birth to death and beyond.
The five rites are birth, adulthood, marriage, eldership, and ancestorship. A rite is a fundamental act (or set of rituals) performed according to prescribed social rules and customs. Each of these rites are a key component that are a part of traditional African cultures. Some societies have more elaborate and extensive ceremonies than others, but these five themes are the thread that links families and villages in traditional Africa and provide the necessary structure for individual growth and development.
There is a female initiation called Lebollo la basadi practiced among the Basotho and is a rite of passage ritual which marks the transition of girls into womanhood. This activity is still practiced in the Free State, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces of South Africa.
Christ culture centers around Jesus Christ as the object of our worship. We worship a triune God made up of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are living stones built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices unto God. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Christians see themselves as being crucified with Christ, they do not live for themselves however it is Christ who lives in and through them. They deny themselves daily, take up their cross and the follow Christ.
Christian culture is where believers continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. They gather together in churches and from house to house. They care for the needs of others. They make the Gospel of Christ known to unbelievers through evangelism and missions as the Holy Spirit leads and directs them.
Success is obedience to God, empowered by the Spirit of God, motivated by love for God, and directed toward the advancement of His kingdom. Real success begins by obeying God’s command to repent, believing in Jesus Christ, and following Him in all areas of life.
https://www.elizabethton.com/2020/05/21/how-does-jesus-define-success/
Paul measured his own success as a leader, as an apostle, and as a Christian by a single criterion: He had “kept the faith”—meaning both that he had remained faithful to Christ and that he had kept the message of Christ’s gospel intact, just as he had received it. He had proclaimed the Word of God faithfully and fearlessly. And now he was passing the baton to Timothy and to others, who would be “able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A311/the-true-measure-of-success
Following Paul’s approach to multiculturism.
1 Cor 9:19 – 23
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
Isaiah 56:7
Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
When we are in Christ we adopt His way of life, and we reform the aspects of our native culture that are not aligned to Him.
Personal responsibility
We are personally responsible for our own salvation and growth in the Lord. I am responsible, with God’s help, and with the church’s help. Only when we have taken responsibility for our personal relationship with the Lord do we become useful to help others. Helping others should be an overflow of our personal time with the Lord and not at the expense of our personal relationship with the Lord which is dead works.
Phil 2:12 – 16
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Luk 9:23 – 26
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?