“The Church should stay out of politics.”
This might be a coherent statement if politics were kept out of the Church, yet such is not the case. When Nebuchadnezzar demanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego bow down to the statue he had created and worship, he was making both a political and a spiritual demand. The statue was not a monument depicting a historical figure as we might see in civic centers and parks; the statue was not like the American flag and Nebuchadnezzar’s demand like the “Pledge of Allegiance” we so often recite – the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar was an idol, a replacement for God. And whatever replaces, displaces. The three Hebrew children would not bow down. Were they prejudiced against Nebuchadnezzar? Not in the least. However, they were not in agreement with his definition of loyalty and support.
As a Christian, I can affirm that black lives matter, but I cannot affirm the full platform of the organization Black Lives Matter. “Pastor Tim, are you saying that Black Lives Matter is trying to be a replacement for God.” No – not all. I am saying that the platform of Black Lives Matter is a replacement for the Bible in that it takes what the Bible says is good and replaces it with its own version of what is good. And what replaces, displaces. We are told –
… examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good… 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Let us examine the platform of Black Lives Matter and see how it matches up to the Bible and then determine if we can ‘hold fast’ to it. Though there is much to admire and affirm in the Black Lives Matter platform, there are certain planks that are problematic. From their website –
- We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can be mothers in private even as they participate in public justice work.
- We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.
- We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise). Source: https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
As a Christian, there is a hierarchy in marriage, and a husband should love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her. I do not want to dismantle the loving patriarchy taught in the Scriptures. I do not want to disrupt but strengthen the nuclear family. There has been enough disruption. The Bible does not support a queer-affirming network. My conscience is bound to the Word of God. I cannot deny what the Bible affirms. I can certainly affirm that black lives matter, but I cannot affirm the full platform of the Black Lives Matter organization and the society it envisions.
Let us turn the tables and let us imagine that I ask a leader in the Black Lives Matter organization to become a Christian. “Well, what do I need to believe, and how do I need to behave if I became a Christian?” they might ask. I would respond that they need to believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day and that they need to confess Jesus as Lord. The follow-through on a confession of faith is a life of faith empowered by the Holy Spirit – identification with the people of God, a life of service and sacrifice, a life of prayer and reading God’s Word, generous giving to the work of God, sexual purity, and following the teaching of the Bible. “Well, I don’t believe in the resurrection, and I don’t want to hang out with Christians or give money to the work of God, and I want to keep my sexual options open.”
This response does not mean that they do not think Christian lives matter. I would not label them as bigots or haters. If someone rejects Christ and does not want to become a Christian, I do not think they are prejudiced against me. I am sure there are some things in Christianity that attract them – the emphasis of Christ on peace, truth, and justice – but there are other dynamics that put them off enough so that they do not want to identify with Christianity. There are some things attractive about the agenda of Black Lives Matter – ending hatred, ignorance, and injustice – yet there are other planks in the platform that keep me from identifying with the Black Lives Matter organization. This in no way renders me prejudiced against black people any more than their rejection of Christ makes them prejudiced against Christians.
Even as you would not bully or shame someone to come to Christ, do not allow yourself to be bullied or shamed into identifying yourself with an organization with which you do not fully agree. You will only be ashamed of yourself later and resent those who bullied you.
… examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good… 1 Thessalonians 5:21
