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ccchhhrrriiisss
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Joined: 2003/11/23
Posts: 4779


 Christianity Today CEO calls for reparations...

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/june-web-only/justice-too-long-delayed.html

Justice Too Long Delayed
It’s time for the church to make restitution for racial sin.
TIMOTHY DALRYMPLE
JUNE 10, 2020
Christianity Today

“Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” -Genesis 4:10

We at Christianity Today deeply love the church. Serving the bride of Christ, growing her love for God, and telling the story of her redemptive and transformative work in the world is the heart of what we do. We do not revel in the history of her sin. But we cannot love our brothers and sisters well if we cannot tell their story in truth. And we cannot tell their story in truth if we cannot confess our participation in it. The Bible is honest about the flaws of even the most remarkable people. We should follow its example.

Two original sins have plagued this nation from its inception: the destruction of its native inhabitants and the institution of slavery. Both sprang from a failure to see an equal in the racial other. As Bishop Claude Alexander has said, racism was in the amniotic fluid out of which our nation was born. There was a virus present in the very environment that nurtured the development of our country, our culture, and our people. The virus of racism infected our church, our Constitution and laws, our attitudes and ideologies. We have never fully defeated it.

The first slaves arrived upon these shores before the Pilgrims, before there was a Massachusetts or Connecticut. Slavery had been established for 113 years when George Washington was born and 157 years when the Declaration of Independence was written. Nine of our early presidents were slaveholders.

Slavery meant husbands and wives, parents and children were violently torn apart and never saw one another again. It meant white men repeatedly raped hundreds of thousands of black girls and women. American Slavery As It Is, published in 1839 with extensive sourcing by Theodore Weld and Angelina Grimké, writes that slaves:

"...are frequently flogged with terrible severity, have red pepper rubbed into their lacerated flesh, and hot brine, spirits of turpentine, &c., poured over the gashes to increase the torture; that they are often stripped naked, their backs and limbs cut with knives, bruised and mangled by scores and hundreds of blows with the paddle…that they are often hunted with blood hounds and shot down like beasts, or torn in pieces by dogs; that they are often suspended by the arms and whipped and beaten till they faint, and when revived by restoratives, beaten again till they faint, and sometimes till they die; that their ears are often cut off, their eyes knocked out, their bones broken, their flesh branded with red hot irons; that they are maimed, mutilated and burned to death over slow fires."

This is the institution that endured on American soil for nearly 250 years. We shudder when we think not only of the physical torment but of the social suffering—the sense of humiliation and abandonment, that the white society around the slaves was often deaf to their cries and did not view them as human and worthy of love—and we wonder at the profound wound it would leave in the collective consciousness of a people.

Slavery in the antebellum economy was one of the most powerful engines of wealth creation in the history of our people. It generated economic and cultural capital that flowed downstream into affluent communities, as well as opportunity for labor and investment and educational institutions that supported research, innovation, and quality of life. Yet it left African Americans utterly desolate.

Only about 42 percent of white Christians believe the history of slavery continues to impact African Americans today. Yet slavery was a symptom of the virus, not the virus itself. Even after the abolition of slavery, the ideology that had supported and formed around slavery endured. The symptom passed. The virus persisted by mutating.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/june-web-only/justice-too-long-delayed.html


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Christopher

 2020/6/14 16:28Profile
ccchhhrrriiisss
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Joined: 2003/11/23
Posts: 4779


 Re: Christianity Today CEO calls for reparations...

I disagree with the assessment and conclusions by Mr. Dalrymple.

I think that the apostles had a simpler message even during an era in which Jews and Christians were persecuted: "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

I'd explain it further:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

I John 4:7-11 (NASB)


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Christopher

 2020/6/14 16:31Profile
Jeremy221
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Joined: 2009/11/7
Posts: 1532


 Re: Christianity Today CEO calls for reparations...

When I read this it brought to mind a term I just heard recently, Woke Church. My understanding is that this type of group tries to synchronize the Gospel and modern liberal progressive ideology but in the case of conflict ideology takes precedence over the Gospel.

 2020/6/15 0:38Profile
JFW
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Joined: 2011/10/21
Posts: 2009
Dothan, Alabama

 Re: Christianity Today CEO calls for reparations...

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.


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Fletcher

 2020/6/15 8:49Profile
sunwind
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Joined: 2020/5/15
Posts: 10


 Re: Christianity Today CEO calls for reparations...

There was only ONE original sin. Our issues stem from that, not two original American sins. Yes, we all know slavery was horrible. Tell that to all the slaves in the Roman Empire when Christ walked the earth. This so called Christian magazine is simply parroting the voice of the world not Christ's church. The two do not mix. The gospel is the answer to the original and our individual sins, not some social program. When the church refuses to boldly proclaim the gospel and instead wants to pander to the world this kind of article is what you get. They should change their name to Progressive Christianity Today.


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David Jones

 2020/7/12 7:27Profile
drifter
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Joined: 2005/6/6
Posts: 1025
Campbell River, B.C.

 Re:

Hey everyone. It's been awhile since I've posted on SI. Good to be back and God bless you all.

The only solution is forgiveness. African Americans who have slavery in their family history need to forgive the men who owned their ancestors. No amount of money will ever make it right or set them free inside. Constantly rehashing these things only stirs up racial tension, and asking people who have never owned slaves to apologize for the sins of their ancestors is unjust. The United States fought a bloody war to abolish slavery. I would say the blood of those men is payment enough.

As for stealing the land from Native Americans; the world has had bloody conquests for almost all of world history. It was horrible when Native Americans died at the hands of blankets with smallpox on them, when they died on the trail of tears, when they were removed from their territories and put on reservations. I live in Canada and I can still see the effects of these things. However, conquest, even barbarities such as scalping their opponents, rape, and ethnic cleansing were not foreign to Native American tribes. They engaged in these things quite frequently. Some of the Pilgrims seemed to think that God was displacing the Native tribes because of their bloodshed and giving them the land, much like He did with the Canaanites, Jebusites etc.

Again, forgiveness is the only solution. Ever since I got saved, I love people of every race and ethnic background.


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Nigel Holland

 2020/7/12 11:50Profile
sunwind
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Joined: 2020/5/15
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 Re:

Amen. That is what the gospel is all about; forgiveness.


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David Jones

 2020/7/13 12:01Profile
sunwind
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Joined: 2020/5/15
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 Re:

The thing about forgiveness, though is this. It is done on an individual level. The ethnic group we call "black" is not going to forgive the ethnic group we call "white". It is individuals within those groups that forgive, as God changes their individual hearts. Even now there are those who see that within the black community. They are christians and realize the truth and when they forgive or try to proclaim that the people living today are not responsible for the sins of past generations, they are condemned or shouted down by those who still live in spiritual blindness. It takes courage to stand and forgive when many others only want vengeance for past wrongs. God changes hearts one at a time, even 3,000 in one day at times but still it is not as a certain group. We must pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all of us so that the gospel message, which is more powerful than any hate, will be proclaimed and forgiveness will fill our land. It is our nation's only hope. May the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of justice, the Spirit of mercy come upon us all!!. Amen. We love you Lord and desire that your glory fill all of the earth.


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David Jones

 2020/7/13 12:19Profile
ccchhhrrriiisss
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Posts: 4779


 Re:

Hi drifter (Nigel),

You raise a very good point. Forgiveness is a difficult thing to grasp in a world that is given to the latest faux outrage. People are tearing down statues of many different men. They've also torn down crosses and statues of Jesus. Those individuals ignorantly allege that Jesus was somehow a "racist."

During college, one of my history professors offered extra credit if we performed research into our own family history. For this, we were required to submit a family tree (with write-ups) going back as far as as our great-great-great-grandparents.

Oddly enough, I had one great-great-grandparent (on my mother's side) who was still alive at the time of the assignment. I also had one aunt who had performed a great deal of research already.

No one in my family (that I could find) ever owned slaves. In fact, my direct ancestor fought for the Union during the Civil War. I have to admit that it was something of a relief. I know that we are not culpable for the sins of our forefathers, but I was glad that we had a long line free of slavery.

As you pointed out, the world's nations and territories were born out of conquest. This is true in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. In fact, the tribes that existed in the New World were often at war with one another -- and this was long before any European stepped foot here.

Like you wrote, forgiveness is key. We aren't supposed to only love those who love us. As Jesus said:

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?"

Matthew 5:44-47

I suppose that everyone should come to terms with just how short life is. If we live to be 120 years of age, it is still so temporary when compared with eternity. Bitterness, resentment and hate is not worth missing out on the joy of simply being with our Lord. I suspect that there will be individuals from nearly every tribe, tongue and people there.


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Christopher

 2020/7/14 1:20Profile
TMK
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Joined: 2012/2/8
Posts: 6650
NC, USA

 Re:

Hey Chris-

My direct ancestor fought on the other side in the Civil War- he was a poor farmer from around Roanoke VA. He certainly was not a slave owner but I am sure there were some on the larger farms around. My dad who was also from Roanoke did some research a couple of years ago and found his enlistment history. He enlisted I believe in 1862. He deserted prior to the battle of Gettysburg which is a good thing(for me) as most of his regiment was wiped out. He returned to the army voluntarily but deserted again before the war was over. There was an indication he still owed the army the cost of his musket.

I am not ashamed in the least of my great-great grandfather. I am sure he did what he thought was right, which was to support the state he was loyal to and which was all he knew.

It seems very hard for people to realize that 200 and 300 years ago, people just thought differently about things. We cannot judge the thoughts and actions of yesterday by our more enlightened and “PC” standards of today.

In the 1950s and 60s, for the most part men and boys swam naked at the YMCA. We can’t fathom that today but then it was normal. When I think about my free ranging childhood growing up in the 70s compared to the coddling and extreme oversight my grandchildren get today it saddens me. I suspect if we apply today’s standards to my parents (and everyone else’s) they would have been considered abusive or at least neglectful. But we had the time of our lives!

I guess my point is that it should be easy to forgive men like Thomas Jefferson and Robert E. Lee and Christopher Columbus if we try to think about the world they lived in and how it worked. They just thought differently about things and over time our way of thinking has changed.

I honestly don’t understand why that is so difficult for some folks to understand. One obvious reason is that they don’t WANT to understand because it’s easier not to and does not fit a certain narrative.


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Todd

 2020/7/14 7:59Profile





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