Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Commentary, Uncategorized

Liberation Theology Apology

Today the gospel and the very definition of truth are under attack within society and the church.

Many people don’t even know it.   

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.   2 Cor 10:4-5

There is a false gospel among us hiding under a veil of empathy and compassion.

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” 2 Cor 11:3-4

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”  Gal 1

Paul was constantly addressing heresy throughout the course of his ministry. For example, he rebuked the Galatians because as a result of ‘some that troubled them‘, the gospel of Christ was being perverted.  He makes it clear that it doesn’t matter who does it, be it a person or an angel from heaven; preaching a false gospel will result in a curse.

Liberation theology is a 20th-century Christian, primarily Roman Catholic, movement originating in 1950s-60s Latin America, emphasizing the church’s duty to promote social and economic justice for the oppressed.Gustavo Gutiérrez Peruvian author of A Theology of Liberation is often considered the actual founder.

Today Liberation Theology is often framed as opposition to conservative protestants. However, it was formed in rebuttal to the Catholic church which was imbedded in Latin American governments since arrival of Spanish Conquistadors.

What is Liberation Theology?

Liberation theology emphasizes the poor in interpreting the gospel. It emphasizes social activism to dismantle structural sin. Structural sin refers political and socioeconomic systems within a society that favor those regarded as oppressors. Liberation theology takes the side of the poor and oppressed. The purpose of the church is to act on their behalf. Sin is not just individual, but embedded in economic and political systems. 

Theology is not abstract but must be developed from the lived experience of the marginalized.

The Bible is read from the perspective of the poor. Their liberation is likened to the Exodus.  Justice is not grace is emphasized.

While rooted in Latin America, Liberation Theology has expanded its influence. Today we have,
Black Liberation Theology, Feminist Liberation Theology, Asian/African Liberation Theologies.
Liberation theology relies heavily on Marxist social analysis, rooted in concerns about class conflict.

The term “Marxist” is often an overgeneralized term in that even Marxists don’t always agree on what “Marxist” means. For our purposes here, I describe the Marxist analytical lens as “Deconstructive”. All political, socioeconomic problems are regarded as systemic. The solution requires that these systems be torn down and replaced. The idea of fixing or mproving existing captitalist  systems is oxymoronic.

Every problem is reduced to an issue of power. The foundation of every solution begins with the transfer of power.

There are two categories. Oppressor and oppressed. Every subgroup falls under one. Capitalism is always an oppressor. White, cisgender Christian men are oppressors. Black. LGBTQ, female Wiccans are oppressed. This paradigm is best understood in terms of what Critical Theorists call

“Intersectionality”

I would say that sometimes these descriptions do apply in the context of individuals and individual communities. Racism and bigotry do exist. God has told us how we should treat others.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

The fact that Liberation theology attempts to address very real and valid concerns, does not change the reality that it is in fact another gospel.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:8-9

Not every false gospel is rooted malicious conspiracy.  Well-meaning people are twisting the gospel in that biblical truth is determined by “lived experiences” instead of interpreting lived experiences according to the gospel. Empathy and compassion are their drivers. Still, the purpose of the gospel is to conform us to the image of His Son. Romans 8:29 Many mistake it as an exhortation to conform society according to our image of justice through social activism. And it’s not just the left. Heretical NAR doctrines like “The Seven Mountains Mandate” and the “Manifest Sons of God” seek social transformation by changing systems and institutions.

The gospel message is eternal not temporal. His kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36 The gospel message is for individuals and the transformation of individual hearts. Everything else would change if everyone obeyed and followed Jesus. Not a man talking about Jesus. But Jesus as revealed in scripture.

Of course, this is foolishness to unbelievers who only view life through a temporal lens.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

Blessed is he who understands the hidden causes of things.

-Virgil-

The Roots of Liberation Theology

Liberation Theology is rooted in Marxist Theory. According to Marxist theory, the proletariat or working class is unfairly dominated or oppressed by the power-wielding bourgeoisie or the wealthy capitalist class. Marx saw these divisions as solely economic.  He assumed that the alleged economic repression of the working class would naturally result in their eventual revolt against the capitalist class. He did not take into account that while the rich get richer within capitalism, the poor get richer too. At least they used to. Long story short, after the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1911 and Russian Revolution in 1917 those adhering to Marxist philosophy realized they needed a different strategy for tearing down the status quo in order to usher in a Marxist solution.

The 1930s saw the advent of “Critical Theory” sometimes called Neo-Marxism developed by a group of sociologists and philosophers known as the Frankfurt School.

The philosophical underpinnings of Critical Theory were derived from Antonio Gramsci who was imprisoned by the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was the first to define socialism as a religion and stated “socialism is precisely the religion that must kill Christianity.” He is best known for his Prison Notebooks that inspired future critical theorists and formed the basis for the theory of hegemony whereby instead of a violent and bloody revolution Marxist goals could be achieved through institutional manipulation and coercion via institutions like media, religion, and education. His socialist religion was rooted in “trust in man and his best strengths as the sole spiritual reality.” 

Instead of working-class versus capitalist class, contemporary critical theory a.k.a. Critical Race Theory divided society into oppressor versus oppressed groups along lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, etc.  Sexism, racism, classism, ageism, and heterosexism… are the main forms of oppression. While oppression was traditionally defined along the lines of cruelty, neglect, and violence, etc. Critical Race theory focuses on ways in which the dominant social group, namely older white cisgender Christian males, imposes its values and standards, on others for the sake of its own interests. Injustice results from everyday practices of society at large via its normalized language, habits, cultural traditions, and symbols.

Terms like Whiteness, White Supremacy, and White Privilege are often confusing to those of us who hold no racial bigotry.  Millennial Critical Theorists who may not even realize they are Critical Theorists, are often oblivious to the strategized cultural programming to which they have been subjected since birth. Postmodernism which came on the scene in 1979, brought the existence of objective truth into question. It validated the relativism that we see today in statements like “My truth is my truth. Your truth is yours.” These truths are defined and determined by individual “lived experiences”. The expectation is that others conform their perspectives to the truth defined by thecindividual lived experience of others.

Conversely, those born before 1979 were taught that our experiences and emotions are valid and true for us. That doesn’t make them inerrantly true. The expectation was that we conform our individual perspectives to objective truth. We were taught to cope with our feelings in accordance with accepting “life on life’s terms.”

Critical Race Theory has many layers, terms, and concepts like Interest Convergence, Positional Epistemology, Standpoint Epistemology, Grievance Justice, Research Justice, Deconstruction, Intersectionality, and the most recent Cancel Culture movement that as of today is employed by the so-called Conservative Right as well. If you want to read more on the history of Critical race theory I recommend starting with the Derrick Bell Reader.

Stuart Greaves, the recently disgraced IHOP leadership team member and author of False Justice wrote, this generation of Social Justice warriors is being prepared to usher in the antichrist. That may be the case. But then we have Bethel and Mercy Culture, and Donald Trump the proverbial Cyrus or Jehu who recently stated that we should “move on” from the horror of statanic Molech worship exposed in the Epstein files. Pam Bondi pointed to the stock market as validation for continued cover-up. So I’m not so sure leftist social justice warriors are the problem. In any case, you can read the genealogy of Critical Race Theory which spawned Liberation Theology here.

The Role of Language

In his sermon, A Bride Adorned for the Bridegroom Art Katz said that Christians are supposed to be the stewards of words and language. What many fail to understand is that so-called Leftist Deconstruction (for lack of a better term) began in the realm of Language in conjunction with Critical Theory with Jacques Derrida. Postmodern relativism buttressed Derrida’s linguistic deconstruction, which, among other things invalidates any attempt to assume we can know the true meaning of a passage of scripture by drilling down into the original language. We must understand, these are two empirically unproven presuppositions leading to two very separate and divergent world views.

Here’s the thing…

Trauma is real. Radical Feminism is rooted in the abuse women suffered at the hands of men. Contemporary beliefs about white supremacy are rooted in abuses of black people by genuine white supremacists. The history we were taught in school is the history of the winners of every sociopolitical, economic battle, and or war. We are conditioned more than taught to align with the winner. But there is a history of the losers as told by Howard Zinn in A People’s History of the United States. Some call it revisionist history. It is simply history from the perspective of the losers. The fact remains that the contemporary Critical Race Theory of Derrick Bell was born out of very real trauma stemming from the horrendous and unjust history of American slavery along with the absolutely valid concerns regarding racial injustice and systemic inequality for people of color and women during the late 1950s into the 1970s. Many of Bell’s concerns were valid especially at the time when he was a black professor of law at Harvard. He even made a decent case for slavery reparations based on the fact that the descendants of slaves were robbed of the inheritance they might have received had slaves been paid for their labor.

The problem for the Church today begins with our ignorance of what our opposition believes and or a lack of empathy for the issuses and traumas that frame their worldview. As for modern Criticat Theory, its approach and doctrinal emphasis on the collective rather than the individual is unrealistic at best. People have the capacity to change themselves. They can not and do not change others let alone systems. Systems change when individuals change. Critical Theory focuses on deconstruction rather than construction. Instead of solving problems by improving the existing system, it seeks to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater by tearing down, canceling culture, reinterpreting scripture, and eliminating the status quo a.k.a “the patriarchy”.

Christianity is patriarchy. Its author and ruler is our Father in Heaven. The biblically aligned marriage and its patriarchal structure is a model for Christ’s relationship with His church. While Critical Race Theory ignores the fact that the chronic absence of fathers in inner-city homes is at the root of problems like gangs and black on black murder. The solution is not the abolition of the patriarchy but for men to fulfill their God-given calling and authority in the family and society at large.

Finally, while Christianity and the salvation of man is rooted in the Ephesians 2:1-10 total depravity of man “dead in our trespasses”, doctrines an dogma rooted in Critical Theory hold to the inherent goodness of man and his ability to save himself. Here are some scriptures that may be helpful in disputing ideologies rooted in Critical Theory.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Col 2:8

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. Eph 5:6

The knowledge of the truth is what sets us free. John 8:32

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Rom 3:10-18

Biblical righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we walk in because we are grafted in John 15:5 and are then granted supernatural power to be obedient to His word. Rom 8:1-5

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. Psalm 89:14

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19 -21

He has no form or comeliness;  And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:2-3

Jesus was the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14  He didn’t intersect with an oppressed class. He was God who intersected with all of mankind who stand equally guilty of oppressing Him through the voluntary rejection of Himself and His law. 

There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the LORD. Pro 21:30 

“all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Tim 3:12

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Prov 16:25

The Bible says “…lean not on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes.” Prov 3:5-7

Obedience comes with a cost.  Romans 13 is an example. 

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Rev 12:11

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” Mat 13:12

Grateful people usually end up with more to be grateful for.  Those without gratitude usually lose what they have. 

I get the sense that a lot of entitled people are about to lose what they didn’t realize they had.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Col 3:1-4

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Now more than ever we must “study to shew (ourselves) approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Commentary

CRT Genealogy and Scripture Rebuttal

What is commonly known as Critical Race Theory is the philosophical backdrop for Leftist Ideologies today. 

The following timeline and descriptions are not exhaustive. They are intended as tools to help those interested narrow the focus of their research.

1789-99 Rousseau – egalitarianism – French Revolution

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was an 18th Century Philosopher who proposed Egalitarianism as a solution to society’s problems. It was framed by the idea that 1. A social utopia was possible. Think “Build Back Better”. 2. This would require a dismantling of all social institutions that got in the way. 3. Once established, a temporary totalitarian government would be required to maintain the new utopia by force.  Egalitarianism helped to fuel the French Revolution.

1830-40 Friedrich Hegel a contemporary of Rousseau is most famous for what is known today as the Hegelian  Dialectic where the thesis conflicts with antithesis to form a synthesis. This is the root of “Dialectal Materialism” that is foundational to Marxist philosophy. The Hegelian Dialectic is a foundation for “discourse” in CRT and the principle of the “problem-reaction-solution” model employed by all totalitarian regimes to gain and maintain control. Hegel is important to the extent that he inspired Marx.

1848 Karl Marx published his renowned Communist Manifesto.  While classical Marxism is economically based whereby a violent overthrow of the capitalist class by the working class was viewed as inevitable.  However, Marx did not account for the fact that while the rich indeed got richer, the poor got richer too.  The takeaway from Marxism that still applies today is conflict theory.  Critical Theories are just rebranded Marxism in that the economic, “oppressor versus oppressed” as a conflict generator is replaced by race and gender.  Hence the term “Cultural Marxism”.

1911 Chinese Revolution

Russian Communist Revolution 1917

American Communist Party forms 1919

1929 – 1935 Antonio Gramsci who was imprisoned by the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was the first to define socialism as a religion and stated “socialism is precisely the religion that must kill Christianity.” He is best known for his Prison Notebooks that inspired future critical theorists and formed the basis for the theory of hegemony whereby instead of a violent and bloody revolution Marxist goals could be achieved through institutional manipulation and coercion via institutions like media, religion, and education. His socialist religion was rooted in “trust in man and his best strengths as the sole spiritual reality.” 

1923 Frankfurt School of Economics is formed and Critical Theory is born in 1937. Theodore Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse were Marxists whose goal was to rethink and rebrand Marxism that had thus far failed to produce the projected utopian society.

Adorno believed that the authoritarian personality is the result of Capitalism, Christianity, Conservatism, The Patriarchal family, and Sexual repression.

Horkheimer took Critical Theory from being an analytical tool to one of implementing social change.

Marcuse was perhaps the most classically Marxist of the three and proposed that certain ideas, speech, behaviors, etc. must be disallowed. It could be argued that Marcuse is father of the current “Cancel Culture”.

1945-52 Chinese Communist Revolution

1960 Students for a Democratic Society, later became The Weather Underground.  Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorn participated in multiple bombings in the 1960s and ’70s. Both got off on a technicality. The concern over communism grew during these years. While conservatives went into government, law enforcement and the military to counter the threat, Marxists like Bill Ayers went into education to advance their agendas.  Bill Ayers specialized in curriculum.

1963 undercover FBI agent Cleon Skousen presents a 45 point plan of the American Communist Party which included a discrediting of the nuclear family, the Bible, and the replacement of “revealed region” with a social form.

1966 Professors Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven developed what is known today as the Cloward – Piven strategy whereby the current socio-economic system in the USA would be dismantled by overwhelming social services and other entitlements with applicants until the entire system collapses and is replaced with one based on socialism. Those influenced by Cloward and Piven include Bill Ayers, Barrack Obama, and Hillary Clinton.

1967 Jacques Derrida develops what is commonly known today as “deconstructionism”. While it originally focused on textual criticism that is not without value in terms of Bible exegesis, it became foundational to cultural Marxist deconstruction we know as “cancel culture” today. It also underpins the process whereby so many Christians are deconstructing and falling away from the faith. 

1969  Michael Foucault is best known for ideas like “power/knowledge” the idea that power is gained and maintained by producing and controlling what is accepted as knowledge. His book The History of Sexuality laid a foundation for the current gender-driven upending of society.

In the late 1960s – 70s Harvard law professor Derrick Bell develops critical legal theory.  Bell is often considered an originator of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Besides the idea that racism is normal and endemic to society he also proposed “convergence theory” that in essence says white people are only capable of operating in accordance with their own self-interest. Hence any support of civil rights on the part of whites is because it converges with their interests.

1971 Herbert Marcuse postulates that radical feminism is the best platform for launching the cultural Marxist’s nonviolent revolution.

1971 Saul Alinsky a Barrack Obama mentor publishes Rules for Radicals. It becomes a manual for community organizers. It is prefaced with praising Lucifer, the original radical who gained his own kingdom.

1979 the atheist Post Modernism of Jean-François Lyotard is born. It is not taken very seriously outside of academic circles. It ultimately turns the idea of objective truth and especially objective moral law on its head.  The result is that two generations were educated based on a system of relativistic thought that now teaches things like 2+2=5. 

1986 the Standpoint Epistemology of Sandra Harding is often correlated with Critical Theories but is more a product of postmodernism and feminist philosophy.  This has been called Ethnic Gnosticism by Voddie Baucham because it asserts secret knowledge on the part of the oppressed. Truth is based on individual lived experience. For example, a black woman knows things that can not ever be known by a white man. One result we see today is the idea that a white male must listen but not speak when it comes to subjects involving a black person or a female or any other oppressed person or group.    

1989 Kimberly Crenshaw – Intersectionality essentially monetizes the victim stance by identifying oppressed and oppressor groups.  Power is determined according the number of oppressed groups to which one can claim membership. A black female has power.  A black lesbian has more. It is possible to belong to both an oppressed and oppressor groups e.g. a white Christian female or a gay male. However, a white cisgender Christian male can only be an oppressor. One’s only hope within the context of this world view is that new oppressed groups are being added daily to include “overweight” and “introvert”…

2001 Richard Delgado is often credited with condensing and formalizing CRT in his book Critical Race Theory – an Introduction.  Among other things he planted the seeds of the current proposed anti-hate speech laws and outlined the basic framework upon which current CRT is based. They are as follows.

1. Racism is embedded in society and is normal.  CRT begins with the assumption of racism and then searches for it until it is found. Real-time application: “anti-racism work” whereby white people are taught to seek out ways in which they are racist.  They are taught there is no way not to be racist and this will be a lifelong endeavor. That said, only white people can be racist because they have all the power.

2. Convergence theory: Whites are incapable of doing anything except in their interest. For example, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is accused of attempting to conceal her racial bias by adopting black children. She couldn’t have done this out of genuine love. But rather to appease her own guilt for her inherent white privilege.

3. Racism is systemic. All systems eg. Education, Law, religion, etc. are racist. Hence the very foundations of society, language, history, and culture must be deconstructed (dismantled) and rebuilt from the ground up.  (See Egalitarianism)  Racism is an identity, not an action. Real-time application: a black man assaulting an Asian woman results from “Whiteness” imposed upon him by systemic racism.

4. All knowledge is socially constructed.  Language forms the building blocks. What you say matters more than what you do. Today looting and burning by oppressed groups are “peaceful protests”. The January 6th, 2021 protest in Washington D.C. was terrorism by white supremacists. George Floyd is a hero because he died in the custody of white police. Ashley Babbit was a terrorist because she tried to climb unarmed through a window and was shot dead by a black police officer.

2008 Barrack Obama is elected POTUS. The teachings of his primary mentors e.g. Marxist pornographer Frank Marshal Davis,  Bill Ayers, Saul Alinsky, and Liberation Theologian Jeremiah Wright provided the philosophical foundation for his radical transformation of America.

2011 the Occupy Wall Street movement emerges seemingly out of nowhere. Ironically funded by “one perecenter” billionaires like George Soros.  The emerging classical Marxist narrative seeks to marginalize the 1% in and threatens to “burn it all down”.

2013 BLM is established by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to Travon Martin being shot by George Zimmerman. 

2014 Michael Brown killed in St. Louis MO

2016 Donald Trump elected POTUS.

2017 ANTIFA emerges as a formidable presence in the USA. while the group traces its roots back to 1936 opposition to the Nazis its reemergence might be traced to the Occupy Movement. ANTIFA could be termed an anarchic-communist group with a horizontal leadership structure similar to Central American Drug cartels.  However, the extent of their operations, organizational and communication sophistication are evidence of external financing and some form of centralized leadership.  These are the jackbooted brown shirt-type thugs that along with BLM are what Vladimir Lenin called “useful idiots”.  As has been the case in every Marxist revolution, these will be the first to be lined up and shot if and when the desired Marxist regime is achieved.

2018 “White Fragility” published by Robin DiAngelo essentially creates a Kafka Trap for white people who deny being racist in that their denial is taken as proof of guilt. White people are incapable of acting in a way that does not serve their own interests.

Bible Verses

Again, Critical Theories are a world view and even a religion. They have multiple epistemologies (how we determine truth), multiple ethical frameworks (how we determine right from wrong), and multiple metaphysical views (how we determine what is real). As Christians, our worldview is determined and articulated by scripture that is God breathed 2 Tim 3:16-17, Acts 17:11.

Here are some thematically arranged scriptures that will help you give a solid 1 Pet 3:15 apologia for the Christian worldview that is under assault by Marxist sociological theories.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Gen 1:26 all of are His image-bearers

Gen 3 we were all born into sin as a result of the fall.

Isaiah 64:6-7  “But we are ALL like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags;

Rom 3:10-18 Paul quotes Isaiah “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Luke 13 Unless we repent of OUR OWN sins our fate will be the same as the Galatians.

2 Cor 4:4 god of this world has blinded unbelievers.  Know where you stand.  Know that world opposing world views are not argued away without a proverbial road to Damascus type experience.

Gen 11 The only division between peoples took place at the tower of Babel.

Acts 2:5-12 That division was dissolved by Holy Spirit.

Eph 2 Defines the valid dividing line between people.  Those in Christ Jesus verse 6 and those who remain children of wrath verse 3.  Denial of this core biblical truth is a subtle key to the growth of false CRT / social justice-based gospel narratives.

Righteousness is only possible through the blood of Jesus. That’s His righteousness, not ours.

Rom 3:25-26 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at present so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

1 John 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

2 Cor 5:16-19 “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Gal 3:28-29 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.,

Rom 2:11-16 For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many, as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

Col 2:8  “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good…

Gal 1:8-10  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Verse 9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preaches any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10  For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Rev 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 

The word for “accuse” in this verse is katēgoréō from which the word “categorization” is derived. The devil is constantly attempting to divide and categorize us. Those adhering to Critical Theories are doing the same. They represent the spirit of anti-Christ.

Biblical justice is based on our individual actions not the actions of those assigned to the same category.

Deuteronomy 19:15 on the basis of two or three witnesses.

Lev 19:15 no preference for the poor (or anyone else) injustice.

2 Tim 3:12 those living Godly will suffer persecution. There is no God-given plan to eliminate it before He returns.  Hence justice will be determined by Him.

Isaiah 53:2-3 “He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.” This is the only verse that declares anything about Jesus’s appearance.  The declaration is made 700 years before Jesus was born.  Those who proclaim that Jesus was a racial minority have no basis for this argument.  He was somewhere on the scale between albino and black.

2 Cor 4:14-15 The true gospel says that one of God’s purposes in blessing us is that our thanksgiving (should) abound to the glory of God. Gratitude to God for His blessings is a form of worship. But the social Justice gospel demands we atone for God’s blessings.

Finally we have the issue of racism addressed in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. You can read about that here.

MARANATHA

Brian and Cathy Gray Commentary, Red Pill Diaries

DARVO

I recently saw a Facebook post by Brian Simmons, the author of The Passion Translation, regarding recent and ongoing exposure of  Sexual and or Spiritual abuse in the church. On the surface, the post appears rooted in love and compassion. More than a few members of the ministry in which I currently find myself are praising it.

Simmons cites Paul’s approach to rampant sin in the Church of Corinth along with the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. That approach is

Affirm -Reveal – Invite.

His premise regarding the approach is not inherently false, but it is a false equivalence.

Paul and John are addressing the entire fellowship. Not every participant within these fellowships was guilty or equally guilty of the sins being addressed.

Conversely, the sins being addressed today are exclusively on the part of leadership, which is held to a higher standard than regular congregants. 1 Timothy 3:1-7, James 3:1,1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, and

As for those (Leaders) who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

1 Timothy 5:20-22

The sins of the leaders being exposed by discernment ministries like Mike Winger are as follows. Lying, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, adultery, indecent exposure, fraud, false prophecy resulting in physical harm, false signs and wonders, false testimony leading to medical harm, turning a blind eye when sin by co-leaders is exposed while frequently ostracizing, maligning, and or silencing whistleblowers with NDAs.

Leaders among whom Brian Simmons is just one are appealing to the emotions of their followers. They petition hearts for grace and mercy upon the predators while at best ignoring their victims.

Deny

Rationalization, Justification, Minimization, and Generalization otherwise known as “criminal thinking errors” are primary tools in denial.

I listened to Kris Vallotton‘s first response to Mike Winger regarding Shawn Boltz. Throughout the video, he employs criminal thinking errors.  Among these Generalization and Minimization seem to be his favorites. He never uses Mike Winger’s or Shawn Boltz’s name. However, the timing and issue at hand are clear. Vallotton rationalizes and minimizes Bethel’s failure to address Boltz’s abuse on the basis that their flock is in 72 countries and therefore hard to Shepard. That so many followers are online makes it harder. He generalized that we don’t always know the background of leaders who fall and implied that Boltz and maybe others were operating out of past trauma. This was a rationalization and justification to build a strawman. 

Attack

Vallotton continues to build a strawman as he attacks. He accuses people like Mike Winger, of exposing sin for revenue-generating “clicks”. For the record, Mike Winger has de-monitized all of his videos exposing sin in leadership. These videos are five or six hours long. Having produced videos myself, the sheer volume of labour involved in this is beyond comprehension. That said, Mike Winger’s motivation is not the issue. Niether are the tone and approach mentioned by Brian Simmons. The issue is the indictment of the named leaders in the context of those they have harmed. The allegations are true or they are not. In the meantime, any other question or supposition is a deflection and diversion from the real issue.

The attack is furthered with gaslighting. The victims are accused of being offended and reminded that forgiveness is a mandate. This is true but in this context, it is another strawman. That we must have mercy and forgive does not negate “doing justly”  when a perpetrator is not held accountable and does not repent. Mathew 18:6

Finally, victims are accused of being divisive if they share their experiences with people in their communities and the public at large.

Reverse Victim / Offender

Once the victim is in fear of being in the sins of offense and divisiveness they become the offender. It’s a bit like telling a rape victim that she wouldn’t have been raped if her skirt weren’t so short.

In both cases, Simmons and Vallotton have people responding with compassion for the predators while all but ignoring the fact that the sins of men like Mike Bickle, and Shawn Boltz were known to leadership for decades and were swept under the rug. Bill Johnson knew about Shawn Boltz’s fraudulent prophecies as early as 2016 and yet he praised Boltz’s character while promoting his book in 2023. Vallotton knew Boltz would masturbate in front of interns and send pictures of his penis and full nudes via text. Yes, he apparently confronted him. But Vallotton placed gifting over character and used Solomon and Judas as examples of good ministry done by bad characters. Mike Bickle cited David in his defense. Yes God causes all things to work together for good…Romans 8:28. That said, the moral failings of biblical leaders are there as an example of what not to do. They are not an excuse for the same moral failings on our part.

Things might be different if just one or two people were the problem. However, the issue is systemic. At the end of the day, all of this is about image management to preserve a brand instead of obedience to God through His word. That brand may be framed as a “movement” or a ministry. But it is a brand nonetheless upon which the inflow of millions and millions of dollars and lavish lifestyles depend.

If this is confusing consider the following especially if you have children.

What would you have me do if I walked in on a trusted person in ministry who was masturbating in front of your child? Should, I bless him and affirm all the good he has done, gently explain why God does not approve of his behavior, pray with him, and ask him to stop?

For the record, I would give extreme mercy. In this case, mercy would look like me rendering him unconscious and calling the police instead of hanging a millstone around his neck and casting him into the sea as Jesus recommended.

What would you say if you later learned that the others in church leadership knew about the perpetrator and his recurring behavior for years and did nothing?

Where are the men in the church? Or have all of you been so emasculated that you cannot or will not stand boldly and protect the flock especially women and children?!

Maranatha