site last modified
July 18, 2005
The
Broadening Definition of Racism by Jeff Hamilton During the week leading up to the observance of the government's Martin
Luther King Day, the local paper heralded the formation of a new group
called Churches Uniting in Christ. Nine denominations joined to campaign
against racism. The very development of these organizations which tie denominations
together is fascinating, especially when we compare the complexity of
man's religion in the name of Christ to the simple organization of Christ's
church. In Christ's church we have Christians joining together in local
congregations. There is no higher organization. Each congregation is autonomous
and answerable to Jesus Christ himself. Yet modern man's denominations
are composed of hierarchies of local and regional bodies which answer
in turn to national and worldwide bodies. These bodies are now, in turn,
organizing into supra-denominations as they search for unifying themes
among their fractured beliefs. The members of Churches Uniting in Christ "seek forgiveness for the
sin of division." [I wonder if these denominations ever notice what the
word "denomination" means.] Historically, these denominations had race
as a dividing issue, but now they are making efforts to coordinate opposition
to racial injustice. The combined effort will not require the various
member denominations to teach the same thing. The agreement declares them
united in embracing people of all races while remaining different. "We
discovered a broader identity, and it doesn't need to be that we always
speak the same word at the same time," said George Worcester of the United
Church of Christ. Of course, this directly conflicts with Paul's statement
in I Corinthians 1:10, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that
there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment." The goal of eliminating racism appears to be noble. Rhymes Moncure,
a United Methodist Church bishop declared, "You have to almost lift [racism]
up as a sin, and obviously it is, but that's one of the sins all the denominations
can understand, and it's a beginning place." On the surface, it appears
to be in harmony with Paul's declaration in Galatians 3:28, "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." Yet dig a
little deeper to find out what is considered sinful racism. Full members
of this organization commit to "oppose all marginalization and exclusion
in church and society on the basis of such things as race, age, gender,
forms of disability, sexual orientation and class." Oops! Notice what was slipped as a sin: excluding someone because of
their sexual orientation. We have denominations not only accepting homosexuality,
but now we also have some declaring that the opposition to homosexuality
is a sin. Obviously, the words of Paul make no difference to them. "Do
you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (
I Corinthians 6:9-10). Here is a classic case where evil is defined as
good and good is defined as evil (Isaiah 5:20). These misguided denominations declare the Bible as "the rule and ultimate
standard of faith," but they don't believe it. They have no shame in taking
stands against the teachings of God. The world is rapidly losing all concepts
of right and wrong and it brings tears to my eyes to see it.
