Critical Race Theory is defined by its name. For
proponents of this new and novel theory, race is everything and “critical” for
interpreting all of life, particularly American life. According to CRT, race is
what defines you, labels you, and determines your worth and your role in
society.
This, of course, is rooted in Marxist ideology,
which seeks to divide and conquer by dividing people into groups—the oppressed
and the oppressors—and pitting them against one another.
Classic Marxism sought to divide nations on the
basis of economics, pitting the bourgeoisie (wealthy land and factory
owners) against the proletariat (the peasants and laborers who did the work).
By labelling these groups as the oppressed and the oppressors, and pitting them
against one another, Marxists were able to gain control of nations where there
was a huge gap between the rich and the poor.
Classic Marxism, however, was never able to
make much headway in the United States because of the large, prosperous middle
class. They, therefore, have sought for another approach for creating division
and they believe they have found it in the presence of slavery and racial
inequity in America’s history, which they are seeking to exploit.
In this new American Marxism, if you are white,
you are an oppressor and victimizer. If you are a person of color, you are an
oppressed victim. By racial labelling and profiling, the American Marxists hope to divide and conquer and thereby take control of America.
To achieve their goal, Marxists also know they
must convince a significant portion of the population that the America of
Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln is an evil, oppressive system that was
founded on racism and slavery. Hence the attack on America’s founders, the
toppling of their monuments, and the removal of their names from schools and
other public buildings.
Sadly, Critical Race Theory has gained
widespread acceptance among the academic and Hollywood elite and with many
politicians in Washington D.C. School children are now being taught that
America is an evil nation founded on white supremacy.
Dr. King Opposed to CRT
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is
diametrically opposed to the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of a colorblind
society where people are judged by the content of their character, not by the
color of their skin. For proponents of CRT, race determines everything while
character is relative and therefore meaningless.
Neither can proponents of CRT say with Dr. King
that their dream is “deeply rooted in the American dream.” They, in fact, hate
America. In their warped thinking, the Civil Rights Movement, led by Dr. King, was
a useless, meaningless expenditure of time and energy because it did not seek
to destroy the evil, American system.
The Bible Answer
Dr. King’s vision of a colorblind society was
rooted in the New Testament vision that Paul articulated in Galatians 3:28. Paul’s conversion experience was so radical that he
came into an entirely new value system “in Christ,” which completely undermined
the old value system that judged people on the basis of race, class, and gender.
Paul delineated this new value system in his letter to the Galatians. He wrote,
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 (Galatians 3:27-28).
Paul is not saying
that these distinctions of sex, race, and class, no longer exist, but that they
must never be used as value judgments concerning a person’s worth or role in
society. This was revolutionary in the ancient world where slavery was
everywhere and affected people of all races and ethnicities.
Some New Testament
scholars believe Galatians 3:27-28 was part of a baptismal formula that all
baptismal candidates were required to repeat. This meant that, for those
earliest disciples, this new value system was a part of the basics of what it
meant to be a Christian.
This new value system
raised the dignity of women and slaves in the ancient world. As a result of this new value system “in
Christ,” slaves and masters worshipped together, and in some situations, slaves
became pastors of congregations in which their masters worshipped. This value
system, of course, led to the collapse of slavery everywhere it was embraced
and lived out.
The Key for Racial
Harmony Today
It was this Christian value system, emphasized
in the Great Awakening (1726-70), that turned
much of Colonial America against slavery, including America’s founding fathers.
It led to America’s founding documents being colorblind with no classifications
based on race or skin color and no mention of slaves or slavery
This
occurred at a time when slavery was accepted and practiced in most of the
world. As Dr. Thomas Sowell said, “You could research all of 18th century Africa or Asia or the Middle East without finding any comparable
rejection of slavery there” (Hyatt, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 9).
Another "Great Awakening," that emphasizes the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament, would
do more than anything to bring about racial and social harmony and preserve our
freedoms for the next generation.
Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the author of Abolitionist Founding Fathers and 1726: The Year that Defined America, which document
how a great spiritual awakening gave birth to the United States
of America and sparked an abolition movement that eventually brought about the
end of slavery on the American continent. These books are available from Amazon
and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.
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