Are Christians responsible for the Crusades and slavery? Should you apologize for the actions of Westboro Baptist Church?
This is my latest appearance on the Janet Parshall show. It was a tough one because I was tired and struggling with some things – and the subject was actually difficult – but it was amazing that so many people phoned in….as Christians we really need to discuss these things more openly. The first few minutes were given over to the Republican Presidential debates.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Hi David,
I’m really glad you covered this. Slavery and colonialism and the Church’s historical involvement in both of these is a big hindrance in many black people coming to faith in Christ (or at least causes great suspicion towards the church) – even though that’s not the full story! This is what I find in many discussions I have anyway.
Look forward to listening – keep up the excellent work!
Thanks.
Michael. It could only be an objection amongst those who were ignorant of the fact that most slaves were Christians and sought their comfort from Christ. How could it not be a block to those who actually experienced it? But is a block to those who hasn’t?
Hi David. I hear you – however the people I have these discussions with are well aware of such things and much more – they’re aware of the evangelical opposition to slavery on both sides of the Atlantic, the fact that numerous early Church fathers , seminaries and theologians were African, the growth of the Christian faith in Africa long before the Europeans came, the current size and growth of black church etc. But sadly, the church’s long complicity in slavery, the development of the satanic “curse of Ham” doctrine which enabled slavery and the subsequent racism which many black Christians faced in modern times from the church (E. G. West Indian believers of the Windrush generation coming to Britain in the 50s and 60s and being banned from white churches) has led to a deep, abiding distrust and suspicion towards the Church among many in the black community. I guess only the Holy Spirit can open eyes in those circumstances.
But that doesn’t really make sense. The Black church is much stronger than most ‘white’ churches …it seems to me that people who think like this are not really thinking….do they decide not to go shopping or to school because there were shops and educational establishments who supported racism?
As always David, you fail completely to address the central issue at stake. Not that man’s sinful nature is the cause of these evils, but that God permits them at all. Specifically, that he permits acts by Christians on both sides of religious conflict where the faithful are unable to discern the truth of his theology.
Thus centuries of suffering either side of the Great Schism and again following the Reformation were the result of righteous belief by opposing Christian traditions. A loving God would surely have used the Holy Spirit to intervene to avoid the horrendous brutality these conflicts produced.
Actually the central issue was not why does God permit them, but rather why people get it so wrong. Your comment presupposes that it was Christians on both sides…and that a loving God would surely use the Holy Spirit to intervene is as daft as saying that if God loved me he would intervene to stop me getting cancer, because surely a loving God would? You do understand why things don’t and can’t work that way?
So during the Massacre of The Latins, the Sack of Constantinople or the entirety of the 30 Years War, you would contend at no time did Christian fight Christian?
You’re example of the Holy Spirit sparing you cancer is a completely false analogy. Cancer is of course due to man’s sinful nature causing the unravelling of God’s perfect creation! God doesn’t want you to suffer but permits it for reasons you cannot know!
Conflict between Christians is due to mankind’s inability to understand God’s revelation. A loving God would not allow suffering to be inflicted by the righteous on the righteous when a simple intervention would demonstrate to all the true meaning of Scripture. An omnipotent God must be able to make the theist who already accepts Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, comprehend his other desires for humanity and negate the need for any conflict.
No – I am not saying that. Life is not quite that simple.
I’m glad to hear you say that you are wiser than God and that you know what a loving God would do!
Maybe an omnipotent and omniscient God might know a little better than you?
Who are you to set yourself up as judge over God?