Critical Race Theory and Biblical Truth

by Mike Ratliff

104 From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way. Psalms 119:104 (NASB) 

For several years after my wife and I left our old church in 2006  because it went Purpose Driven we were no longer part of any Southern Baptist Church. We still attended church, but where we lived at that time (Johnson County, Kansas) the Church options were very limited. In any case, in the last couple of years we were there we were part of a wonderful church in Prairie Village, Kansas pastored by Rick Holland. It was like having John MacArthur preach every Sunday. Of course, Pastor Rick came from Dr. MacArthur’s staff at Grace Community Church. Being part of that church and having a pastor like Rick was one of the hardest things to leave when we relocated to OKC in December 2012.

The reason I shared that was that we are now members of a SBC church in my old home town. It is the same church where we raised our kids from 1987 through 1999. However, much has changed. It is in a new location, which is not a bad thing. We have a new pastor who is changing everything. We are still getting used to that. However, what is bothering me about all this is that I am still doing these posts about discipleship and discernment. Right now, the leadership of the SBC is obviously taking our denomination in a direction that is not Biblical and I am sure I stick out in our church like a sore thumb at times.

James David Greear is the Pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina and the 62nd President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Before coming to work at The Summit he worked with the International Mission Board. Russell D. Moore is an American evangelical theologian, ethicist, and preacher. He is currently president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. Richard Albert Mohler Jr., is an American historical theologian and the ninth president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been described as “one of America’s most influential evangelicals”. What do these three theologians have in common other than being Southern Baptists? They are all three advocates of Critical Race Theory.

What is Critical Race Theory? Critical Race theory (CRT), is the view that race, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is socially constructed and that race, as a socially constructed concept, functions as a means to maintain the interests of the white population that constructed it. Okay, so once you apply this theory to theology you end up with what we see all around us now as the Social Justice Gospel and people being “Woke” or not. Those advocating CRT are “Woke” while those who see through it as another Liberal Trojan Horse are “not Woke”.

The reason I am bringing this up is that I am concerned for my church and my family and especially my Grandsons. The Social Justice Gospel is based in Cultural Marxism not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not Biblical at all. However, many of its advocates attempt to borrow Biblical language and apply it to the SJG. Just like CRT, those with the Holy Spirit whose faith is bound to the Word of God as the Truth see right through this as just another Liberal Trojan Horse.

What are the signs that a Christian leader is pushing CRT or the SJG? They will attempt to say that Homosexuality is not a sin. They will say that Paul can be ignored and Jesus never taught against Homosexuality, etc. They will say that Christians should ignore the Old Testament. They will attempt to say that it is unfair to exclude women from the pastorate so we must now have women pastors like other denominations. That is what the fuss about Beth Moore is about. Who is defending her after John MacArthur told her to go home? It was J.D. Greear. As President of the SBC one of his jobs is to defend what the Bible says as the literal truth. However, his CRT and SJG focus has overridden all of that.

Here is a link to a very well written scholarly paper that addresses the question “Is Critical Race Theory Anti-Christian?”

I am concerned for my own church and our leaders. You should be for your’s as well. We should be lifting up our pastors and elders in prayer daily.

Soli Deo Gloria!