I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
—the apostle Paul to the Christians in Galatia in Galatians 1:6-9, NIV—
Key point: Don’t be fooled by the social justice “gospel.” It’s counterfeit.
You can access all the articles in this series here.
The social justice movement and all its components, including Black Lives Matter, have become a new religion. This new religion is supplanting the authentic gospel of Christ for many who claim to be Christians and in many so-called evangelical churches. The trend has alarmed numerous Christians, including Virgil “Omaha” Walker, an African-American believer who co-hosts the Just Thinking Podcast with Darrell Harrison. On his Facebook page, Walker issued a timely warning to people who are being sucked in by the new religion.
Dear Liberal White People and Duped Evangelicals:
Bowing in front of statues and to Black People does nothing to atone for sin, helps no one, and only shows your complete ignorance of the gospel.
Stop asking what you can do for “race relations”. You are unable to atone for the sins of a “race”. You are not God. Christ has already done what’s necessary to reconcile mankind to God and neighbors to One Another.
For those Pastors claiming the Gospel is not enough, apart from the Blasphemy of such a statement, you should RUN from them. They are adding to the Gospel a WORK which will never adequately atone for your sins (or your ancestor’s sins). These false teachers are advocating a form of PENANCE that will never end. STOP!!!
The Gospel changes hearts. As a result of a changed heart toward God, you will do works in keeping with repentance. They will be works aimed at your neighbor (of all ethnicities–which includes (but is not limited) to blacks). Trust the Gospel of Jesus Christ and STOP with this silliness.
I appreciate Rev. Walker’s warning. It’s hard to think of a time when the need for discernment among Christians has been more critical than it is today. Let’s consider the following traits of the Social Justice gospel and contrast them to the gospel of Christ.
First, to adherents of the social justice narrative, groups are paramount, and each group always is characterized according to the social justice storyline. If you’re a part of a group that has been deemed oppressed (blacks and other minorities, women, or homosexuals), then you are oppressed. If you’re a part of a group that is seen as oppressors (whites, especially white Christian males), then you’re an oppressor, regardless of your own personal actions or convictions. Yet Scripture tells us that we are accountable to God as individuals. Paul wrote that “each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Furthermore, God’s assessments are based on realities, not assumptions.
Second, the social justice movement actually is racist. It makes assumptions about people based on external traits like skin color rather than deeds, and it determines guilt or innocence according to those same external traits. Scripture says, “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
On a side note, the campaign for social justice effectively rejects the ideals of the civil rights movement. The contrast between the two truly is astonishing. We’ll have more to say later about the racist perspectives of people promoting the social justice narrative.
Third, the social justice movement (SJM) and Black Lives Matter (BLM) do not interpret history in light of the historical context in which events occurred, but in terms of the oppressor/oppressed narrative. Only when we study history in its context can we understand it objectively, but this apparently isn’t the goal of leftist activists.
The social justice oppressor/oppressed storyline has no basis whatsoever in Scripture but is consistent with Cultural Marxism, a strategy to incite societal upheaval and revolution. Note this from an article on Cultural Marxism at conservapedia.com (hyperlink citations have been omitted, and the emphasis added):
The central idea of Cultural Marxism is to soften up and prepare Western Civilization for economic Marxism after a gradual, relentless, sustained attack on every institution of Western culture, including schools, literature, art, film, the Judeo-Christian worldview tradition, marriage and the family, sexual mores, national sovereignty, etc. The attacks are usually framed in Marxist terms as a class struggle between oppressors and oppressed; the members of the latter class allegedly include women, minorities, homosexuals, and adherents of non-Western ideologies such as Islam. Cultural Marxism has been described as “the cultural branch of globalism.”
Consider the American ideal that everyone has been created by God and therefore is of equal value and worth. It should surprise no one that this value has become a target of Cultural Marxism. Why? Because it doesn’t pit one group against another. Instead, it gives people dignity and incentive to achieve.
When one considers the big picture, he or she sees that the story of America is not primarily one of oppression. Where oppression has occurred (for example, in practices like slavery and racial discrimination), American values have proved toxic to these practices. The American story actually is one of equal opportunity for all—and by opportunity I mean that the government and one’s fellow citizens step back and allow individuals to pursue, unhindered, their own dreams and goals. As long as those pursuits do not violate the inherent rights of others, the people engaging in them are to be affirmed and applauded—regardless of external characteristics like skin color.
This kind of equal opportunity is entirely consistent with biblical teachings. Scripture invites everyone to acknowledge God’s authority and supremacy and to pledge allegiance to Christ. Before Him, all people are of infinite value and worth, and no one is favored over another. Accordingly, believers are commanded to avoid partiality themselves in their dealings with others, whether those with whom they interact and do business are Christians or not.
The social justice narrative stands contrary to this biblical principle. It engages in partiality everywhere one looks. This is our fourth item. It is the habit of many social justice warriors (SJWs) to
constantly berate white Christians for racist acts, including, broadly speaking, participating in the institution of slavery. Then they malign them again, saying they try to excuse themselves by saying they never owned slaves. Rather than encouraging believers to work diligently and give generously to those in need, as Paul did, the narrative of the SJM instead shames white believers by insisting that the poor and underprivileged have a “right” to their resources as a matter of “justice.”
Fifth, as indicated in the above quote, the social justice movement seeks to blame people living today for their ancestors’ sins or supposed sins, and it seeks to “recompense” people living today whose ancestors were allegedly mistreated. Yes, there once was slavery in America, but not all whites were slaveowners, and not all blacks were slaves. In fact, of the richest slave owners in South Carolina was black.
None of this matters to the social justice crusaders. If you’re black, you deserve reparations for slavery—even if your family came to America after the American Civil War was over. If you’re white, you have been complicit in racism and slavery even if no one in your family tree ever owned slaves. You must fork over a substantial amount of your resources for government redistribution. It’s this simple: You got where you are today because of “white privilege.”
The Bible paints a very different picture of human relationships. The sins of one’s ancestors can and do impact future generations (also go here), but God does not hold a person’s descendants responsible for their forebears’ transgressions. Nor should we. As we said when we considered the second item, each one of us will stand before God and be judged as individuals, for our own thoughts and actions.
Sixth, another part of the picture of human relationships from a biblical perspective is that the gospel unites. It unites believers, yet it also helps to bring harmony to relationships between believers and non-believers as well. By contrast, the social justice message breeds resentment, hostility, hatred, and division.
Seventh, social justice crusaders and BLM activists thoroughly ignore the real progress that has been made in America in the area of race relations. As we said earlier (see item 4), they make every effort to malign, savage, and trash whites for their supposed “oppression.” We are compelled to admit that racism has been a part of America’s past, and yes, it still can be found in our culture. It does exist—but it’s a lot harder to find than it once was. You’d never know this listening to the those clamoring for social justice.
The truth is that they themselves are racists. They put the issue of race front-and-center, thereby dividing rather than unifying. From a biblical perspective, this amounts to (or it at least it comes close to) hating one’s enemies rather than loving them, and refusing to extend forgiveness for offenses or perceived offenses. All of this is contrary to the gospel. Jesus said, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” This should make us as Christians quake in our boots! We must not withhold forgiveness from anyone!
Eighth, social justice warriors and Black Lives Matter activists show their racism in being quite content with destroying artifacts and history—even history that supposedly is beneficial to them and the cause they claim to support. This involves eliminating the truth from the historical record with regard to both blacks and whites.
In San Francisco on Friday, June 19, 2020, violent protesters downed a statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant. Dinesh D’Souza tweeted,
Why topple a statue of Ulysses S. Grant? Here are his great offenses from the point of view of the Democratic Left 1. He destroyed slavery which had been supported by Democrats in the North and South 2. He shut down the Ku Klux Klan, the paramilitary wing of the Democratic Party
The report of this incident at The Daily Wire carried the headline “Rioters In California Tear Down Statue Of Ulysses S. Grant. He Defeated The Confederacy, Devastated KKK.” Can things get more bizarre?
Yes, they can! In fact, they already had! Quaker Oats announced on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 that it is retiring the “Aunt Jemima” brand. This was one of the first dominoes to fall:
First, Quaker Oats said…its prior work to update the character was “not enough.” Then in rapid succession Wednesday, the owners of Uncle Ben’s, Mrs. Butterworth’s and Cream of Wheat said their products’ packaging also would be reviewed.…[Then, o]n Friday, [June 19], Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream said in a statement to USA TODAY that its Eskimo Pie brand would be renamed.
Only a couple of months earlier, in April, Land O’Lakes stated that it would remove the Native American woman from its packaging. She’d been on the company’s butter boxes since 1928.
While the USA Today article informing readers of these changes essentially defended the decisions by citing criticism of “racist” branding, another side to this story exists. For example, through the years, Aunt Jemima has been given life and personality by real people, and their stories can offer encouragement and hope to us today.
Nancy Green, the woman who would become the first Aunt Jemima, was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1834. The owners of the company selling Aunt Jemima food products, Charles Rutt and Charles Underwood, had created the character and had “given” her a bandana and an apron before selling their business to R. T. Davis in 1889. Soon after, Davis discovered Nancy Green in Chicago. Davis added
a catchy tune from the Vaudeville circuit to make the Aunt Jemima brand.
Green’s identity was first uncovered at the Worlds’ Columbian Exposition in 1893. There were so many people interested in the Aunt Jemima exhibit, police were called for crowd control. Green served pancakes to thousands of people. People loved her warm personality and friendly demeanor, not to mention her cooking. Green was given an award for showmanship at the exposition.
As a result of her dedication, Aunt Jemima received 50,000 orders for pancake mix. Not only did flour sales soar, but Green received a lifetime contract to serve as spokesperson. She was a living legend of the brand until she died in a car accident in September 1923.
Three years after Green’s death, Quaker Oats purchased the Aunt Jemima Mills Company, and a year after that it registered Aunt Jemima as a trademark. Aunt Jemima has been one of the longest lasting brand names in American marketing history.
Nancy Green was just the first woman to give the character life and personality. According to Larnell Evans, Sr., his great-grandmother, Anna Short Harrington (1897-1955) replaced Green after her death. Quaker Oats discovered her in 1935 at the New York State Fair: The company
used Harrington’s likeness on products and advertising, and it sent her around the country to serve flapjacks dressed as “Aunt Jemima.” The gig made her a national celebrity.
Erasing History Is Offensive
Harrington’s great-grandson is angered by the attempt to erase Aunt Jemima from the cultural landscape. To him, it’s personal. He said his great-grandmother
worked for that Quaker Oats for 20 years. She traveled all the way around the United States and Canada making pancakes as Aunt Jemima for them. This woman served all those people, and it was after slavery. She worked as Aunt Jemima. That was her job. … How do you think I feel as a black man sitting here telling you about my family history they’re trying to erase?
It isn’t just Larnell Evans’s family history that’s being erased. Also being eliminated are the true stories of heroes and heroines in the black community, real people who endeared themselves to their constituencies, worked hard, and in many cases were able to realize the American Dream. Perhaps that’s what irks the leftists in the social justice movement so much! These men and women are role models from black history that have so much to teach Americans of all races, yet their stories are being annihilated! And ironically, this is happening under the mantra that “black lives matter”! This represents a huge loss for all Americans.
Yes, it’s true that these stories at times are tainted with racism and unfair treatment of people made in God’s own image. But if we erase those stories, we also erase the examples of these courageous souls who persevered in the midst of mistreatment and hardship. The loss, I believe, is incalculable. Why? Because the value of the contributions of black men, women, and families throughout American history is incalculable.
The value of the contributions of black men, women, and families throughout American history truly is incalculable.
It’s interesting that the Old Testament, which tells the story of Israel as a nation, does not sugar-coat history. It simply reports it. We read about the experiences of the Patriarchs and other Old Testament heroes, and we are not denied information about the problems they faced or how they grew as a result of those challenges. We learn of both their sins and their righteous deeds.
Neither are we denied the particulars about people who resisted God and the things of God. One would hope that hearing about the perilous paths these people traveled would help us avoid making similar mistakes. We can learn lessons from both the negative and the positive sides of history—and that’s why the Bible gives us both. Paul wrote this to the Christians in Rome in Romans 15:4: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
I am aware that American history isn’t the same thing as Old Testament history. The Old Testament is inspired by God and can offer comfort and hope on a level that American history cannot. Nevertheless, Romans 15:4 gives us, not just information about the Old Testament, but also a principle about history itself.
American history has its own version of comfort and hope to offer, but we have to let its unvarnished story be told.
American history has its own version of comfort and hope to offer, but we have to let its unvarnished story be told. When we do, we find the stories African-Americans through the decades to be enlightening, enriching, and valuable to us beyond our ability to describe. We cannot afford to let those stories be buried!
To Be Continued…
We’re only about halfway through our list, but we’ll stop for now. Let’s review.
- The social justice movement sees people in terms of groups rather than individuals. By contrast, God sees every individual’s heart and invites everyone to follow him. The decision to do so must be an individual’s alone.
- The social justice movement is racist and sexist; it evaluates people based on external traits. God’s sees people’s hearts; He looks beyond external characteristics.
- The social justice narrative does not evaluate history objectively, but according to the assumption that history’s story is one of oppressors mistreating victims and victims seeking to overthrow oppressors. This stands in stark contrast to the biblical ideal that all people are created in God’s image and are of equal value and worth.
- Advocates of the social justice movement and Black Lives Matter show partiality and favoritism in their dealings with people. In the Bible, these are condemned.
- The social justice movement seeks to blame people living today for their ancestors’ sins or supposed sins, and it seeks to “recompense” people living today whose ancestors were allegedly mistreated. While the sins of one’s ancestors can have an impact on future generations, God does not hold people personally accountable for their forebears sins. Nor do we see in Scripture that restitution is offered to the descendants of people who were wronged.
- The social justice “gospel” divides; the biblical gospel unites.
- SJWs ignore all the progress Americans have made in recent decades in the area of race relations. Therefore, to the SJWs, whites are guilty and blacks and other minorities are victims. From a biblical perspective, this amounts to (or it at least it comes close to) hating one’s enemies rather than loving them, and refusing to extend forgiveness for offenses or perceived offenses.
- Black Lives Matter activists and social justice advocates are all too willing to bury the true stories of black men and women who overcame extreme obstacles and challenges. We see nothing like this in Scripture, where history is told fully, showcasing both negative and positive elements, hardships as well as triumphs.
Next time, we’ll highlight even more items that reveal the counterfeit nature of the social justice “gospel.”
Stay tuned!
Part 2 is available here.
Copyright © 2020 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages have been taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The passage marked NIV was taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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