“Below are a series of quotations from Reformed pastors and theologians defining “race”. Note their agreement with the purveyors of Critical Race Theory.
It is, of course, true that all people belong to the human race (Acts 17:25). However within the one human race, varying “races” exist — each fully human, each Image Bearers of God, but each a distinct expression of the one human race. Together they communicate the idea of the “One and the Many” character of God. Taking one additional step, within these broad racial groups (think in terms of large extended families) there exist different ethnic groups, tribes, and families.
Here is how a Roman Catholic explains this idea based on the teaching of his church:
“Consequently at the same time as acknowledging the diversity and singularity of races, the Church rejects, equally with the racist assertions of radical racial superiority and inferiority, the tendency towards a depreciation and leveling of races found at the opposite extreme. It does this in the confidence that Christianity, grounded in reality and truth, is able to harmonize the affirmation of the radical unity of mankind with the recognition of racial diversity…There can therefore be no better way of combatting racism and racial discrimination, than by a sane and realistic acknowledgement of the facts of race and of historical and cultural inequalities” –
Bonaventure Hinwood
Race, Reflections of a Theologian – p. 103
This is all quite conventional and was obvious to everyone with a pair of eyes until roughly three weeks ago. Whatever Doug Wilson’s dimmer acolytes may say–or your pastor–holding such views does not constitute heresy.
“There is only one race. The human race. And so I think races — the whole concept of races — is problematic. The one human race is divided by language. divided by culture, divided by tribes, divided by history.” — Doug Wilson
“I use ‘ethnicity’ because, as we shall see, ‘race’ is not actually a positive biblical reality, but a construct. On this point, ironically, I agree with CRT advocates, much as many of them state that race is a social construct, but then practically operate in many senses as if it is real.” –Owen Strachan
“Concepts of “whiteness” or “blackness” are DESTROYED by the radical equality of every sinner’s need and Christ’s perfect provision. Our identity is NOT determined by our ancestors—we have been transferred out of the kingdom where such relationships rule and divide.”~~James White
“”Race’ is not a biblical category, but rather a social construct that often has been used to classify groups of people in terms of inferiority and superiority.”
Dallas Statement on Social Justice
“One of the sad realities of antiracism is that it is 100 percent correct about race being a construct.” –Voddie Baucham
Darrell Dow
McAtee adds
We are living in a bleeping madhouse on this issue in the “conservative” Reformed church as we few sane people left in the Church are suffering under the politics of guilt and pity as it has come into the Church.
Should one hold to the historic position on race that the Church has embraced at all times and all places up until 1950 or so one is considered a heretic or a racist. When one produces the quotes from the Church greats who have gone before they are never interacted with. Nobody even pauses when you march Charles Hodge, Geerhardus Vos, J. Gresham Machen, Augustine, Aquinas, Francis Nigel Lee, Morton H. Smith, A. W. Tozer, Dagg, Dabney, Cyprian, etc. etc etc. up to the microphone to give testimony that you are saying the same exact things they said on the subject. Modern clergy seem to be so daft that they can’t realize that races were understood as corporeally real and existing long long before Charles Darwin came along with his foolishness. Nope… none of it matters. If you insist that races exist and should be taken seriously you are considered, by our modern divines as “racist,” “Darwinist,” and worst of all, clearly a not nice person.
It is not as if all this is not monumentally important. Indeed, I would say it is so important that anyone who denies race as existing has forfeited their privilege to be piloting a pulpit. I mean if someone can’t get Christian Anthropology 101 right how are they going to get anything else right? These people don’t seem to realize that error does not exist in a water tight compartment unaffecting all other disciplines of theology.
It is a hard time right now to be in the ministry because of this madness. Pray for the Church that God might be pleased to give in Reformation in its head and members.
