Critical Race Theory
Critical Race Theory (CRT) has swept through our country’s institutions while most Americans have been largely unaware of what it is or of its grave implications. Though many have only recently heard of CRT for the first time, it has been around since at least 1970, and the underlying principles are much older still, being rooted in Marxism. One of the primary objectives of promoting CRT is creating division, especially racial division, by perpetuating concepts such as white privilege and unconscious bias, with the ultimate goal being to “divide and conquer.” In recent months, CRT has caused much damage, injury, and even death. Devastatingly, the very people or groups CRT claims to protect are hurt the most.
Forced Ideas
Carol Swain is the host of the Be the People podcast and professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. Ms. Swain, who is a black American, squarely rejects CRT: “I was spared the life-sapping, negative messages about America that are crippling a generation of young people: white privilege, whiteness as a form of property, unconscious racism, reparations, microaggressions, police have it out for blacks, that the United States was created to protect and promote slavery. These are the ideas young people are told they must accept. And then they’re told to reject ideas that can save them—the antidote: the success principles that enabled me and millions of other Americans to escape lives of poverty.”
Is Race Critical?
One of the fundamental ideas underlying CRT is that we are different races of beings who need to treat each other more equitably. This is a deeply flawed perspective that is counter to the biblical principle of equality. CRT distinguishes people based on the color of their skin and then evaluates them accordingly, with some being more “critical” in their station. It is a dangerous fallacy to assign worth based on immutable traits. From a biblical perspective, there is only one race: the human race. Even the Human Genome Project has shown over and again that we have all descended from one set of original parents. Those promoting the theory of evolution of man from other species take great liberties in attempting to explain this away.
Genesis of Race
The most simple and straightforward way of understanding the essence of the human race is found in the record provided in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. Here, Creator God tells us of His creation, culminating in man and woman, Adam and Eve (Genesis 1). Throughout time, science continues affirming the truth of the biblical record of history: that every person descended from the first man and woman.
One Race
All of humanity, beginning with Adam and Eve, has rejected the need for God in almost every way. The result is that the entire human race (one race) is in dire need of saving from the penalty of sin against God (John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:46, I Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8; 22:11). No person, however, can save himself or others from this penalty. Therefore, God provided the way through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the regenerating power of His Spirit (Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 5:12-19; I John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5).
Critical Need
CRT contradicts God’s beautiful story of redemption. It is a broken theory that makes false promises of salvation, meaningless reparation, and power over others. It offers only counterfeit solutions to the problems faced by only certain groups of people. By contrast, God can meet all humanity’s deepest needs, irrespective of skin color or any other characteristic. He offers redemption from sin and changed hearts, minds, and lives for all who choose to receive. It is only through God’s love and provision that all of humanity can be made whole again and restored to God’s image in whom they were created (Genesis 1:27).
