Why As A Christian I Disagree With Overturning Roe V Wade

First and foremorst, this post isn't about whether it's right or wrong to have an abortion—This post is about law, love, and choice. We could spend hours and days arguing opinions and feelings, but I want to call our attention to a singular (albiet multi-faceted) point from scripture. The reason we're only going to talk about this point, is because it's foundational and the only one that really matters.

The Covenant

There are several covenants made between God and man throughout the Bible, but the two people focus on the most are the old covenant, given to Israel through Moses in Exodus, and the new covenant, brought to us by Messiah's death and resurrection on the cross. The first Covenant is Judaism and the second is the foundation for Christianity.[1] The old and new covenant's aren't as different as people think, and often we can find examples of people in the Old Testament opperating in the new covenant.

The key difference between these covenants is where the law of God is written. In Exodus, God writes the law in stone; stone is immutable and rigid. In both the Old and New Testaments, though, God talks about creating a new covenant where the law is written the hearts of his people (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). Notice, there is still a law, but there's something different about having a law in the heart versus in stone.

There's an anime-style CGI movie called Appleseed in which an A.I. was placed in charge of making decisions for a utopian society. However, because the A.I. can't understand or account for emotions, it is connected to a group of people who lend it the emotional capacity needed to make balanced decisions. This A.I. alone is stone; the A.I. plus emotion is heart.

The Mosaic Covenant was about following the rules, but allowed people to forget the point. The point wasn't to stone people for messing up or sacrifice all your cattle because you committed some trespass against God (Isaiah 1:11). It was always about the heart. It was always about the choice.

The Choice

In Genesis 2, we find out God put a tree in the Garden of Eden that He didn't want mankind to eat from. He could have never put the tree there. He could have set thorns all around it (I'm totally envisioning the scene in Sleeping Beauty where thorns and a dragon threaten to keep him from the princess). God could have made it impossible for them to eat from the fruit but He didn't. He gave them a choice.

Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 NASB

One person values one day over another, another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. Romans 14:5 NASB

But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 NASB

The passages above are about offering, feast days, and idolatry, respectively, but the principle holds for all that God has said. Each person is to be decided in his or own heart what they will do.

Imagine for a second that parallel universes definitely exist. In one universe, you are married to a man who does not love you. He does not enjoy your company, nor does he appreciate you. However, because the covenant of your marriage is set in stone, he is faithful to you. He does not cheat and he does not leave. He provides what you need and goes through the motions of all the things a husband is supposed to do. In the other universe, you are married to a man who adores you. He relishes in you and has surrendered his whole heart to you. But once, he faltered; he made a mistake. He came to you ashamed and repentent, begging for forgiveness, promising to be better. Which of these universes do you want to live in?

The Word of God often uses marriage as a metaphor for our relationship with Him, and that relationship is a lot more like the latter. The first marriage I described is what we call legalism.[5]

Only God knows why a person makes the decision they make, and only God can forgive or condemn.

...for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.1 Samuel 16:7 NASB

Exodus 20:13 forbids us from murdering someone; it's punishable by death (with a few exceptions).[2][3] Yet in Matthew 5:22, Christ says we aren't even to be angry (without cause![4]) at a person or it is equivalent to murder. The focus isn't on the act, but the heart. Exemptions were given for people who killed someone on accident (Joshua 20:7-9), and even David who killed someone very much on purpose, was forgiven. Why? Because God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.

Consequences

Genesis 9:6 says that if a human kills a human, that human has to be put to death. Obviously, there are caveats because otherwise whoever killed the person who killed someone, would then need to be killed and we would enter a nasty round of recursion that required all humans to die. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of people doing the same things, but receiving different consequences and outcomes.

For instance, when Dinah is raped in Genesis 34, her eldest brothers slaughter and entire town (both the innocent and the guilty), but no one puts them to death and God still allows them to become tribes of of Israel. David kills a man for his own gain and Paul was notorious for killing God's people. Both were able to repent. God's people perform miracles and it is a show of their relationship with Him; others commit sorcery and witchcraft. In all these cases we see people violate commands God has given them, but we also see God exempt them from the penalties of that law either because their motives are pure or because of the relationship He has with those people. Mind you, with the exception of Paul, all the examples I listed are Old Testament, under the old covenant, where blood was technically required to atone for sin (your own blood in the case of murder). So if God allowed the choices and did not condemn them then, why should we be so quick to dole out punishment with our limited perceptions today when Messiah has already paid the blood price?

Our law is set up the same way today when it comes to murder. You are not immediately hauled off to the electric chair; there is due process. We have different categories of murder (e.g., murder 1, murder 2, manslaughter, etc.) which have different sentencing requirements and are based on motive, intent, and culpability. A four year old who gets hold of a gun and kills someone is not going to jail or be convicted of murder. Someone who kills in self defense may have to go to trial to prove it was self defense (though some times its obvious and not required), but they are likely to be acquitted.

Both God and the US government have a history of looking at things on a case by case situation...

The Real Problem

I am a strong believer that my responsibility as a follower of God is to bring us closer to Kingdom living, not by inacting strict laws that mirror the ones God set for us, but by bringing us back to an Eden-like society where it's easy to do the right thing. In Eden, there was no rape. There was no such thing as sickness or death. There were no taxes or healthcare fees. There were no jobs to attend to. There was no danger. There was no shortage of food.

Therefore let’s not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this: not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way. Romans 14:3

As believers our priority is to fix the problems and remove stumbling blocks, not force people down one path and judge them when they trip over the stumbling blocks we didn't bother to remove.

For more on the how this pertains to abortion, please see my previous post (which has audio!): "Roe v Wade VS the Church."

TL;DR

From the very beginning, God gave people choices—He was the founder of being pro-choice. Most importantly, no choice (save the Mark of the Beast and blaspheming the Holy Spirit) separate you repentance and salvation—that's how committed He is to letting you find your own way. Yes, there are consequences for our choices, but the consequences aren't the same for every person, because God looks deep into the heart, not the surface of the matter.

References and Footnotes

1. I use this word loosely because language is hard. The word technically refers to followers of Christ, however, over the centuries since His death many people have put on the mask of Chrisitianity (wolves in sheeps clothing, as prophesied in Matthew 7:15) and distorted the meaning. There are people who claim Christianity that have no clue what the Word of God says and there are many people who associate Christianity with teachings and ideas that are not from YHWH/Adonai/Creator/God. Here, I mean followers of Christ, followers of the Word of God.
2. Genesis 9:6 - "Whoever sheds human blood, By man his blood shall be shed"
3. Joshua 20:7-9 - "whoever kills a person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation."
4. Some traslations omit the phrase "without cause," but if you look at an interlinear Bible such as Blue Letter Bible, you will see the word εἰκῆ which means in vain, or without cause.
5. Yes, God laid out a moral law, but ultimately He is looking at why you did something not what you did (or didn't do), and He knows you aren't going to be perfect.

Out of Touch: Issues with White Christianity

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" 1 John 4:20 KJV The Church does this often, and that's a problem.

There's a particular ministry that I started listening to back in 2011 that really helped me in my spiritual journey. They have a plethora of sermons and articles about Biblical truth that answered many of the questions I had as a young believer. I am greatful for their ministry, but that doesn't mean I haven't noticed a fatal flaw in it as well.

Last night, they kicked off a series that I thought might be interesting so I set my alarm and made sure to tune in to YouTube in time to catch the broadcast. The pastor was only moments in when he mentioned dressing up like pilgrims and "Indians" as a kid, associating it with the quintessential American experience. He followed that up with the backstory of why the pilgrims came to America, and doubled down on the heroism of the pilgrims by asserting their bravery for traveling to the undeveloped "New World." In the midst of this narrative he casually repeated what people would have been saying about America: "there are cannibals and savages there; you could be eaten!" As though that weren't cringey enough, he continued down this theme of glorifying the pilgrims with a phrase similar to "we are pilgrims passing through the Earth."

It was at that point that I had to stop listening. I want to try to provide some balance and discussion about this issue, because I see it often, and it does more harm to the Kingdom of God than I believe those who perpuate it realize.

Meeting Halfway

Let's start with the fact that none of what this pastor was saying was untrue. At 33 years old, it is true that if you dig through my mother's photo albums you will in fact find a photo of 3 or 4 year old me at my preschool dressed up as a Native American. He was not wrong in the assumption that most people his age had that experience as a child or that many would relate to that sentiment. What is wrong with the statement is that there is no acknowledgement of growth.

First, the pastor refers to indigenous tribes as "Indians" without any indication that this is an incorrect term. This would be like him refering to black people as "Coloreds" or "Negros"—can you image a pastor standing before the people saying "We all gathered around to watch the Negros play sports when we were kids"? Yes, I know, pilgrims and Native Americans sounds weird to the ears because we're used to the phrase "pilgrims and Indians," but that brings me to the second gaffe in his sermon.

Each of us starts life in ignorance. As I said, I too grew up in the era where it was normal to dress up as a Native American (particularly once Disney release Pocohantas and people were dressing up specifically as her for Halloween[2]). However, 33 year old me is aware that this is disrespectful and could be likened to black face in terms of how someone from an indigenous tribe might feel. If I were to show a picture of myself from childhood partaking in the activity, I would acknowledge my growth from that point in my life until now; I would point out that even though it was common practice then it's not acceptable now. This is the major issue with the sermon in general, lack of awareness or acknowledgement.

The pastor is probably right that people in England viewed America as a place were there were "savages" and "cannibals"—it is factually correct in stating that is how Europeans felt about the native population. Again, what he said isn't wrong, but the way he said it was so casual and the reason he was able to say it so casually is because he is removed from the situation. The words are not offensive or hurtful to him because they were not aimed at his people. To him this is simply a piece of history that everyone already knows. In fact, he may have mentally assumed people knew it was wrong, but he didn't verbalize that the way Europeans saw Native Americans was both inhumane and un-Christianly.

Out of Touch

How is it that I, as a black person, can listen to the sermon and instantly feel uncomfortable for my Native American brothers and sisters, but this white pastor remained oblivious? How is it that I, as a "lay person," can see how this would turn people away from the gospel, but an ordained pastor cannot?

In many cases, pastors deliver sermons that probably have a profound meaning hidden in there somewhere, but it is lost by the insenstivty surrounding it. This particular sermon was on the fulfillment of prophecy in the arrival of the pilgrims to America, which is actually a profound topic. Knowing the symbolism of Revelation, I saw exactly where he was trying to go with the sermon and that message is what made me interested enough to tune in. If I didn't already know that symbolism, I'm not sure I would have saw where he was going and the whole point would be missed.

Minorities, and people who are able to understand the minority point of view, are leaving the body of Christ because the gospel is buried under this type of rhetoric. We fail at representing Him when we behave this way and we fail to introduce Him to others when we behave this way. There will be a lot of people explaining to the Most High that their disbelief in Him was caused by our ignorance and mishandling of the gospel and He's going to hold us accountable for that.

The Fantasy of it All

I could stop right there, but there's one more thing that pastor said that is mixed up in this. We spend a lot of time distancing ourselves from this world and focusing on the Kingdom to come (I was actually reading about just that before the sermon![3]). In truth, we are Biblically commanded to do so. We can find evidence of this Biblically. While both Paul and Yeshua/Jesus instruct us to be respecful of government (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13), we see both men (along with Daniel), disrupt the govenment when it conflicts with God's kingdom (Matthe 6:24; Acts 26; Daniel 6). The Bible clearly instructs us to store our treasures in Heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). In truth, the Bible supports the statement that this is not our home; we are just passing through (as the pastor said). I even have a podcast episode where I echo a similar sentiment about us merely being ambassadors for the Kingdom as opposed to citizens of the U.S. (or whatever country your citizenship is with).

However, there's a tiny flaw with the way we opperate after internalizing this belief: we leave the world to crash and burn. Yes, we know that it will eventually crash and burn literally, but has God called us watch the world plummet into darkness, or has He called us to be lights in the darkness (Matthew 5:14)? Often, though, we let our focus on the spiritual to allow us to forget that there are people in need physically amongst us.

In my podcast episode Christianity and Climate Change, I touched on the fact that despite the fact that Adam's given role at creation was to take care of the earth, the Church has nothing to say about the topic. We aren't promoting lifestyles that produce less waste, concious purchasing (re: buying from companies that are not harming the planet in the production of their products), or conservation of resources (e.g., not wasting water, fuel efficent/electric cars). Yes, I know that this earth will be destroyed, and a new purified earth will take its place (though increasingly, I wonder if this verse is meant literally or spiritually--that's another blog post though). I know that this earth is doomed, but does that mean it's ok to help sabotage it? If we aren't cultivating and exemplifying behaviors that protect and care for our home now, how are we suddenly going to be able to do so in the Kingdom?

The same conundrum exists with issues of diveresty and socio-economic disparity. If we are unable to make all feel welcome in our midsts on this earth, how will we learn how to foster an inclusive society in Heaven?

References & Footnotes

1. 2CDBN Tv. "America's 11th Hour with Scott Ritsemal". YouTube. November 26, 2021
2. This is not an endorsement of Halloween either. Please see my post Halloween for more on that topic
3. Jeremy Myers. "Meeting Physical Needs to Get at the Spiritual". Redeeming God"; visited November 26, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccination

The COVID-19 vaccine was released in December 2020 and I haven't said anything about it on the blog, podcast, or social media. I firmly believe every man should be decided in their own mind of their actions (Romans 14:5). I've had private conversations with people, but this is a topic and a conversation that should not be on social media. It's an involved conversation, so be prepared for a long post (I'll use headings so you can take breaks if you need to). I understand we live in a society that likes to make "informed" opinion based on the headline—even in academia we are prone to read the introduction and conclusion, without care to the interior. We are a lazy society, but I ask that if you're going to voice an opinion about what I write, please read the entire post.

Why Social Media is a Problem

I remember when Twitter launched. MySpace had been superceded by Facebook, which had recently gotten rid of "is" in the status update. Up until this time, most statements people made were about frivilous things. I recently saw a memory where my Facebook status was "Shiree is yaaaaayyy!" My memory of what was shared on Facebook during that time is mostly events happening on campus, plus pictures of said events, and the occasional YouTube viral video (e.g., Charlie Bit Me and Charlie the Unicorn Goes to Candy Mountain). When Twitter arrived with the 140-character max tweet, people started sharing witty oneliners. Since then Twitter has become a place for people to share their thoughts and opinions in a short and concise manner. This trend bled into Facebook. With the rise of Instagram, it evolved to memes and infographics. The one thing that didn't change is the concise-ness of how these ideas and opinions are shared.

Can you image if your entire Chemistry class was taught in memes or 140-character lectures? What about a math class? As much as I think I would enjoy this in a American History or British Lit, I can see how much of the context and material could get lost here as well.

Certain topics need larger conversations. Unfortunately, most of the heavy hitters on social media deteriorate into the comments section, which never fails to prove just how out of touch people can be. Combine these short slogans and memes with social media algorithms, and many people are in a bubble that may be completely deviod of reality. These bubbles provide no context for what is happening. The first time I realized this was during the first Starbuck Christmas cup controversy. Everyone on my Facebook timeline was in a frenzy about it—not about the cup itself, but about the people who were upset about the cup. I have 1000+ Facebook friends and not one of them was publically expressing outrage against the Starbucks cup. Yet everyone was talking about it as though every other person they encountered was invested in the issue. I found it odd, because I don't generally block or unfriend people over opinion differences, so I imagine my friend group has a diverse array of opinions. This assumption has been proven by the split in opinions of the vaccine in my timeline. So, how did everyone get so worked up about such a trivial thing?

Social media algorithms control what you see and feed you the information you want to hear. Social media is the perfect place for confirmation bias—favoring evidence that supports your theory, and/or reframing evidence to support your theory[1]—to thrive. Especially with the ability to have dissenting opinions filtered from your view. The Netflix documentary The Great Hack shows how this was manipulated to influence elections in multiple countries, including the United States of America.

And this is were many people are getting their information about COVID-19 and the vaccine...

Why the Government and Big Pharma are a Problem

Before COVID-19 took the world by storm, U.S. citizens were dying from diabetes and other diseases directly linked to the Standard American Diet (SAD) and part of the political war between Democrats and Republicans was the question of what to do about health care. People were arguing about the cost of insulin and birth control, and elderly people were struggling to pay for their perscriptions.[2] Now, there's a free COVID-19 vaccine for anyone who wants it, but a large percentage of people aren't taking it. Why?

Confusion

The image of a tweet pictured above, is circulating on Facebook; I've seen it shared by a number of my friends. I've transcribed the text below:

Part of the reason the pandemic is so bad in the US is because people who are never involved with scientic method are seeing Science unfold in real-time. Errors, evidence, & changing methodology happen 100%, but in public eye, seen as "they have no idea what they're talking about."

Transperency on this scale backfires bc in nearly all other circumstances, science is opaque & mostly provided to public eye through 2nd-3rd sources. People only see the end result, not a process, so anything less than perfect is automatically labeled "deceptive" and "backtracking." @SidewalkSciGuy

For the most part I agree with this person, and this sentiment highlights a lot of the confusion surrounding COVID-19. The fact is, in the beginning, scientist don't know, they hypothesize.

From the beginning, we saw conflicting reports about COVID-19 from the authorities, ranging from "we're all going to die" to "it doesn't exist." The symptoms seemingly changed every week as scientists tried to correlate data. There were outliers, like the man who went to the hospital for kidney failure and ended up diagnosed with COVID-19.[3] There were also the people who were asymptomatic. In the end, we ended up with a list of symptoms to add to a chart trying to help us determine if we have allergies, a cold, or the flu—and now COVID-19.

During the election campaign, Donald Trump was insistent that a vaccine was coming out soon, while other candidates pushed back saying it would take longer. Shockingly, Trump was right and the vaccine was out just after the election. Democrats had been positioning themselves to know more, and be more honest/realistic about the virus than the Trump Administration, but this proved there was information Trump had that they didn't.

From the release of the vaccine, the manufacturers have been admitting that they aren't sure about a lot of things. While they now claim high efficacy rates, there was a concern about whether anitbodies would actually provide immunity, and if they did, for how long. From the jump, the vaccine makers spoke of possibly needing booster shots. Yet it is consistently referred to as a vaccine, which has a connotation of being a lasting immunization, and compared to one and done vaccines. Though the internet now refers to the flu shot as a vaccine, prior to now, I had never heard anyone say "I'm going to get my flu vaccine"—it was always a "flu shot." Instead of highlighting the temporary-ness of the shot, it was presented as a way to return to "normal."

As such, when the number of vaccinations began to rise, all of the previous policies about wearing masks and social distancing started to go out the window. People went back to concerts and dinner parties; people made plans for the 4th of July and gathered with large crowds... All just in time for the 6 month window scientists had predicted. Israel was one of the first countries to get a majority of their population vaccinated; they now have the highest number of cases per day in the world.[4] This suggests the decrease in efficacy is having an effect (or that it is less effective against the delta variant). Yet, the powers that be are still not in agreement about how to handle boosters. The U.S. wants to roll out booster shots for the "fully" vaccinated, but the World Health Organization says it's better to ship those shots to places having trouble getting the first and second doses.[5]

You can bet if the people in charge are confused, the general population is going to be confused too.

The Trust Issue

Many people think confusion and disinformation are the primary reasons for people not getting the vaccine, but in reality, the government and Big Pharma have a record of being untrustworthy. For the sake of time, lets focus on medical research funded by the government.

In 1932 the government started the Tuskegee Syphillis Experiment. Initially called the "Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male," the experiement targeted black men. These men were lied to about the purpose of the study and there was no process for informed consent (a major requirement in the IRB process that regulates experiments). They were lured into the experiment with the promise of free medical care, meals, and burial insurance. Despite the fact that Penicillin was widely accepted as an effective treatemnt for syphillis by the early 1940s, participants in the government's study were not treated. These men were left untreated to advance to the late stages of syphillis which can cause permenant damage to the body. The experiment lasted another 30 years after the discovery of Pencillin treatments, only being shut down after a news article brought the experiment to light in the 1970s.[7]

In the 1940s, during World War II, the government decided to test a theory that minorities are more resistant to mustard gas than whites. Offering incentives, they convinced black, Puerto Rican, and Japanese soldiers to participate in a study where they were exposed to mustard gas (which can cause permenant damage, including skin cancer).[9][11] This experiment affected 60,000 men, and these men were never compensated for the damage caused to them despite VA promises to do so.[10] It was classified and kept secret until 1993.

In the 1950s the government had the MK-ULTRA project in which they were trying to discover the secret to mind control. Experimentation for this project included torturing people and lacing their drinks/food with LSD without consent or knowledge. There were even major research universities linked to the research. Not only did government officials target vulnurable populations such as prisoners and people held in detention camps, they carried out experiments in other countries and on their own people. In 1953, Frank Olson, a scientist in the biological warfare division of the CIA, was drugged with LSD during a retreat with his coworkers. A week later, he was dead.[6] The documents about this highly classified project were perged during the Watergate scandal, making it impossible to know the true scope of the project. A set of misplaced files on it was discovered in 1977 and in 1994 the US General Accounting Office released an official report confirming the experiements.[12]

There's more, but let's skip to more recent times shall we?

In 1989, the government sponsored research on the E-Z measles vaccine. Their subjects were 1,500 black and Hispanic babies from poverty stricken families in the Los Angeles area. Consent protocols were breached and babies were given an unlicensed vaccine without the parents' knowledge. The same vaccine is thought to have caused a high infant mortality rate in countries like Haiti.[17]

In the early 90s, the government funded a study targeting black and Hispanic boys aged 6-10 years old. During this study, the young boys were given Fenfluramine to test a theory about predicting violent behavior. Fenfluramine is now a banned substance; it was banned after discovering heart valve defects in some adults who regularly used the drug. Critics have argued that there was little to no scientific value in the study, and the boys were put at risk for no justifiable reason.[15]

Just last year, ICE was accused of forced sterilizations of detainees at the border.[16]

When the vaccine was rolled out, many people in high positions made statements about making sure minorities received the vaccine first; anyone aware of the US's history with medical research would be wary of this. #ItsNotJustTuskegee[18]

Half Truths and Propaganda

Once the vaccine was made available to everyone and leaders realized a large portion of the population were skeptical, efforts to combat (or enhance) skeptism were rolled out. Like masks, the shot was politicized with people making snap judgments about those choosing to or not to take the vaccine. With the aid of social media, it became easy for those in favor of the vaccine to spread the message that people who don't take it are selfish, believe in conspiracy theories, Trump supporters, etc. Similarly, for those against the vaccine, it became easy to build a narrative about freedom and actual misinformation. The truth is, both sides have been using proganda or biased truths.

An example of a biased truth I've seen is on the safety of the vaccine. Those trying to convince everyone to take the shot will say its safe and quote statistics on cases of reactions to the shot. Many will compare these statistics to the risks of common over the counter drugs such as Tylenol or Aleve. In contrast, those who are opposed to the vaccine will say it's not safe, some referencing time to production and others questioning how it affects reproductive health.

The unbiased truth is somewhere in between. While people have died and/or had adverse reactions from the shot, statistics do suggest that the likelihood of severe reactions is rare—like being in a plane crash or getting struck by lightening.[19] However, as much as the authorities would like to dismiss the time frame in which it was studied, there is no substitute for time.

Take the question of affect on fertility, for example. While there isn't evidence to suggest it does have an affect, there isn't evidence to prove it doesn't, either. To do so, they would have to perform at least two studies for women (there would need to be tests on men as well): a test on women of childbearing age who are not pregnant to see if they can become pregnant, and a test on women who are already pregnant to see how it affects the baby. At the least the former would take 9 months to complete, but getting pregnant isn't that simple, it could take the women a few months to conceive. The data from this group would need to be compared to that of the general population to see if the infertility rate is better, worse, or the same. For the latter research, they would need to follow the pregnancy to term as well. In each case they would need to verify healthy babies and the same rates as the general population for premature delivery. In addition, it would be wise to track the babies for awhile to see if any health problems appear within the first couple years of their life. No amount of technology can bypass that time.

Another example of needing time to predict long term safety is more specific to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Johnson & Johnson have already faced litigation for including talc in their powder, which was later found to cause cancer.[20] Recently, they pulled several sunscreens they produce from shelves because they also contain an ingredient that has been found to cause cancer.[21] Johnson & Johnson is also facing a lawsuit in which it is alleged that a hair care line they own causes hair loss.[22] Assumably, none of these issues showed up in initial tests. Likely, they result in multiuse over time. However, with the admission that booster shots are necessary for Moderna and Pfizer (no word on Johnson & Johnson, yet),[23] there is the possibility that continued use could have unexpected consequences.

Will it Change Your DNA?

The vaccines use a new technology that utilizes mRNA to trick the body into producing antibodies without actually giving you the virus.[13] From this stems the theory that the vaccine changes your DNA. Many who are pro-vaccine dismiss this as conspiracy and disinformation, looking at those who are wary of the vaccine for this reason as idiots. Yet, the Univeristy of Massachusetts Medical school website says the following:

Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, we believed that RNA’s primary role was to intermediate between DNA and protein, as we described above. Over the last three decades, those long-held beliefs have been shattered. We have witnessed amazing discoveries with regards to RNA biology, many of which have come from our own labs here at the RTI. In 1998, Andrew Fire and the RTI’s Craig Mello discovered RNA interference (RNAi), in which double-stranded RNA can find and turn off specific genes based on certain sequences (order of the 'words'). RNA Theraputics Institute[14]

While the scientists only claims to use mRNA (which is assumably different from RNAi) in the vaccine, it is possible to alter your genetic code and make changes to your body through the use of RNA.

Is it the Mark of the Beast?

Many are convinced the vaccine is the Mark of the Beast spoken of in Revelation. The main ideas contributing to this belief include the following:

• the push for it to be mandatory (the outlook that eventually you can't participate in society without it)
• the belief that the RNA technology used in the vaccine is altering DNA
• the inclusion of enzymes called luciferase (which sounds like "Lucifer race") in the vaccine

¹⁶And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. ¹⁸Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. Revelation 13:16-18 NASB

⁹Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” ¹²Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 14:9-12 NASB

There are a few Biblical issues with assigning the vaccine as the Mark of the Beast.

For starters, the mark is given in the hand or forehead—the vaccine is given in the arm. More importantly, the Mark of the Beast is about worship; it is a counterfeit of the Mark or Seal of God (Exodus 13:9,16; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18; Revelation 7:3). When the Bible speaks of taking a mark in the hands and the forehead, it is not speaking of a literal mark it's referring to the manifestation of who you worship.

Your hands represent your actions. What do you do? How do you treat people? How do you spend your time? What do you contribute to society? Your forehead represents your thoughts. Who has your allegience? What is your thought process? How do you perceive the world?

Remember, the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 14:9-12) and blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29) are the only things listed as unforgivable sins (I personally think they are one and the same). That means whatever the Mark of the Beast is, it's worst than murder and rape, and you can never be forgiven. If you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, you essentially reject the Spirit. You then reject the Holy Spirit's convictions and become unable to discern right from wrong, truth from lie. It's like being blind in the dark with no map to the light, you're just stumbling around trying to find a path (Job 5:14). There's no coming back from that.

Conversely, when you look at a singular act like taking the shot, you have to ask: how does this prohibt me from worshiping God? What is the difference between a person taking the COVID-19 shot versus someone taking the polio vaccine? Further you have to ask: what about the fact that it can be forced on you? I received the polio, mumps, and measles vaccines as a child—I don't even remember taking them. My parents made that decision. The age limit for the shot has been decreasing gradually, currently set at 12. A 12 year old is still subject to their parents' rules. If the age ever drops to where this is a shot for toddlers or elementary kids, you'll have people taking the shot who may not even be able to understand what's happening. Similarly, if I were restrained, someone could easily inject me with the shot without my permission. To say that this is the Mark of the Beast is to say that YHWH would allow someone to be eternally unforgiven for something they didn't choose!

So no, I don't believe the shot itself is the Mark of the Beast. However, if you only feel comfort and safety because of the vaccine, I would advise you to reflect on who your faith truly is in. If you took the shot because you're scared to die, I would advise you to reflect on why you're afraid to die—is it because you don't believe in the promises God has given you, or is it because your kids would be orphans? Basically, I think your decision to take the shot (or any decision you make) could be a symptom (action of the hand) of the Mark of the Beast, if your mind (forehead/thoughts) is not on God.

Footnotes and References

1. Confirmation Bias. Oxford Reference; visited August 21, 2021
2. Shawn Radcliffe. "The Price of Prescriptions Overwhelms Fixed-Income Seniors". Healthline. October 16, 2019
3. I can't find the article I originally read about this specific case, but if you do a quick Google search you will see that COVID-19 is presenting itself as kidney trouble or a heart attack for some people.
4. Daniel Estrin. "Highly Vaccinated Israel Is Seeing A Dramatic Surge In New COVID Cases. Here's Why". NPR. August 20, 2021
5. Michaeleen Doucleff. "Why A Push For Boosters Could Make The Pandemic Even Worse". NPR. August 18, 2021
6. Terry Gross. "The CIA's Secret Quest For Mind Control: Torture, LSD And A 'Poisoner In Chief'". NPR. September 9, 2019
7. "The Tuskegee Timeline". Centers for Disease Control & Prevention; visited August 21, 2021
8. Stephen Kinzer. "From mind control to murder? How a deadly fall revealed the CIA’s darkest secrets". The Guardian. September 6, 2019
9. "Why the U.S. military exposed minority soldiers to toxic mustard gas. PBS. June 22, 2015
10. Caitlin Dickerson. "The VA's Broken Promise To Thousands Of Vets Exposed To Mustard Gas". NPR. June 23, 2015
11. Caitlin Dickerson. "Secret World War II Chemical Experiments Tested Troops By Race". NPR. June 22, 2015
12. Kat Eschner. "What We Know About the CIA’s Midcentury Mind-Control Project. Smithsonian Magazine. April 13, 2017
13. "What are mRNA vaccines and how do they work?". US National Library of Medicine. July 20, 2021
14. "What is RNA?". UMass Medical School: RNA Theraputics Institute; visited August 2021
15. Philip J. Hilts. "Experiments On Children Are Reviewed. New York Times". April 15, 1998
16. "ICE, A Whistleblower And Forced Sterilization". NPR. September 22, 2020
17. Marlene Cimons. "U.S. Measles Experiment Failed To Disclose Risk". Wasington Post. June 17. 1996
18. Gillian Flaccus. "Role of race in US vaccine rollout gets put to the test". AP News. January 28, 2021
19. Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 17, 2021
20. Lisa Girion. "Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder". Reuters. December 14, 2018
21. "Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of Specific NEUTROGENA® and AVEENO® Aerosol Sunscreen Products Due to the Presence of Benzene". Food & Drug Admisitration. July 14, 2021
22. A. Pawlowski "Woman alleges Johnson & Johnson OGX shampoo can cause hair loss, sues company". Today. July 23, 2021
23. Cory Stieg. "Booster shots are coming in the fall — but what about people who got the J&J Covid vaccine?". CNBC. August 19, 2021
24. Vanessa Romo. "Johnson & Johnson Stops Selling Talc-Based Baby Powder In U.S. And Canada". NPR. May 19, 2020
25. Will Feuer. "Pfizer’s CEO hasn’t gotten his Covid vaccine yet, saying he doesn’t want to cut in line". CNBC. December 14, 2020

Feminism & Religion (Pt. 1)

There are so many conotations of the term "feminism" that its rare to find people on the same page. Because of that, we're going to dive into the definition and history of feminism a little before we actually start talking about how it relates to religion.

¹¹However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. ¹²For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 NASB

I've actually heard a lot of Christian men (and women!) bashing feminism, and generally if they open up about what they're complaining about it's usually a subset of feminism or their perception of what feminism is. So before we start talking about how religion views women, I thought we should spend some time talking about feminism. In this episode we'll briefly touch on the history of women and some ideas that sprang up in the various feminist movements. This is by no means an exhaustive coverage of feminism or the nuances within feminism. This is simply a pre-conversation to get us on the same page for the next.

Official Definition

definition

Feminism [2]

noun

: belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

First Wave

• Generally known as "Women's Suffrage"
• The first women's rights conference was held in 1848
• The conference was mostly organized by Quakers, in fact one woman was a Quaker preacher
• Focused on the right to vote, equality in education
• In England, the Matrimonial Causes Act (passed in 1878), is what gave women the right to leave abusive husbands[6]
• It wasn't until 1920 that all US states considered it illegal for a husband to beat his wife[4]
• Rape within a marriage didn't become illegal until 1993 (even though I talked about it mostly during the beginning)[5]

Second Wave

• Equality in employment opportunities
• Stronger emergence of pushback against "white feminism" (though there were women from other races fighting early own, their voices were often supressed)
• Considered the begining of Global Feminism
• Begining of the sexual revolution

Third Wave

• Focus on body positivity, media portrayals of women, double standards
• Beginning to recognize intersectionality; attempts to be more inclusive
• Popularization of reclaiming symbols/words previously seen as sexist
• Continuation of sexual liberation
• Tackling harassment (particularly at work) and the #MeToo movement (possible 4th Wave)

References

1. Elinor Burkett and Laura Burell. "Feminism". Encyclopedia Britannica. March 24, 2021
2. "Feminism". Merriam Webster; visited July 2021
3. "Women in Computer Science: Getting Involved in STEM". ComputerScience.org. May 5, 2021
4. Cheryl Hanna. "Domestic Violence". Encyclopedia. May 29, 2018
5. "This Woman Fought To End Minnesota's 'Marital Rape' Exception, And Won". NPR. May 4, 2019
6. Matrimonial Causes Act of 1878, via Irish Statute Book
7. "Women in Computer Science: Getting Involved in STEM". ComputerScience.org. May 5, 2021

Climate Change & Christianity

The Word of God places the responsibility of the Earth in our hands, so why don't churches talk about environmental issues? Why aren't we mobilizing against the pollution of our planet the way we mobilize against other issues?

²⁶Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” ²⁷So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 NASB

definition

Dominion [1]

noun

1. : DOMAIN
2. law : supreme authority : SOVEREIGNTY
   having dominion over the natural world
3. dominions plural, Christianity : an order of angels
   — see CELESTIAL HIERARCHY
4. often capitalized, government : a self-governing nation of the Commonwealth of Nations other than the United Kingdom that acknowledges the British monarch as chief of state
5. law : absolute ownership

Our Responsibility

• Mankind was given dominion over the earth
• It is our responsibility to care for the Earth
• As we fall deeper into sin, we fail at the initial task God gave us: rule over the Earth
• Our sins are what lead to the final judgment, which is to be proceeded by cataclysmic events (Matthew 24; Revelation)
• Many of the events prophesied to occur during the end times sound a lot like Climate Change...

Climate Change	End Times
caused by people's actions	casued by people's actions (sin)
affects the climate of the Earth, can cause storms, earthquakes, famines, etc.	earthquakes, wars, famines, pestilence

Important Documentaries to Watch

• The Devil We Know
• A Plastic Ocean

Both are on Netflix

The Devil We Know

• Teflon was created by 3M and DuPont, and began distribution in the 1940's[2]
• Cancer rates have been drastically increasing since at least the 1970's (note, Teflon pans were "ok'd" for cooking in the 60s)[3]
• The creation of Teflon requires the productions of PFOA, PFAS, and/or C8 (all of which are carcinogenic)
• 3M warned DuPont about the hazards of these chemicals in the 1980s and by the 1990s, DuPont knew they were carcinogenic[4]
• DuPont continues to produce PFOA, PFAS, and/or C8 in the making of Teflon until 2015, when they were finally "held accountable" in court[4]
• DuPont dumped these chemicals in the Ohio River and polluted the entire world between the beginning of Teflon in 1940 until 2015
• No one was sentenced to jail[4]
• DuPont was given a 3 year period to phase out the use of PFOA, PFAS, and C8 in producing Teflon
• Now they produce GenX[5]
  • Inital studies show that GenX is also carcinogenic
  • It has been found in the water of North Carolina where DuPont has a facility
• Further Reading:
  • Dark Waters Tells the True Story of the Lawyer Who Took DuPont to Court and Won. But Rob Bilott’s Fight Is Far From Over
  • Study Links Teflon Chemical to Higher Cancer Rates"

A Plastic Ocean

• Plastic doesn't break down and is ending up in our ocean
• Bacteria grows on the plastic and toxins leech out into the fish in the ocean[6]
• The toxins released into fish, are then consumed by humans eating said fish[6]
• Fish and birds are consuming and dying from this plastic
• China started refusing our recycling[7]

Our Fault

• The environmental issues in our world are caused by greed and selfishness
• Both greed and selfishness are sins the Bible warns us about (specifically in the last days!)
• 1 Timothy 6:10

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 2 Timothy 3:2 NASB

The Importance of Water

• Scientifically, water is the sole reason for life on Earth
• Let's look at water in the Bible:
  • God's Spirit hoovers over the waters at Creation (Genesis 1)
  • God destroys the world with water during the flood (Genesis 6)
  • Baptism by water represents salvation and points to eternal life (Matthew 3:16)
  • Yeshua/Jesus—the living water—is sent to bring salvation and eternal life (John 4:10)
  • In the final days, the water will be poisoned (Revelation 8:11)

The star is named Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters because they were made bitter. Revelation 8:11 NASB

• The implications of destroying our water supply are being fulfilled both literally and symbolically

References

1. "Dominion". Merriam Webster; visited May 2021
2. "Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Teflon, and Related Chemicals". Cancer.org; visited May 2021
3. William A. Haseltine. "Cancer Rates Are On The Rise In Adolescents And Young Adults New Study Shows". Forbes. December 9, 2020
4. Nathaniel Rich. "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare". New York Times. January 6, 2016
5. Alex Formuzis. "EPA: GenX Nearly as Toxic as Notorious Non-Stick Chemicals It Replaced". Environmental Working Group. November 14, 2018
6. Gianna Andrews. "Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health. Geology and Human Health; visited May 2021
7. Kenneth Rapoza. "China Doesn’t Want The World’s Trash Anymore. Including ‘Recyclable’ Goods.". Forbes. November 29, 2020

Let's Talk About Zionism...

What does the Bible actually say about Zionism? How can we as Christians stand by and watch inhumane treatment of other humans and not be bothered? That is NOT what God called us to do.

A few years ago, I was visiting one of my aunts, and something must have recently made the news about the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict because somehow we ended up talking about Zionism. This particular aunt is a devout member of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) church and like most women in my family, she's not afraid to voice her opinion. At one point in the in the conversation, she made an assertion that many Christians make—an assertion that despite claims of separation of church and state, is at the heart of why the United States often sides with Israel. An assertion that is wrong.

"But it's [Israel's] land. God gave them that land."

The belief in and support of a Jewish nation is often referred to Zionism[1] and it runs deep in the Christian church. It's the only conclusion you'd make if your Christian experience is limited to the sermons you get from the pastor, and it's the easiest conclusion to make with a shallow dive into the Bible itself. I see exactly why people are led to that conclusion: Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and while they were in the wilderness, God promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. God promised to make Israel a great nation, and a great nation has land, right?

The above train of thought leaves out crucial parts of the narrative and with the recent attacks on Palestine by Israel, it's time we straighten this story out.

Disclaimer

Please understand that this post is discussing the actions of the Israeli government. When speaking about curses I am referencing the nation as a government entity and in a broad sense. While this post is criticizing Zionism it is not a statement against Jewish independence—it is a statement against using Zionism to justify the mistreatment of Palestinans. Also, I have tried to differentiate when I'm talking about Israel of the past verus present by refering to Israelites (past) and Israelis (present).

Is Israel *Still* the Promised Land?

During Israel's time in the wilderness, God promises Israel a lot of things but these promises are not absolute. While there are a few instances that repeat this concept, we're going to focus on Deuteronomy 27-28. In this passage, Moses lays out not one, but two paths for Israel. The first leads to blessings from God (Deuteronomy 28:1-14); if they chose that path they would be prosperous, healthy, and at peace. The second path, however, leads to curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-26). When choosing this path, the Israelites would reap hardship, illnesses, and defeat.

¹“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, that the Lord your God will put you high above all the nations of the earth. ²And all these blessings will come to you and reach you if you obey the Lord your God: Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NASB

In Deuteronomy 28:1-2, we see plainly what the path to the blessings is: obedience. Notice that the blessings come to Isreal IF they obey the Lord. So, did Israel obey God and follow the path to the blessings? No! From before Moses could even return from the mountain, the Israelites struggled with obedience. It is due to Israel serving other gods that they go into captivity... The Northern Kingdom (Israel) went through a line of rulers who led the people astray from God, which ends with them being taken away by the Assyrians. In the Southern Kingdom (Judea), they ping pong between righteous and corrupt kings, but ultimately they, too, drift away from God. The prophet Jeremiah tells us this is why they were subjected to the Babylonian captivity.

And I will pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have abandoned Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. Jeremiah 1:16 NASB

The Israelites in Babylon were eventually returned to the land, but continued to wax and wane in their relationship with God. There would be a Greek captivity followed by the Roman occupation of Israel. It is during the Roman occupation of Israel that we see the birth of the Messiah. The birth of the Messiah occurs during the 70 weeks prophecy given by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). It is during this time that the Israelites are supposed to be turning back to God. This is their final chance as a nation to turn back to their King.

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.Daniel 9:24 NASB

Did the Israelites bring about everlasting righteousness and anoint the Most Holy Place? No, they rejected the Messiah and had Him executed despite His innocence. The Israelites chose a known criminal over an innocent man. Roughly a generation later, Jerusalem was seiged by the Roman empire, the Temple was destoryed and Israel lost their Promised Land. God does not promise to restore the nation of Israel (as a bloodline) after the 70 weeks.

Pastor Ivor Myers has a wonderful sermon series that explains this exact issue.[2] In the series, he discusses the prophets of the Old Testament and teaches us how to put each prophet in context. The essence of the series discusses "the day of Lord" which is not actually one day (often refered to as the end of the world) but a series of judgments by God with the final day of the Lord being the one to bring about eternal peace. He clearly shows how the prophecies to restore Israel end with the rejection of Christ. When Christ rose from the dead, He built the final Temple (often mistaken as a third physical temple) made without hands. This Temple is talked about extensively in the New Testament and it is us. Just as God's Spirit dwelled in the Most Holy place of the Temple in Jerusalem, His Spirit now dwells in us. We—those who have chosen Him—are the new heirs to the throne and the new promised children. Our promised land is not Israel, though, it is the Kingdom of God. We receive this land when the final day of the Lord happens. Unforuntately the sermons are no longer free (I hate when people charge for teachings on the word of God), I'm uploading my notes to Google Drive for those curious about the Bible verses and how these conclusions were drawn.[3]

What If I'm Wrong?

Let's pretend for a second that God had promised to restore Israel after they rejected the Messiah. Deuteronomy 27:19 says "Cursed is one who distorts the justice due a stranger, an orphan, or a widow." Modern Israel has been distorting the justice due the Palestinians for years. Under the assumption the land belongs to Israel, the Palestinians would be strangers in the land, and the fact that Israel behaves unjustly toward them would trigger the curses outlined in Deuteronomy.

Another issue with the U.S. supporting Israel is that when God gives, it's obvious. An army did not free the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. The Israelites did not receive external support when they took the land after leaving Egypt. Although the Persian army conquered Babylon and subsequently allowed Jerusalem to be restored (drawing parallels to the defeat of Germany and allowance of the establishment of modern Israel by the west), the Persian army did not fight battles for Israel. If God was restoring Israel, His people would be able to take the land without the assistance of foreign troops and it would look like the land of the blessings in the beginning of Deuteronomy 28. The most obvious sign God is not giving them the land is that this isn't the case. The first thing the Israelites did when Cyrus allowed them back in the Promised Land was to restore Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Modern Israel was established in the 1960s—is there a third Temple? No, because there's a mosque there. There's a mosque there because the Israeli government did not capture Jerusalem in the Six Days War. It's there because God did NOT give them the city of Jerusalem. Trust me, if God wants someone to have something, they'll have it without the U.S. funding it...

The Importance of All This

I do not speak as much about issues that affect ofther minorities on this blog mainly because I'm not always sure of the details and it's better to amplify than to steal the spotlight. However, I had to write something on this issue because as I type, Israel is committing countless atrocities against the people of Palestine[5] and "Christians" are turning a blind eye because they don't understand their own Bible. You cannot support Zionism at the expense of Palestinians and adhere to the tenants God set for us at the same time. The same passion and zeal evangelical Christians put into being pro-life needs to be manifested into being pro-Palestinian-life. From here is where I point you to Palestinian voices. Go read their stories. Go feel their hurt. A friend of mine, who brought the recent atrocities to my attention, has created a letter in support of HR 2590, a bill that would promote and protect the rights of Palestinians. Please research what the Bible actually says, what is happening in Palestine, and what this bill could accomplish, then sign her letter to show your sentators and representatives that you support justice.[4]

References

1. "Zionism". Merriam-Webster; visited May 2021
2. Ivor Myers. "The 3 Heavens Principle". Power of the Lamb Ministries. February 1, 2021
3. My notes on The 3 Heavens Principle
4. Sign the Letter
5. Bill Chappell. "Israel In Turmoil: Violence Spreads To Streets And Occupied West Bank". NPR. May 13, 2021

Why I Miss the Segregated Church

Sometimes God has a message for the 1 and we're the 99 that's left behind.

As children we are taught to be tolerant and inclusive. It is in our very nature (well, for most of us at least) to reject the idea of being exclusionary. Yet, not quite a year ago, I found myself deeply missing the segregated churches I grew up in. I missed Negro Spirituals and Black History programs. I missed how black pastors related the trials of the Israelites to the trials of black people today. I missed the fact that the people at city hall fighting for justice where the same people sitting in the congregation. I missed the unity that comes from shedding some aspects of diversity.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back

Last May, after the death of Ahmaud Arbery, Breona Taylor, and George Floyd, mayhem insued. I don't mean the riots. I mean the conversations between members of "the church." We were 2 months in to COVID, and where the church was already struggling to maintain meaningful communication, the fracture of race and culture became truly apparent. It felt like every day some non-black church member was saying something insensitive. Leadership was quiet and when those of us with a short fuse (like myself) chose to speak, we were repremainded. The ire I felt culminated with me blurting out that I no longer wanted to attend a multicultural church and removing myself from all church communication.

I thought I was reacting in the moment. I thought a month would pass, and the feeling along with it. I thought I didn't really mean it...

Months passed, and to my surprise, I ended up in a few more heated conversations. I didn't feel any different, and realized I actually do miss attending an all African-American church.

The History of Racism and the Church

The western church (re: Catholicism and it's offspring, known as Protestantism) is responsible for racism. Europeans twisted the curse of Canaan into a non-existant curse on Ham and attempted to legitimize the mistreatment of Africans based on this fradulent interpretation. From there, we saw "devout" Christians torture, maime, brand, rape, and otherwise dehumanize black people. From Europeans whitewashing the people discussed in the Bible during the renissance, to white Americans refusing to let blacks worship in the same spaces, to the KKK, racism and Christianity in America are almost synonymous. I did a three part series going over some of this history along with my personal experiences last year. I'm linking them below instead of repeating myself.

Previous Blogs on Racism in the Church

• A Personal History of Racism in Church
• Healing the Wounds
• Promoting a Culture of Inclusion

The Colorblind Church

Instead of admitting to the role white America has played in racism, there is a push to leave it in the past. Instead of white pastors openly admitting that the white man pictured in churches and homes accross the world is not Christ, they defend those who don't want to part with the tradition of breaking the second commandment to honor some random European man. Instead of addressing white flight, pastors ask minority congregants to make sure they invite their white friends. Instead of uttering a truth that might offend one group, we stick to sugar coated messages that don't challenge anyone. And while churches are fighting desperately to create these diverse congregations to show they are colorblind, black youth are leaving God becuase the message they need to hear is too much for the white people who put us in this position in the first place.

A Lesson In Colorblindness

I've known for a long time that homes owned by black people appraise for less than similar homes owned by whites. We're not going to derail the post by getting too deep into that (I'm sure you're already confused as to why I brought it up, just go with me for a minute). If you're curious about the validity of my statement, read up on some of the recent incidents involving the appraisal of black homes.[1][2]

I'm currently in the process of selling my house to move and for the first time, had to assess the "blackness" of my home.

There was a portrait of an African woman I painted with my friends that needed to come down, as well as a professional painting of a black Southern Belle. Of course any and all personal photographs of me or my family. Just as I'd tucked away all the photos, a book on my bookshelf caught my eye: How Long Til Black Future Month Scanning the shelves, I saw enough black literature to open a library. So I started removing the obvious ones: Is Christianity the White Man's Religion, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, The Autobiography of Malcom X, a collection of African folk tales, everything by Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Nikki Giovanni...

As I struggled to move the heavy box to the garage, I passed my DVD collection. I stopped to remove the obviously black DVDs from the shelf: The Boondocks (season 1-3), The Babershop, First Sunday, Eve's Bayou, For Colored Girls..., Drumline, Stomp the Yard... It was too many to fit in a box. So I loaded the self back up, and stacked Disney movies in front of them. Then placed a decorative candle on the now empty Disney shelf.

I thought I could finally relax, so I went to my bathroom to take a relaxing bath. There I was greeted by my bonnet, the various oils and moisturizers for my afro-textured curly hair, the wide tooth comb and wooden-handled brush... This was obviously the bathroom of a black woman.

Every where I looked my house testified to the fact that I am black. Even after removing as much as I could, there are still things that made it into the staging (e.g., the poodles that decorate my house which are actually a reference to my sorority, which has non-black members but is a historically black sorority). In the end, I could not completely separate who I am from the space I live in without getting rid of everything.

As I stared at the house that only represented a fraction of me, I felt empty and unsettled. It no longer feels like home and wash day means I have to trek all the way to the garage to dig out my deep conditioner. As I reflected on the inconvience, I realized my life is like this house.

One of the posts above talks about my experience with racisim in the church, but it doesn't detail all my experiences with racism—we might need a book for all of that. Nonetheless, these traumas, hurts, lessons, and conversations have shaped who I am. It is from these experiences that I have the boundaries I have. It is from these experiences that I react the way I do. It is from these experiences that I value this or that. It is from these experiences that this passage hits differently than when you hear it...

When I approach the throne of YHWH, the Most High God, those expereinces come with me. YHWH was there when I watched my grandmother panic over the possibility of white men taking our family's land. YHWH was there with me when little white kids were calling me a n*****. YHWH was there with me when my Asian aunt told me she was glad her half-black daughter didn't have hair like me. YHWH was there when my white teacher said I'd end up pregnant or in jail because that's what happens to black youth. YHWH was there the Asian department chair told me I didn't have what it took to earn a PhD (and YHWH walked across the stage with me when I earned that PhD). YHWH was there when I learned to love my hair. YHWH was there when I learned not to shrink myself into a corner trying to blend into the whiteness around me. YHWH understands my blackness, my womanness, my Americanness, my singlness...

And sometimes YHWH has a message just for me.

“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and search for the one that is lost? Matthew 18:12

Leaving the 99

A few weeks ago, I watched a sermon that spoke straight to my heart.[3][4] Seven men and women of God spoke on the last seven things Christ said before He died on the cross. Each message was tied into justice and the black experience here in America. The speakers were black, the audience was black, and the message was specifically for black people. It ranged from a reminder about forgiveness, to a warning about protecting our spirit. There were messages and nuggets of truth that anyone could (and should) appreciate, but the core of the message was a message of hope for the down troddened souls of black America. It was a reminder that YHWH is our YHWH too.

As I listened to the sermon, I realized that was what I was longing for. I wanted to hear that message that God had for me in my time of need. Contemporary churches love to sing "Reckless Love" and belt out the line about Him leaving the 99 to search for the one, but we often forget we're not always the one. In a society where certain groups of people are being mistreated, abused, and belittled, those groups are the people God is going after. He's going after the black person longing for justice. He's going after the people in the LGBT community with questions. He's going after the Asain person scared to step out of their house. He's going after the women who have been abused. He's going after the immigrants who were locked in cages. He's going after the refugees that survived brutal wars. He's going after the poor/homeless, the drug addict, the orphan, etc. And that message may hurt your feelings—it may hurt my feelings—because maybe we didn't do enough for that group, maybe we are part of the reason that group is hurt... But it's not about us, it's about the message for the one.

Finding Love in Diversity

Most of my friend circles have been characterized by diversity. Even here, in South Florida where 90% of my friend group is black, there is diversity—some are Jamacian, some Hatian, some Bahamian, and some Canadian. It is amazing to learn about different cultures and to experience the world through someone else's eyes. It is equally heartbreaking to expreince trauma in the midst of people who refuse to acknowledge the trauma (or the history of that trauma). You cannot obstruct the message for the one because the 99 aren't ready to admit the church has played a role in the suffering of the one. A year later, and I understand where that longing is coming from. I can't say what type of church I'll seek out when I move in 3 weeks, but I can say I want to belong to a body that isn't afraid to leave the 99 to go after the one.

References & Footnotes

1. Julian Glover. "Black California couple lowballed by $500K in home appraisal, believe race was a factor". ABC 7 News. February 12, 2021
2. Debra Kamin. "Black Homeowners Face Discrimination in Appraisals". The New York Times. August 25, 2020
3. Mount Sinai Church. "The Seven Words of Justice". YouTube. April 2, 2021
4. No one is perfect; we're all human. If I gave a sermon, my human-ness would creep in as well. The only reason I'm pointing out this particular nitpick is because it's about doctrinal truth and since I'm "promoting" the sermon, I need to point out what I disagree with doctrinally. Good Friday is tied to the pagan Easter. Passover was last week (March 28). Even if the Bible asked us to celebrate "Good Friday," based on Biblical doctrine, it should occur before Passover and would have been last week.

Lunchtime Childhood Trauma

This #TestimonyTuesday I wanted to share an experience I had as a child that has deeply shaped my views as a teenager and an adult. Sometimes God swoops in Himself to make a miracle happen, but sometimes, He calls on us to do the foot work. We go through experiences help us learn and to become better people, so we be ready when He calls. This testimony may not have ended with a tidy fix for the issue as a whole, but it did lead me to join the fight.

Footnotes

1. A recent example: CNN
2. Learn more about how you can help end hunger: 10 Charities That Fight Hunger