Suggestions for Christians Combating Racism

For several months now I’ve been reading books and articles on systemic/structural racism and critical race theory, primarily from a Christian perspective. “Combating” racism is not one of the missions on which I tend to focus, but the subject does correlate, complement, and adds insight into my areas of mission. Nevertheless, as someone who appreciates the work and ministry that Christians are doing to break the power of racism, I’d like to offer some observations that I hope will encourage and help their Kingdom work.

 First and foremost, I must note that in my study of the subject, I haven’t read any real suggestions on how to solve the problem of systemic racism from the Christian perspective. At most, the focus is on self- and societal- awareness. At first appearance, if racism is more a structural issue than a sin issue (as many Christians insist), then it’s difficult to see how awareness would be any more helpful than repentance. If anything, sin and unawareness are two sides of the same coin. One is intentional and the other unintentional. One is flagrant, the other ignorant. Indeed, how the “woke” describe systemic racism is far more like that of sins of ignorance. However, for whatever reason, it’s typically treated as a sin of defiance. Which is one of the primary strategic mistakes the woke are making. They frequently make no distinction between honest, goodnatured errors and the vilest of racist bigots. They demand empathy for the oppressed but practice none for the unconvinced, even if such empathy would further their cause.

 Many of the most prominent Christians I see focusing on systemic racism seem almost completely uninterested in convincing others of their position. They demand blind acceptance of their position otherwise the unconvinced will be labeled racist. Theirs is an unmerciful and arrogant attitude. Indeed, there’s a tinge of fundamentalist Calvinism in too many woke Christians. Original sin is slavery. Whites have inherited guilt. Person on the street calls you racist, tells you to repent: “Confess your privilege, agree w/ the Word narrative, & become born-again woke.” Now, the substance of either message may be quite valid. The point is how the method makes the message come across to others, even to those who might agree. Such an approach turns off otherwise sympathetic ears and, combined with the apparent inability to point to direct causes of structural racism, presents the woke as unserious, ignorant, and foolish.

 And the apparent inability to note direct causes of systemic/structural racism that can be eliminated and reformed is a significant difficulty. Certainly, the Christian woke can point to the results of problems but seem overwhelmingly incapable of identifying the specific problem itself, which is probably the reason why they rarely offer solutions to dismantle structural racism. Indeed, I’ve frequently observed good Christians accuse other believers of being racist for offering possible specific examples of structural racism that (accurate or not) were deemed offensive to the accuser. So, while the Christian woke offer no specific solutions, they label as racist those who are unconvinced or those who suggest solutions with which they disagree. This is not how you build support for a cause. At most, instead of addressing the structures of racism, the Christian woke overwhelmingly focus on addressing soft, symbolic targets that even in absolute victory would have no tangible effect on eliminating systemic racism. Crusades against such symbolism are easy and gives a false impression of achievement and advancement when nothing has been achieved.

 In a recent Christian book on systemic racism, the author cited research in which guilt can be a positive, productive tool for transformation. However, the use of guilt as a methodology for widespread change, necessitates convincing everyone that they are guilty of systemic/structural racism which was initially formed in the past. Presumably, such guilt is more understood as sustaining (even if unintentionally) the prevalence of that systemic racism by one’s behavior. However, if so, it's more an assumption that a given white person does act in ways which supports such a system. And if unintentional acts still mean guilt, it's certain that black people themselves have acted unawares in perpetuating systemic racism. That gets messy quickly. Small wonder then that the focus is more on those who primarily benefit from the system (i.e., privilege).

 Therefore, I’d like to offer some suggestions for those Christians to better combat systemic racism:

• Be tolerant, patient, and merciful towards those believers who remain unconvinced about the existence of systemic racism or who offer differing solutions. Empathize with them. As much as possible, avoid language and behavior that will turn people off or comes across as virtue signaling or feigned offense.
• In order to convince skeptics and the undecided, think of examples of systemic injustice that's palatable to them (abortion, gambling, etc.). Get them to accept the premise & you've helped them take a step.
• Win the person, not the argument.
• Offer specific examples of systemic racism, not just evidence based on outcomes.
• Focus your efforts on real, tangible goals, not symbolic ones.
• Most importantly, pray to God for direction on how best to achieve long-lasting victory.