jwdollar's Blog

This Fall I am offering 2 classes to families who homeschool their children in the Birmingham area: Christian Apologetics and Systematic Theology. Several students have already signed up for these challenging classes, both of which will help them come to a deeper understanding of orthodox Christian doctrine and how to defend it in a hostile environment.

For a full course description of either class, please request via email.

Visit www.jasondollar.net for more info on my teaching ministry.

Recently I presented a couple of posts called "Are Atheists Brains More Highly Evolved" and "Naturalism: Either False or Deadly." In both I attempted to make the case that pure naturalism as a worldview has within it the potential for racism and genocide, since the name of the game is survival of the fittest and there is no objective grounding for morality in the system. Tom Clark argued against this in his comments on those posts but was unable to provide a sufficient defense against the charge.

Now with that in mind enter High School Musical. My kids are currently interested in this flick so I rented it for them yesterday. We were enjoying it at home last night when one of the characters began a dialogue that I found very intriguing. Taylor was attempting to convince Gabriella to leave Troy and the musical alone so that she could concentrate on the Scholastic decathlon. Taylor made her case by saying that athletes were less evolved than the smarter kids and that the athletes "contribute nothing to society other than slam dunks and touchdowns." She was joking - sort of. Actually the context of her character gives the impression that Taylor felt superior to the other students especially the athletes.

But of course Taylor was joking. Right? I mean this is a Disney musical for kids and by the end of the movie Taylor and the athletes are friends. Sure she was joking. But I think this scene illustrates the point I have been trying to make in these recent posts:

If unguided evolution is true then unfair and perhaps deadly treatment of the "less evolved" is potential if not likely. In fact it is right beneath the surface.

This is not, Mr. Clark, a judgment upon individuals who hold to naturalism. People must be judged (as Dr. King taught us) not by the color of their skin (or their worldview of choice) but by the content of their character. Rather this is a judgment on the worldview itself which is potentially deadly. Furthermore, it is only a matter of time before someone takes naturalism seriously enough to annihilate those who are not up to par on the evolutionary scale, or perhaps attempt to use them as slave labor. And there is no objective (outside of humanity Mr. Clark) grounding for an ethical code that could stop the renegade individual or nation who might wish to take the logical conclusions of naturalism to their furthest points. (Who knows - maybe Taylor is the one to carry out this gruesome task...now that is a joke).

The connection of naturalism to potential racism and genocide is apparent and unmistakable and glimmers of this connection can even be discerned in one of the most popular kid movies of our day.

As long as people are people we will have to deal with racism. But to hate or oppress or ignore another person because they have different skin tones is the product of Naturalism not biblical Christianity. If Naturalism is true racism makes sense - nothing should stop one (supposedly) stronger, superior race from oppressing a (supposedly) weaker, inferior race. Naturalism also comes complete with a relativistic ethic, so the superior race does not have to feel guilty about its actions.

But biblical Christians should fight against racism with great fierceness. After all at the foot of the cross the color of our skin does not matter. We are all depraved, no matter what our race, and deserving of infinite torture in Hell (Romans 3). Those of us who are save were not saved because of our racial heritage, but purely by the grace of God.

And yet Christians often continue holding prejudice attitudes towards one another. But consider these facts:

Racism Disobeys the Bible


Ephesians 4:29 - 5:2 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (ethnos), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

If we maintain our strict racial segregationist attitudes, we would never obey these commands!

Racism Disables the Church

Ephesians 4:1-6 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free -- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

If we do not overcome our racial predjudices, we cannot have a true church, for we are not willing to love each other in the name of Jesus Christ and be His disciples.

Racism Disarms the Gospel

John 4:3-10 He (Jesus) left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

If Jesus had been a racist, he would not have been able to share his message of soul-saving truth with this woman, because she was a Samaritan. How often are we willing to share the message of hope and truth with people who are like us, but we are unwilling to cross over those things which divide us (like race) in order to bring the message of Christ's love to others?

Racism Dishonors God

Revelation 5:8-10 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

Revelation 7:9-10 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

God is drawing people into his glorious Kingdom from all races, in order to enjoy his glory forever. Think about this:

1) God does all things for His own glory.
2) God decided to create with immense variety in order to demonstrate His wondrously creative power and artistic ability.
3) Eternity will be filled with peoples of all varieties in a rainbow of praise to God forever.
4) Racism takes God’s plan (and thus His character) and spits in the face of it.

What do we need to do? Well, a good first step is cultivate strong friendships with people of other races. Perhaps visit churches that are composed of predominantly other races, and fellowship and worship with them. Let us love ALL the brotherhood who gather in the name of Jesus Christ!

Another wonderfully practical thing to do is listen again and very carefully to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech. You can scroll down and hear it on the previous post. Think deeply about some of the things he says and ways that you might can not only overcome racial attitudes, but actually reach out to those who are from a different race with the holy grace of the Gospel.