Rev. Jeremiah Wright is Wrong
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Posted: 05/01/08
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Rev. Jeremiah Wright is Wrong
We have all certainly seen Pastor Jeremiah Wright speak his obsession on race on YouTube, and on T.V. What is he all about? Why the anger and boldness of what seems to the rest of us to be outbursts based on pure paranoia? It really is not hard to understand once you get a glimpse of his world view.
When looking at his world view, one must see why he holds it in order to understand his boldness in proclaiming it. Jeremiah Wright does not see the gospel in terms of spiritual reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ alone. He was asked this question when he spoke at the National Press Club. He clearly stated that he believes that Jesus is not the only way to heaven. He sees the gospel in terms of what is called "Liberation Theology," specifically "Black Liberation Theology." This is very important in order to gain understanding of where many liberal "Black Churches" get their viewpoint. It is important to note that Black churches come in many forms just as white churches do. For the sake of this article, when I refer to black churches I am referring to black churches that hold to Black Liberation Theology only.
Liberation Theology gets its basis from the founding writings of Gustavo Gutierrez. Gutierrez does not see the gospel as a set of timeless truths but rather a mindset that bends along with the times and contemporary insights. To him theology is discovered out of an historical context that leaves it open to deal with the social injustice issues of the day. His view was to apply Marxist teachings in order to fight against those who "oppress." Others such as the Methodist professor of theology Jose Miguez Bonino from Argentina, and the Jesuit priest Juan Luis Segundo from Uruguay concur with the leftists who attempt to place the gospel as Marxist in practice. They attempt to marry the teachings of Christ with Marx. This became very popular in Latin America particularly after Vatican ii when Catholic priests were given more freedom to preach this idea in the 1960's.
This idea then gained more traction in American Black Churches and became applied to the black struggle for civil rights in America and developed into what is known as "Black Liberation Theology." One of the most influential proponents of Black Liberation Theology is James H. Cone. Cone describes it this way;
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"Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love." (A Black Theology of Liberation By James H. Cone 1990 Page 27)
Rev. Jeremiah Wright by his own admission is a Black Liberation Theology proponent. In fact he not only says that when he was interviewed by Sean Hannity, he also in the same interview makes it clear that he is in line with the teachings of James H. Cone. This is the reason that he speaks the way he does. He is not one who preaches the gospel. It is impossible to believe that one may enter heaven without Christ and at the same time be a gospel preacher. Wright's hatred and paranoia come from years of inflamed bitterness concerning the way in which Black people were first enslaved, and after freed, treated as second class citizens. He shows from his words that there is deep unforgiveness and intense generational desire to get back at "white oppression." Not only is Rev. Wright obsessed with the bitterness, he is unwilling to say anything about the strides made in America concerning black people. People who have such bitterness do not want to lose it since the bitterness becomes a part of their existence. It motivates them. It gives them a sense of purpose as they fight against the oppressor. What will they be if the oppressor is gone? How will they feel if everything they have based their life on is no longer? It is like the warrior who has a difficult time re-entering peace time after an intense war.
Let's make a few things very clear.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1) Black people were oppressed in America and there simply is no excuse for that fact. <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2) Let us understand also that it is a Christian's duty to help people who are oppressed if possible. <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3) It is absolutely ungodly to have an attitude that suggests that people are somehow inferior simply based of their race. <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4) Anyone who thinks they are justified in hating people simply due to the color of their skin or ethnicity is deceived.<!--[endif]-->
Having said all that, we must also understand that the message of the gospel at its core has nothing to do with social causes. Social causes may be addressed by the Christian heart that desires justice and mercy. We may be moved to help the poor and cloth the naked by the compassion that Christ fills us with, but simply doing those things is not the gospel itself. The gospel message is the message that Christ took the sins of the world upon himself that all who would receive him personally as their Savior may enter into right relationship with Him. Jesus willingly took the penalty of sin in our stead and died. He then rose from the dead conquering death for us. This message is given to all races and ethnicities. This is the glorious gospel. When the black church changes the gospel into the struggle for civil rights they do just that; change the gospel into something it is not. Again I am not saying that the Church should not speak out on social issues. I myself do that often. For example; I have preached strongly against abortion. I believe it is my Christian duty to stand against that evil. I certainly believe that Christ motivates me to fight against the killing of the unborn but anti-abortion activism is not the gospel itself. I also believe that people should be judged on "the content of their character, and not by the color of their skin" (Martin Luther King Jr.) but that itself is not the gospel. What I am saying is that the gospel is a universal message to all people concerning eternal life and the advancement of the kingdom of God in the hearts of all who receive Christ as their Savior. It is the message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. The gospel is not owned by one ethnic group.
Clearly we have not gotten to the place where every white person loves black people nor have we gotten to the place where every black person loves white people. As long as sin is in the world there will always be some prejudice and no race has the corner on that market. The questions for Rev. Write are the following;
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1) Did Jesus teach you to hate white people? <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2) Did Jesus teach you to hold bitterness? <!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3) Is it in the interest of black people to sow continued bitterness into black children? <!--[endif]-->
Black Liberation Theology is the marriage of Marxism with religious terminology and the bad experiences black people have had. The idea is that change will only come with more government force. What has that brought? The black family is all but destroyed by the last 50 years of government intervention in the inner cities. Education of black people in the inner cities is a disaster and it is run by liberals with socialist thinking. Marxism has proven to be an abject failure.
Understanding why Rev. Wright says the things that he does is helpful to give context but it in no way excuses him. There will never be anything godly that comes out of bitterness. As the following Scripture teaches;
James 1:20 "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God"
Jeremiah Wright may get a rush of adrenalin when he goes off into one of his tirades. He may please the ears of his followers when they also feel the flesh fed with words that decay the spirit of forgiveness. However his words only show his intense need for the Christ of the bible who longs to set him free from deception. I pray that he encounters the Jesus of the Bible who is the only way to heaven, and that Christ frees him from his unforgiveness. The real oppressor in the life of Jeremiah Wright is not any person of any race or ethnicity. The oppressor in the life of Jeremiah Wright is his own bitter heart.
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