Aug 22, 2023
Sin’s Part in the System (and Vice Versa): Thoughts on Voddie Baucham’s “Thoughts on Ferguson”
The day before Thanksgiving I woke up encouraged about evangelical leadership. There have been times when I was more likely to cringe when I read an evangelical leader’s statements on a current event, but not over Ferguson. In the last few days I have been very encouraged by pastors and Christian thinkers who have been willing to make bold statements about the realities of systemic racism and the need for the church to be present in the midst of this conflict as a force for peace and reconciliation. One particularly encouraging voice has been Thabiti Anyabwile at The Gospel Coalition, who has criticized the grand jury’s decision and advocated for deep changes to our system to correct racial injustices.
But I was disappointed to read an article by pastor Voddie Baucham responding to Ferguson published at The Gospel Coalition, not because the article offends my taste or doesn’t fit with my views, but because it perpetuates what I believe are some harmful perspectives on race in America. Given the massive popularity of the article (it went viral and helped crash TGC on Wednesday) and the relevance of the topic, I felt it was important to carefully parse why I believe Baucham’s article was misguided. Thabiti Anyabwile has published an article which addresses some of Baucham’s claims and is well worth reading, but here I aim to more directly respond to Baucham words and their implications.
The difference between Thabiti Anyabwile’s reaction to the Ferguson grand jury’s decision and Voddie Baucham’s reveals a divide in American society in general and in particular the American church over the nature of the black experience in contemporary America and who or what is responsible for that experience. In examining Baucham’s piece, I hope to also address in some small way this larger divide.
Fatherlessness
The central argument that Baucham makes is that the root cause of problems in the black community is fatherlessness, and that systemic racism is a distraction from addressing that cause. Baucham begins by unsettling the way most people conceive of “systemic” issues in black communities:
I do believe there are systemic issues plaguing black men. These issues are violence, criminality, and immorality, to name a few. And all these issues are rooted in and connect to the epidemic of fatherlessness. Any truly gospel-centered response to the plight of black men must address these issues first and foremost. It does no good to change the way white police officers respond to black men if we don’t first address the fact that these men’s fathers have not responded to them appropriately.
Fatherlessness and the broader decline of marriage is probably a contributing factor in problems that exist in many communities in our country, including black communities. It is correlated with things like incarceration, unemployment, and teen pregnancies. But correlation does not equal causation, and the relationship between these challenges and absent fathers is complicated.
Take, for example, black incarceration rates and the effect they have on marriage within black communities. If a large percentage of black males are incarcerated (and they are), that leaves fewer eligible men for black women to marry in that community. Which means that the remaining men may try to demand more from black women in exchange for a relationship, demands which may include premarital sex, unprotected sex, no expectation of supporting a child long term, etc (see here for an academic treatment of this argument). Incarceration, then, actually leads to more fatherlessness.
The same can be said of education. If you are born to a single parent, you are much less likely to receive the cognitive and non-cognitive skills needed to be successful in school, making you less likely to finish high school, which means you are much more likely to have a child out of wedlock. Poor education leads to fatherlessness and is a result of fatherlessness.
If you do not have good models of marriage in your community, and it is socially acceptable to father kids out of wedlock, and the marriage market incentivizes not being monogamous, getting to the place where you recognize the need for marriage is extremely difficult—not impossible, but difficult. Much more difficult than for those of us who have been raised to believe that marriage is an achievable ideal. For many people in poverty (across races), marriage is not simply something they are selecting out of, but rather it is an institution which seems incomprehensible. It is too costly, too difficult, and too broken to bother pursuing. Since many of the problems that fatherlessness seems to lead to also seem to lead to fatherlessness, speaking about fatherhood as simply some personal choice which will solve many or most of the problems in the black community is both misguided (it’s a lot more complicated than that) and unhelpful (the institution of marriage is too incomprehensible for many people).
Baucham concludes this paragraph by claiming that the only “truly gospel-centered” approach must address issues like immorality and crime “first and foremost” as a response to the “plight of black men.” Obviously immorality, wherever it occurs in our lives, must be addressed and rooted out. As Christians we are called to righteousness. But our righteousness, or lack thereof, is not the standard by which we determine if it is appropriate to address injustice in our culture. Prejudice, discrimination, and systemic racism do not get a free pass until black men clean up their act. That, simply put, is not “truly gospel-centered.”
Baucham claims that “it does no good” to change how police officers view black males if we don’t “first address” how black fathers treat their sons. This line is an example of the kind of strange false dichotomies throughout the piece. If, as many believe and has historically been the case, some police officers stereotype and abuse black males because of their race, it objectively and empirically does good to change those officers’ views. Even if you accept the claim that black fathers must become better fathers in order for substantial change to take place in black communities, there is no reason this must take place before addressing systemic racism.
Black-on-Black Crime
Baucham notes the high rates of black-on-black crime to argue that focusing on police abuse is a distraction:
In the FBI homicide stats from 2012, there were 2,648 blacks murdered. Of those, 2,412 were murdered by members of their own ethnic group. Thus, If I am going to speak out about anything, it will be black-on-black crime; not blue-on-black.
This point confuses a number of issues. First, it is another false dichotomy. There is no reason we shouldn’t speak out against police abuses just because there are criminals within the black community. Second, this ignores the deep harm that systemic racism causes, some of which encourages the very black-on-black violence he laments. When a community loses trust in law enforcement, they are less inclined to report crime, making them more likely to be victims of crime in the future. When police are prejudiced or abusive (this is not an assertion that they are, but for sake of argument), criminality can serve as a support mechanism. If you are treated like a criminal suspect your whole life by the people in authority over you, eventually you just might give up and become the person they have stereotyped you as. A failure of trust and an abusive system harms communities in deep, significant ways. All of this takes nothing, absolutely nothing, away from the tragedy of violence in black communities and the need to address it. But what it does is acknowledge that violence from within the community has a different effect than violence and abuse from authorities.
But third, using the same source Baucham uses, we can see that of the 3,128 white victims of murder in 2012, 2,614 were killed by their own ethnic group. Granted, the per capita murder rate in black communities are much higher than white communities, but when people lament the problem of “black-on-black” crime, what they typically have in mind is a disproportionate targeting of blacks within the black community, as if African Americans were uniquely intent on killing their own people. But the statistics simply don’t support this. The question is “why is the murder rate so high in black communities,” not “why do black people murder black people.”
The Root of Black Ills
Again, it is common knowledge that this is the most immediate root cause of the ills plaguing black Americans.
Baucham makes the same error he might accuse many liberal critics of: reducing problems in black communities to a “root cause.” For the liberal critic the cause is poverty, and for Baucham it’s fatherlessness. Both ideas are flawed in their own way. The claim that fatherlessness is “the root cause of the ills plaguing black Americans” is wrong on two accounts.
It is far from clear the extent to which fatherlessness affects all these ills. It may be “common knowledge” that fatherlessness causes these ills, but it is not necessarily true. To my knowledge, studies which track various social ills and fatherlessness don’t establish a causal relationship, but a correlation. Does having a good father fix these ills, or does the absence of these ills better equip men to be good fathers? Or is it both?
Second, whatever ills we find in life, the only true root is sin, and beyond sin the causes for pain and suffering and evil are far too complex to reduce down to a “root.” In the case of the ills plaguing black communities, fatherlessness almost certainly is a contributing factor, but so are unemployment, prejudice, poor schools, absence of good role models, lack of healthy churches, a predatory entertainment culture which glorifies evil as good, and the vast history of state-sanctioned racism in this nation which continues to have ripple effects.
Sinner or System
Again, this experience stayed with me for years. And for many of those years, I blamed “the system” or “the man.” However, I have come to realize that it was no more “the system” when white cops pulled me over than it was “the system” when a black thug robbed me at gunpoint. It was sin! The men who robbed me were sinners. The cops who stopped me were sinners. They were not taking their cues from some script designed to “keep me down.” They were simply men who didn’t understand what it meant to treat others with the dignity and respect they deserve as image bearers of God.
Of course, Bauchman is right to point out that everyone who commits abuse of some kind is a sinner, but it’s not clear, nor is it at all substantiated in this article, why a cop who racially profiles a black man is not a part of a larger system of abuse. These men can have personal failings and also be a part of a larger, authoritative system which protects, promotes, and profits from this particular failing. Baucham dismisses systemic racism without actually given any good reason to dismiss it. He continues:
It does me absolutely no good to assume that my mistreatment was systemic in nature. No more than it is good for me to assume that what happened in Ferguson was systemic. I have a life to live, and I refuse to live it fighting ghosts. I will not waste my energy trying to prove the Gramscian, neo-Marxist concept of “white privilege” or prejudice in policing practices.
Baucham asserts that it is simply not “good” to assume that any particular incident is a part of a larger systemic racism. And, rather dismissively, refuses to “live . . . fighting ghosts.” He doesn’t actually bother demonstrating that they are ghosts or responding to specific arguments that systemic racism is real, rather than a specter.
There is, however, plenty of good reason to believe that our society suffers from systemic racism. First, any system this large is bound to have systemic injustice of some kind of another. Baucham would not hesitate to call out systemic prejudice against Christians or the family unit, so he should be able to appreciate the charge that this same system also harbors injustices against minorities.
Second, given the historical reality of widespread, open, violently supported, government sanctioned and enforced racism within a lifetime ago, it would be surprising indeed of systemic racism was not a current and significant reality in our society. Add to this vastness of our government and society and the difficulty of making meaningful change in such enormous systems, and the prospect seems almost absurd.
Aside from the historical reasons to suspect systemic racism, there is no shortage of indications that it continues to exist, between police profiling, hiring practices, incarceration rates, and media stereotypes. Reasonable people can disagree on what this data means (and they do), but to characterize a fight against systemic racism as “fighting ghosts” simply dismisses the other side.
Straw Men
I do not tell them that this means they need to live with a chip on their shoulder, or that the world is out to get them. I certainly don’t tell them that they need to go out and riot (especially when that involves destroying black-owned businesses).
As his post progresses, Baucham is himself increasingly fighting ghosts, or, at least, straw men. Although I’m sure you can find someone on Twitter who is actually advocating that black men walk around with a chip on their shoulders and riot, they are the exception, and they certainly do not comprise the mainstream criticism of the State’s handling of Ferguson. This isn’t about walking with a chip on your shoulder, it is about identifying injustices and addressing them. Trivializing that work doesn’t help Baucham’s case. It was particularly sad to see Baucham fall into the reduction of the Ferguson protestors to rioters. Rioting has certainly taken place, but it is the exception to a long, long series of protests in that town, many of which were led and supported by fellow believers. A belief in the harmful effects of systemic racism does not require one to adopt a victim mentality or violence.
Baucham as Judge
Brown reaped what he sowed, and was gunned down in the street. That is the sad truth.
I want to grant Baucham the most charitable reading of this sentence that I can: if Baucham believes that Officer Wilson fired his gun in self-defense at a man who had just beat him repeatedly and attempted to steal his gun in order to kill him, then Brown’s death was ultimately his own responsibility. But this goes beyond what even the grand jury concluded, because the grand jury did not determine that Officer Wilson was innocent, or that Brown had attempted to murder Wilson and therefore deserved to die. All the grand jury concluded was that there was not sufficient evidence of “probable cause” to indict Wilson. So, to conclude with certainty, as Pastor Baucham does, that Michael Brown deserved to die on the street for his crimes goes beyond what he can know and what has been legally established.
But it is also a telling sign of Baucham’s position that he chooses to eschew the tragic reading of these events and allow for the possibility that Brown acted foolishly but not fatally, and that Wilson acted fairly but could have chosen better. Instead, he opts for the worst reading of Brown’s actions. But then, if the problems in the black community are all ultimately the responsibility of black men, rather than the responsibility of black men and their community and their city and churches and the state, then the most natural interpretation of a complex event like this will be to make the black male the one solely responsible for what took place, which is what Baucham does.
What Ferguson has demonstrated in a very public way is the deep divisions between the various ways that Christians understand race in America. While I am glad to see many in the evangelical church speaking out and having important conversations about race, we must be able to imagine a way forward which does not rely on an overly simple view of personal responsibility and causality.
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48 Comments
Thanks for this, Alan. Baucham’s article rubbed me the wrong way as well, and you articulated it perfectly here.
Baucham’s article seems steeped, soaked and saturated in Scripture. I see especially the book of Proverbs shining through in his biblical thinking on the subject. We have a problem in society on both sides that marginalizes sin and the holiness of God. God’s justice is unwavering. I see more of the nature of God in Baucham’s article then your rebuttal. I do thank you for the article and the opportunity to think through these issues with a broad perspective that it lends. May you have a blessed day and thanks once again.
Dennis,
On what grounds did you make the claim that more of the nature of God is present in Baucham’s initial article than Dr. Noble’s rebuttal?
Exactly, Dennis. This rebuttal is steeped in pop culture, but little Christ or Scrripture. Ifind it interesting that so many supposed Christians have such a hard time understanding the grace taught by Baucham. The American church is in trouble.
And that is exactly why he stuffed it full of proof texts so that people like you could do some kind of surface level arithmetic and make your assessment based upon that. Filling up an article with bible verses doesn’t make it a logical argument.
I agree Dennis.
“many of the problems that fatherlessness seems to lead to also seem to lead to fatherlessness.”
After attacking VB on his position of fatherlessness as a root cause, rather than refuting VB, Noble actually proves that fatherlessness is both a scourge on the black community and a vicious cycle. This is even worse of an assessment than what VB was saying.
“some personal choice.”
Rather than agreeing with VB on the seriousness of fatherlessness, Noble tries to find fault with VB by referring to personal choice. This is a straw man, because nowhere does VB talk about personal choice in the quote nor is it the focus of his TGC article.
“Even if you accept the claim that black fathers must become better fathers in order for substantial change to take place in black communities, there is no reason this must take place before addressing systemic racism.”
VB was saying that a gospel-centered approach must deal with underlying sin, not the symptoms/ramifications/implications of that sin.
What we can easily label “systematic,” can sometimes be a justified response to the sin of others. If we eliminate the sin, then what’s left over is the truly “systematic” part.
“What Ferguson has demonstrated in a very public way is the deep divisions between the various ways that Christians understand race in America.”
I agree with this completely. Many black and white Christians understand the race situation to be either worse or better than it is, if my Facebook newsfeed is any indication. It may be simply that many things brought into the public eye will draw out massive division (keeping in mind that the public eye is jaundiced with sin). Heck, we can’t even all agree whether or not to open shops on Thanksgiving, though the fact is that there are enough people wanting to shop. The issue of race seems to get worse whenever it’s made a spectacle, I think.
Do you think the race issue complicated things in this situation? Or do you think the race issue was an essential element in the incident itself?
Focusing on personal sin to the negligence of systemic (or vice versa) will always be a theological problem for those that want a smaller gospel (either only personal or only community transformation). The reality is that Christ desires that we are all individually and corporately transformed. It takes work to keep that dual focus and appropriately balanced, but it is a far better reflection of what scripture says than the either/or that is common (and frankly easier).
I’m always skeptical with statements that begin with “The reality is that Christ desires…” Show me a verse to make you point rather than expecting someone else to merely accept your potential eisegesis.
The fact is that slavery was a horrible social and political institution across the Roman empire, but Christ neither speaks against it (and even uses it in many parables). Not that Christ condoned slavery, but that personal sin WAS the focus of His ministry – “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
You say, “Baucham would not hesitate to call out systemic prejudice against Christians or the family unit, so he should be able to appreciate the charge that this same system also harbors injustices against minorities.” I wish you would’ve explored this more. This country has a tainted history of discrimination against all sorts of groups – Native Americans, the Irish, the Chinese, etc. (in most cases state-sanctioned). I would venture to say that the majority of these groups have overcome the injustices and moved on peacefully. IMO, you don’t give enough credence to the reality of the violent culture that exists primarily among male, black youth. Can you really contribute that to systemic racism versus family structure? Please watch this video in its entirety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K681JqUVNvg&list=UUC3L8QaxqEGUiBC252GHy3w
Mike,
Can you think of a difference between state sanctioned treatment of African-Americans versus the state sanctioned treatment of other ethnic or racial groups?
In regards to your last point, read what Baucham said in context:
“Moments before his death, Michael Brown had violently robbed a man in a store. A man doing the best he could to make a living. Minutes later, Brown reaped what he sowed, and was gunned down in the street. That is the sad truth. ”
Brown was reaping his “violently robbing a man”, not what he did to the officer.
I’ve heard people interpret it that way, Steve, but I wanted take the most charitable reading, as I said. If Baucham believes that Brown deserved death for robbery, his article is far, far, worse than I believed.
But I don’t think that’s what he means.
Steven: exactly, I thought the same thing. Baucham wasn’t making a judgment on the shooting, he was saying if you’re a violent criminal, you will reap violence.
Alan: Baucham wasn’t saying “If you rob someone, you deserve to get shot.” He was explaining a Biblical principle of sowing and reaping. Thank you for the article. I do not agree but appreciate the well thought out and clearly explained points.
Thank you for this response. I was deeply involved in the fundamentalist homeschooling world for almost 30 years. VB is part of a community that places their hope in the saving power of the family. Family is supreme above all else in that world. All family members play a very specific role based on their gender. Daughters are not to leave the authority of their father’s homes until a husband comes along and the father transfers her to this new authority. I have always been confused why he would teach the systematic oppression of women when his own race has and is suffering from the ravages of that sin. But it appears he doesn’t believe in systematic oppression.
Please read Pastor J. Outing Jr. comment below before anything else.
“It’s sad that many African Americans did not keep Pastor Voddie Bauchman’s view, on the Ferguson issue, within context of him seeing the issue as a Pastor, not a politician or social activist; therefore, they are having a problem with his view. I believe the title of this article is a “straw man” that totally misrepresents Pastor Voddie’s viewpoint. When it comes to racism and the many plaguing issues of the Black community, our approach to suitable resolutions can either be A.) Internalize(work the problems within the confines of the particular group involved because the group believes it has the tools needed to deal with the problem) or B.) Externalize(group points out the external factors that attributes to the problem and believe until these factors are resolved, the problem will not go away). Pastor Voddie is trying to internalize this issue(as a Good Pastor would); whereas this article, and many others wants to externalize this issue. Ships NOT against each other but ships that are passing each other through the night. Pastor Voddie responds as A PASTOR (A Servant whose sole allegiance is to Christ and 100% follow the precepts of God’s Word) who goes on to share that the Gospel of Christ approaches this fallen world by teaching followers of Christ to internalize every issue, sin, and even social injustices. Why? because the Gospel is fully equipped to deal with all problems, even if the problems are external or outside influences). Fatherlessness, Black-On-Black Crime, respect for authority(i.e. Police) is approaching this issue from an Internalization standpoint or issues that we are doing within our subculture that is plaguing us. Scripture gives us more support for internalizing than externalizing. For example, The O.T., uses the term “The Fatherless” to show how God is very compassionate and concerned with the underprivlige like them. The 10 commandments and Jesus further teaching gave clear condemnation towards criminal behavior. Romans 13, clearly shows that we are to honor and submit to authority. Pastor Voddie(as a Good Pastor) has a mandate to point his followers, or those whom God has given him influence over, to these internalized principles of the Bible because it is fully equipped to make us live above an unjust world and be successful and happy; more so than this unjust world change its evil ways for us to be happy.”
It is my understanding that the young man made a play for the officers fun. If this was the case, the policeman, according to his training and law, has every right to shoot and kill. If this was not the case, then the outrage over Browns death is warranted (though not the vandalism)
Do you believe that Matthew 7:1-5 is good reasoning for why Mr. Baucham can charge a community he aligns with for personal transformation prior to expecting radical communal transformation? Though the end game is not simply personal transformation, it seems there is biblical precedent for progress with it’s “necessary but insufficient” condition prior to expecting the achievement of systemic communal transformation. He seemed to be saying, “let’s tear down our own Asherah’s and Baal’s before thinking we can move against the Midianites.”
Also, in regard to Steven’s interpretation above, pertaining to the reaping and sowing comment and your response, could it not simply be understood as proverbial commentary: “When you’ve wiped your mouth and said you’ve done no wrong, don’t expect blessing”? And, in that regard, remember these two: (1) “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil,” which speaks in one way to the reality of judgment being always just from God in His oversight and orchestration of minutia (Ecclesiastes 12:14 ESV), and (2) “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil,” which speaks to both the difficulty of judging justly as time and distance intervene between an act and its rightness or wrongness and our knowledge of such details and justice for acts due to the conditions set out in #1 (Ecclesiastes 8:11 ESV).
As an academic and professional in global system dynamics and futures forecasting, I can understand your frustration with “overly simple view[s] of personal responsibility and causality,” but I can also assert that that is how sin enters the system and propagates systemic corruption – personal decisions.
And, you’re ease of addressing Baucham without addressing Brown is strange. You seem to be able to read the one with a simple view of personal responsibility but not the other. Where are the dynamics involved in Baucham’s life and his response to the Ferguson matter (he actually addresses this as you know, which is a testament to how his position may not be as overly simple as you argue)? Again, the sage of Ecclesiastes tells us that there are things going on we can’t see, but they will be judged. And, there are judgments going on that we see, but we don’t see their antecedents, because justice was not executed speedily. What that sage says in Chapter 3, about times for all things, is another testament that all things are under God’s watch.
Yes, the way forward is more than one personal change, but it is certainly not less or wholly different. When that hill has been taken, and personal changes in the aggregate amass, the greater mountain in the background can be discussed. Until then, it seems the personal “log” will have to do for all of us. Then, perhaps, the speck will be clearly perceived. As guys like DeYoung are apt to say, the best way forward is “just do[ing] something.” Start a school, mentor a young man, write legislators about education reform, lead a community organization, preach on the biblical family and adoption, intentionally cultivate a diverse community of friends around areas of similar interests, or write commentary on other people’s commentary on socially relevant matters of religion and politics. Of course, those are simply starting points; on their own, they are not enough.
Alan — have you read C.S. Lewis’ essay on “The Dangers of National Repentance”? If so, how do you think Lewis’ remarks apply in this instance? It seems to me that one thing this event discloses is the desire of each side to blame the other, with neither taking a good look at their own (read “individual”) sin. And even when people speak of “we” as in “America” or when we refer to “systematic racism” people rarely (I think) include themselves. Therefore there is both an endless pointing the finger, and that certain delicious superiority one feels when one senses that he or she is just objectively critiquing a neighbor’s sin. This comment is not aimed at you, or at this article, but at those on either end of the battle lines that have been drawn over this incident.
I think the answer may be to refer to a “systematic racism” in which we include ourselves. I am a racist. I am pleased by my comfort and affluence even though it comes at great cost to others. I look at people differently and treat them differently when I am afraid of them, and I am afraid of people who look a certain way because I have been taught to be. I and others like me have, through the complicity of inaction or through direct action, brought about and perpetuated this situation. I – we – need both to personally repent and to work toward structural change.
What exactly makes this response “Christian”? Is it because it’s written by a professing Christian? There is really nothing of Scripture here. What does God’s Word say? No offense but unless you are telling me what His Word says about this topic or how to view this through a Scriptural lense, then I might as read articles on Huffington Post, where at least I don’t expect it to be addressed and informed and critiqued by a Biblical worldview.
Exactly what I was thinking.
Thank you. Thank you. I am so appreciative of your critique. VB’s article was so convoluted and off-kilter, and reposted by literally thousands of white people, as a justification to keep their blinders on. Many of my Christian friends view his take as a nice little excuse for them to continue to silence or ignore the cries of oppression. It makes them uncomfortable, and angry, and they would rather die than truly evaluate the situation and feel in any way culpable for it’s perpetuation in our country.
My sentiments exactly. As a minority I am hesitant to say things like “white evangelicals loved his article because it justified continued use of their blinders” but it did. It was everything so many desperately wanted to say but they weren’t willing to be called “racist” for saying it so they hid behind Voddie. Unfortunate.
Alan,
In regards to your reply to Steven “If Baucham believes that Brown deserved death for robbery, his article is far, far, worse than I believe.” For the wages of sin is death. We all deserve death, why is that you believe Brown should have been excused from reaping what he sowed? God believes we deserve death for robbery why don’t you?
Adrian,
If all Baucham was referring to was our universal fallen condition, then it was irrelevant to the case. But he’s not. He’s implying some particular about Michael Brown’s death.
Short of the crucifixion, what act of murder could not be justified by this logic? We are all sinners, but judgment is God’s, not ours – and he has compassion on us, and “is not willing that any should perish.” God is perfect judgment, but he is also perfect mercy, and as sinners it is this latter quality he has called us to emulate. True, there is a place for human justice systems, but to claim that they carry out the judgment of God, rather than performing a protective or corrective role, is dangerous.
It may be worth asking why, if you really believe that all have sinned and all deserve death, you are unmoved by the violent death of a fellow sinner. Are you exhibiting the care and compassion of Jesus, who seeks the lost and welcomes thieves into his Kingdom?
What makes one sin worse than another? You have sinned today, and if not today then in the last week. Am I justified in killing you?
No. First, vengeance for sin is God’s. It is not up to us to mete it out.
Second, God sent His one and only Son so that God’s wrath would be satisfied. Who are you to disagree with God about what wages any man deserves?
Hey, Alan.
While I doubt this is your intent, I read and re-read the paragraph about marriage and could not shake the feeling that the sentiment lying beneath the well-crafted words was essentially: “You can’t blame blacks…they’re too dumb to understand marriage.” Maybe it says more about the racism that I grew up with and still fight daily to root out than it does about your views, but I’d be curious if anyone else felt that as well.
I agree with your point that marriage may not be modeled as well in some cases, but at what point is it simply a choice to do the right thing and commit yourself to your spouse? Many of us have now grown up in an era where divorce is rampant, but I refuse to use it as an excuse. The choice to divorce lies much more in the selfishness of the human heart than it does in any social conditioning.
Peace and grace to you, my friend.
I had that feeling too. I also thought, if VB is saying this (the family, and specifically, being a father) is where church leaders should focus, then Noble’s argument that it’s just too incomprehensible seems to back up VB’s point. Either Noble thinks having fathers around isn’t important, or he’s given up on it?
I tried to chose my words carefully here. I don’t ever say that individuals can’t be blamed for their actions. But I’m also pointing out that the societies we live in have drastic effects on our ability to desire and pursue the good. And part of being a good citizen is working towards communities in which people can flourish. The problems that incarceration creates for marriage markets (which has been fairly well documented) doesn’t make any one individual’s choices justified. All it does is explain how the structure of a community might promote disfunction.
Thanks Alan, I like a good counter to any article, to help see various sides to any particular issue. Reading your article, I started to be reminded of a current habit in this country; the idea of all or nothing. Either you agree with me wholeheartedly, or you’re totally against me. This breeds us vs them (and man, how many times have I read something about how “they” just don’t get “us”?) mentality. Of course our politics are a great example. This mentality further leads to the idea that I can’t agree with any points of my opponent, or even appear to agree, otherwise my “team” loses. No wonder we have division.
Yes, I can disagree with some of VB’s points in his article, and he does simplify things. But isn’t the overall point valid? We all have personal responsibility, we all make decisions. Where we start out in life makes some decisions harder than others, but is it Biblical to blame others for our decisions? Sometimes, we do have to make it simple.
Can I blame others for my actions or not? Depending on our answer to that question, our worldview can be dramatically different from another’s.
It’s sad that many African Americans did not keep Pastor Voddie Bauchman’s view, on the Ferguson issue, within context of him seeing the issue as a Pastor, not a politician or social activist; therefore, they are having a problem with his view. I believe the title of this article is a “straw man” that totally misrepresents Pastor Voddie’s viewpoint. When it comes to racism and the many plaguing issues of the Black community, our approach to suitable resolutions can either be A.) Internalize(work the problems within the confines of the particular group involved because the group believes it has the tools needed to deal with the problem) or B.) Externalize(group points out the external factors that attributes to the problem and believe until these factors are resolved, the problem will not go away). Pastor Voddie is trying to internalize this issue(as a Good Pastor would); whereas this article, and many others wants to externalize this issue. Ships NOT against each other but ships that are passing each other through the night. Pastor Voddie responds as A PASTOR (A Servant whose sole allegiance is to Christ and 100% follow the precepts of God’s Word) who goes on to share that the Gospel of Christ approaches this fallen world by teaching followers of Christ to internalize every issue, sin, and even social injustices. Why? because the Gospel is fully equipped to deal with all problems, even if the problems are external or outside influences). Fatherlessness, Black-On-Black Crime, respect for authority(i.e. Police) is approaching this issue from an Internalization standpoint or issues that we are doing within our subculture that is plaguing us. Scripture gives us more support for internalizing than externalizing. For example, The O.T., uses the term “The Fatherless” to show how God is very compassionate and concerned with the underprivlige like them. The 10 commandments and Jesus further teaching gave clear condemnation towards criminal behavior. Romans 13, clearly shows that we are to honor and submit to authority. Pastor Voddie(as a Good Pastor) has a mandate to point his followers, or those whom God has given him influence over, to these internalized principles of the Bible because it is fully equipped to make us live above an unjust world and be successful and happy; more so than this unjust world change its evil ways for us to be happy.
In regard to your section on root cause, I don’t see how you’ve substantiated that Voddie make a mistake here in his argument. It is clear he clarifies that he is addressing what he considers to be the most immediate root cause, so that he is not saying there is only one cause. Most everyone prioritizes causal factors to social ills. Your first paragraph goes to show you think he is wrong in prioritizing fatherless-ness (or at least you insinuate that it is an unfounded cause) but then you say the real root is sin, which at best commits you tot he same mistake made by Voddie. But hey, I think overall you make some good points.
Greetings to all,
For what it is worth, I recently retired after 23 years with a nationally accredited, highly respected State Police agency in the Southeast. My experiences as a trooper/sergeant with human beings, and they are many, long ago allowed to me see clearly & tangibly that the human heart is deceitful & desperately wicked as Jeremiah stated. It allowed me a front row seat to see clearly that the payment (sometimes delayed) for sin is physical/spiritual death, Romans 6:23. I cannot begin to describe the horrors that men entangle themselves in due to their sins and when brought to justice (Romans 13), for a very brief moment of time would often weep like a little child with a worldly sorrow that brought no repentance, 2 Corinthians 7:10. These tears quickly dissipated as we would drive into the jail for processing.
I am eternally grateful that I was saved by grace, through the work of Christ on the cross. It allows me to see Ferguson and its participants from a different perspective than a believer who doesn’t understand law enforcement other than what they see on “COPS.” If you look at Michael Brown & Darren Wilson from a biblical perspective they are/were on the same terrifying patch of ground, at enmity with a holy God. They both are under His perfect & righteous condemnation & they both desperately need/needed the Gospel and its saving effects. Rest assured, if Officer Wilson has not yet bowed his knee to the King, he will be dealt with perfectly one day for all of his works before a perfect and righteous Judge.
I would submit to all of you that one of the least reached people groups in the U.S is American law enforcement. I can testify that they are one of the most disliked & despised, even by some Christians. Countless times throughout my career I have been approached by fellow believers who had an interaction with a trooper, deputy, officer, etc. and almost always the Christians default position was the officer was wrong…doesn’t he have better things to do? Yet this same believer will fly to a remote nation and build things, teach, help, serve, love a people who openly welcome them & show’s no hostility, this is easy…Luke 6:32. The American law enforcement officer has a soul just like the person in Peru, why doesn’t the Church minister & seek to make disciples of them? Suicide rates, epidemic divorce, alcoholism, the list goes on and on, I would say that my brothers/sisters in blue need the Gospel as much as anyone!
I challenge each of you out of love to reach out, unashamed, to your local LE officers with the power of the Gospel, Romans 1:16. Or are they exempt from the same graces that have been extended to others? The Gospel is what changes young men’s heart’s/actions when confronted and it changes law enforcement officer’s hearts as well as they confront. I know this firsthand, for I have tasted His goodness.
Jude 1:24-25 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
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