While Timothy Keller has done a lot of good, I'd like to begin a discussion asking whether his teachings are increasingly causing more harm. Revered Keller holds two positions that reveal a problem with the foundation of his beliefs. On the one hand, he claims that Christians are at liberty to vote their conscience in support of a political party that requires taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, and even infanticide if an infant survives an abortion (1). These are the types of positions held by the present Democratic Party (2). On the other hand, Reverend Keller claims that all Christians have a moral responsibility to take action against alleged 'systemic racism' and 'white guilt' that he believes are serious prevailing problems, as outlined in one of his speeches (3). While a secular-atheist could logically support abortion and activism regarding collective white guilt, a biblical Christian cannot logically support these positions when the underlying details are fleshed out.
From the standpoint of scripture,
it's pretty clear that murder is a serious sin, as listed in the Ten
Commandments. It's plainly forbidden based on the authority of
scripture, whether or not one may feel in their conscience that it is
wrong. Our feelings alone, and conscience, can easily be influenced by false information. And so this begs the question: Does Timothy Keller believe
that killing a fetus upon demand at 9-months of age is not murder? Or that
killing an infant that survives an abortion is not murder and
infanticide? Most people that support abortion and infanticide do so
based upon secular atheist values. These are valid questions that
Keller should address if he wishes to maintain credibility.
To compel a sense of detached indifference to the clear authority of scripture for the sake of Value Pluralism within a Christian community isn't in keeping with verses such as Proverbs 31:18 (NLT) that compel us to raise our voices especially for the most vulnerable that cannot speak up for themselves: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed."
Regarding his second position, Keller lists three scripture
references that he believes support his view that white Christians
are born guilty of the 'racial sins' of past generations and are
responsible to make attempts to address this presently (Joshua 7,
Daniel 9, Romans 5). I'll argue that his referenced scriptures are
taken out of context and, in fact, do not support what Keller claims.
Regarding Joshua 7, Keller offers that all of Israel was
punished corporately due to the sins of Aachen, therefore, this
implies that we Christians today also share in 'corporate guilt'
for sins in our community. However, the very first verse in Joshua 7
outlines that Aachen's punishment was due to a violation of a
specific command to that specific group of people in that specific
time period. Joshua 7:1 states: “But the children of Israel
[a]committed a trespass regarding the accursed[b] things” and this
is elaborated on in verses 11, 12, 13, and 15. Joshua 7:11 states,
“Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant
which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the
[g]accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have
also put it among their own stuff.” I'll give credit for this
rebuttal point to Jonathon Bradford (4).
Per Daniel 9,
Reverend Keller claims that because Daniel repented on behalf of the
sins of Israel, as one guilty, then all white people share in the collective guilt of racism today. As with the Joshua 7
example, Israel, as an entity, was under the direct guidance of God as a theocracy using the Mosaic Law and,
therefore, corporate guilt was of valid importance then. Today we're
not governed as a theocracy through the Mosaic Law in this corporate sense. The new covenant is
more so written in our personal hearts rather than on a physical stone for all to see and is
based more so on knowing God in a relationship and obeying God
intimately, rather than corporately, as shown in Jeremiah
31-34:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of
Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of
the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an
husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 But this shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith
the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in
their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man
his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from
the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Lastly, Mr. Keller uses Romans 5 to suggest that the gospel
itself is based on corporate guilt and corporate forgiveness,
therefore, the alleged corporate sin of 'white guilt' is in keeping
with the gospel. However, the very first verse in Romans 5 hints at
why Keller's view is unfounded:
“Therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By
whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
The true gospel
outlines a once-and-for-all original sin through Adam and once-and-for-all forgiveness and right standing with God through
Christ. To claim that there's a continuous ebb and flow of 'corporate
guilt' of any kind for Christians is antithetical to the grace of God
and is opposed to the true gospel. In contrast to Keller's two verses implying collectivist guilt in the Old Testament under special circumstances, there are Old Testament texts, such as Ezekiel 18:20, explicitly stating that the principle of collectivist guilt is generally not in keeping with God's will:
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."
There are many examples of Black
Lives Matter activists demanding acknowledgment of 'white guilt' and
demanding apologies. While that's a logical result of the
class-struggle Marxism underlying BLM, it does not in any way reflect
the underlying scriptural basis of the gospel, as reflected in Romans
8:1:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.”
In his 'white guilt' speech, Keller acknowledges
the idea that blacks are acting out in various ways due to a poor
self-image and a lack of self-esteem. Instead of blaming society for
a poor self-image, a better solution would be to point blacks, and
all people, to the true gospel that offers complete forgiveness of
sins, complete peace, complete self-worth as belonging to God's own
family. This is the best starting place for all people and if God
directs specific individuals into helping victims of racism, then
that's a good thing, but it's not a mandate for all.
The Apostle
Paul urged that our prime identity as Christians should not be in
such things as our gender, ethnicity, nationality, etc. but that our
significance as Children of God should be emphasized so as to promote
unity, per Galatians 3:28:
“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.”
The Apostle Paul did
not highlight social racial injustice, rather, he downplayed it in
comparison to the all-important life in Christ that we have as
believers noted in 1 Corinthians 7:21. Paul would probably be
attacked by an angry BLM mob for stating such today:
“Were
you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if
you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity.” (Berean
Bible)
Over two-dozen people have died in race protests and
riots since the death of George Floyd was widely publicized and the net
gain by protests has not been positive (5). According to a 2018 report from the
Bureau of Justice Statistics (6), there is approximately nine to ten times
the amount of violence by blacks against whites than the other way
around. So the main narrative by Black Lives Matter, that blacks are
systemically singled out and hunted down, is not true. When one looks
into the backgrounds of the BLM founders, it's clear that Marxism
plays a supportive role and that opposing Capitalism and the nuclear family are some of the
goals (7). Karl Marx urged that violence was necessary for political change and a recent study showed that 91% of the race riots over a three month period were linked to the Black Lives Matter organization, with BLM organizer Ariel Atkins even claiming that looting is a form of "reparations" that is needed (8).
Despite what the Fake News Media claims, President Trump has supported the black community more so than any US president since Abraham Lincoln freed slaves. Trump has led bi-partisan support for The First Step Act criminal justice reform, the Minority Busines Development Agency, inner-city Opportunity Zones, and restoring HBCU funding. The false claim of a 'racist agenda' levied against the president, conservatives, and the Republican Party is a big fat lie. The testimony of Alice Johnson is a prime example of the truth of the matter.
The Bible does not elevate either collectivism or class struggle as a central aim, rather, it actually depicts God as a capitalist landowner that rents out land and hires as he wishes for wages and rewards that he deems as fair (Matthew 21:33, Matthew 25:14-30). Marxism, however, does centralize collectivism and class struggle as primary goals: “Unlike the French historians, Marx made class struggle the central fact of social evolution.” (9) In case you thought Keller's 'white guilt' speech was just a momentary slip-up, here's another example from Protestia of him claiming basically that, 'if you have white skin, the Bible says you're involved in injustice' based on no supportive scriptural references.
The question becomes, why would Tim Keller go out of his way to support a false Marxist agenda? It seems that early on in college Keller had a passion for social justice and he's taking this personal calling and trying to motivate all Christians into this ministry by way of virtue signaling and the 'white guilt' narrative:
“In his book The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism, he reveals the direction his worldview took in his college years: [quote] The history and philosophy departments were socially radicalized and were heavily influenced by the critical theory of the Frankfurt School. In 1968 this was heady stuff. The social activism was particularly attractive, and their critique of American Bourgeois society was compelling. But its philosophical underpinnings were confusing to me. I seemed to see two camps before me. And there was something radically wrong with both of them. The people most passionate about social justice were moral relativists. While the morally upright didn’t seem to care about the oppression going on all over the world.” (10)
While a blend of Christianity and Marxism is not strictly Marxist, the Marxianity that is the result is not purely Christian either. If Mr. Keller truly believes that we share corporate guilt for all that whites and Christians do, then he's heaping on a lot of guilt by indirectly promoting abortion and murder based on feelings of conscience alone (a seared conscience), and avoiding the authority of scripture on such matters. Christians actively supporting BLM are basically supporting a Marxist organization that's antithetical to Christianity. The urged-for Marxist collectivist guilt trip is not only harmful to our personal relationship with God, but it's also being used to help attack free-market Capitalism and to bring about a more totalitarian world in which free speech and the gospel will be all the more hindered.(11)
The Apostle Paul used extremely strong language when it came to defending the one-and-only pure gospel: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8) While many pastors have expressed concern about the trend towards a 'social gospel' as opposed to the pure gospel, Tim Keller has refrained from signing an affirmation in support of making this clear distinction, regarding 'The Statement on Social Justice & the Gospel' prepared by many pastors, such as John Mac Arthur (12). Keller's promotion of class-struggle ideologies such as 'white guilt' is a major red flag because the praises of collectivism usually precede the horrors of bloody revolutions and Totalitarianism.
References
1) “This means when it comes to taking political positions, voting, determining alliances and political involvement, the Christian has liberty of conscience.”
https://www.christianpost.com/news/tim-keller-rejects-claims-that-christians-must-vote-a-certain-way-says-stop-demonizing-opponents.html
2) “Today, with the exception of Gabbard, Democratic presidential candidates uniformly oppose the Hyde amendment and all forms of abortion restrictions.”
https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2019/11/25/democrats-on-abortion-safe-legal-and-unlimited/
3) YouTube, Racism and Corporate Evil A White Guy’s Perspective - MARCH 28, 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhJJcTKTVGo
4) Jonathon Bradford - Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Guilt, and the Gospel
https://www.guardingthegospel.com/corporate-responsibility-corporate-guilt-and-the-gospel/
5) 15 People Died In The Protests And Riots Following George Floyd’s Death. Here’s Who They Are
https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/05/15-people-died-protests-riots-george-floyd-death/
6) Interracial Violent Crime Incidents 2018 Table 14 (Pg 13)
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv18.pdf
7) Deeper Truth: Why All Lives Always Matter, All The Time
http://templestream.blogspot.com/2020/07/deeper-truth-why-all-lives-always.html
8) Black Lives Matter Linked To 91% Of Riots Over Three Months, Study Finds
https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/09/18/black-lives-matter-linked-to-91-of-riots-over-3-months-study-finds/
9) Marxism - Class struggle | Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marxism/Class-struggle
10) The Marxianity of Tim Keller & His Gospel Coalition
https://www.worldviewweekend.com/news/article/marxianity-tim-keller-his-gospel-coalition
11) Democrats open door to Marxist totalitarian rule through attacks on police, history and institutions
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/23/democrats-open-door-to-marxist-totalitarian-rule-t/
12) The Statement on Social Justice & the Gospel.
https://statementonsocialjustice.com/#affirmations-and-denials
Web-clip Image credit of Washington Times
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/23/democrats-open-door-to-marxist-totalitarian-rule-t/
Great post, thank you! Inspiring ideas.
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