This morning I was listening to some hymns on a CD and one hymn reminded me of the Civil Rights movement. It has been forgotten by the politically correct that the Civil Rights movement and the abolitionists of slavery had a foundation in Christianity. Those who were at the forefront of these efforts openly proclaimed the name of Christ and His teachings. With that in mind however, I thought that it is amazing that the gospel spread to African Americans in this country when there was so much hypocrisy abounding. When slavery was legal, the institutional church was silent at best and pro-slavery at worst. This can be seen in the writings of such people as William Loyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass.
Why was the institutional church silent or pro-slavery? Because it was not politically correct to be openly opposed to slavery. It was devisive. You might offend some of your church members who were slave owners and depended upon it for their livliehood. And besides that, the black man's humanity was in doubt so who was to say whether slavery was right or wrong. One might believe the black man was fully human as a white man. While some thought it was not so. But who were they to force their view on somebody. Each person would have to make up his own mind. In the mean time, let's get about our business of "worshipping" God.
It is sickening to think about really. Yet are we not at that same point today? The humanity of the pre-born child and the inhumanity of abortion that kills that child is in debate today. And sadly, the institutional church has for the most part been a non-player.
How much moral authority can the church have when she tolerates something as evil as killing a baby? How convincing is the message of the love of Jesus when those bringing that message are either complicit in the deaths of babies or complacent about the killing going on around them?
More to follow...
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