After doing my homework, here are my thoughts. I start with the bad and end with the good, so hang in there. @jjforshey

Tisby: I disagree with his premise: “Racism never goes away; it just adapts.” He presupposes racism. This is a false premise.

1/... https://twitter.com/jjforshey/status/1302995366531530753

2/ Tisby mentions the human heart. Racism is an individual heart sin. People are individuals, and not all people are guilty of the same sins. He is projecting sin onto others. This is really quite a heinous sin in and of itself.

3/ Though Tisby claims to be grounded in “biblical principles,” I would describe the belief system in this brief video as Neognosticism.

4/ “Racial reconciliation” is a myth, mostly because race is a myth, but also because “races” don’t reconcile; people do. And if a person hasn’t committed the sin in question, no reconciliation is necessary.

5/ On the “Christianity Today” article, there’s a lot in there.

I am saddened by the author’s personal experience and the emotional trauma he feels.

It is unfortunate that he divides people into groups of “people who look like me” vs. people who don’t. Therein lies the problem.

6/ People are individuals. To believe all people of the same skin color think, act, and believe a certain way is the actual definition of racism.

7/ I am disturbed by the shackles of the mind clearly evident in this article. It breaks my heart. I long to see people set free of their internalized oppression. That can only be done by being transformed by the renewing of the mind as one is steeped in the truth of God’s word.

8/ When we describe our theology by our ethnicity, we err. Black Liberation Theology is not based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is not the Christian Gospel. It is a power narrative based on Marx. I’m not sure how you missed that after listening to the “Whiteness” podcast.

9/ Everything after “the brilliance of black theology,” is a hot mess, to put it kindly. It is a religion to be certain, but it is not Christianity. While it may be “Christianity Today,” it is not the faith handed down to the saints (Jude 1:3).

10/ Next article, same author: “As a black person, I’m done helping white Christians feel better about race.” Again, the Us vs. Them narrative. The same false assumptions and presuppositions. This man needs to repent of his anger and hate and racism.

11/ Glaude interview: Interesting interview. People I hadn’t heard of before.

I disagree with his premise that there is a “value gap,” that “white people matter more than others”

I don’t think that. Do you, Jeremiah?

“We tell a host of lies.” I don’t do that. Do you, Jeremiah?

12/ Again, false assumptions, presuppositions, projection,

Political power narrative. Nothing Christian about it.

I am most disturbed by the prison of the mind manifested in these interviews. Throw it off.

13/ McCaulley interview: This is the best of the bunch. If I were you, I would throw those two articles away and never read anything by that author ever again.

McCaulley made some great points.
Ed’s mockery was a turn-off.
Some presuppositions were made that I disagree with.

14/ Esau discusses culture. One of the problems I have with this issue whenever it is discussed is that it assumes two cultures: black and white. There is no universal “white” culture. To assume so demonstrates a lack of understanding. People are more diverse than that.

15/ Black culture is presented as a monolith. It is not. There are regional differences, socioeconomic differences, differences among people from different countries. There are differences between more recent immigrants and those who are descendants of victims of slavery.

16/ The best point that Esau makes is that the “American Story,” as he puts it, is different for people who came to this country for freedom and opportunity vs. those who came here as slaves. As he put it, their relationship with America is “more complicated.”

17/ Putting aside for a moment that “race” is an inaccurate term, Esau makes a good start by accurately defining racism. Unfortunately, he then adds economic and political power dynamics, so we’re no longer talking about racism but Marxism. (Laugh all you want, but it’s true.)

18/ Esau did a great job acknowledging individual sin. All governments and organizations are made up of individual sinners. Society is made up of individual sinners. Individual sinners must repent of their individual sins. When those sinners repent, their society changes.

19/ Another great point is the reference to Ephesians, that spiritual principalities and powers seek to “stir up vitriol and hatred among the races,” with the exception, of course, that there is only one race.

20/ I will always have a problem when someone puts their ethnicity before their biblical interpretation as Esau does: “African American Biblical Interpretation.” That is eisegesis, not exegesis, and so an unbiblical interpretation at the outset.

20/ McCaulley points things in a clearly political direction. The interview was May 30, 2020. A lot has changed since then. The mask has been torn off. The movement has become one of complete revolt and replace. It can no longer be Christianized.

I know you disagree. That’s okay