More than 255 former and current Wheaton College faculty and staff have signed a statement condemning last week’s attack on the Capitol and specifically decrying “blasphemous abuses of Christian symbols.” The statement also denounces what it calls “wicked leadership—especially by President Trump,” but also by some evangelical leaders.
“The behaviors that many participants celebrated in Jesus’ name bear absolutely no resemblance to the Christian teachings or ethics that we submit to as faculty and staff of Wheaton College,” the statement said.
The statement also chastised evangelical leaders who “could have spoken truth to the disillusioned supporters of President Trump,” but instead “wittingly propagated lies, or were unduly silent in a just cause.”
After the election, evangelical leaders like Eric Metaxas, Franklin Graham, and a host of others supported the idea that voter fraud was to blame for Trump’s loss. This aligns with Trump’s narrative, who on the evening of the riot, tweeted: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long.”
Though many evangelicals have condemned the riots, the Wheaton faculty statement is one of the first, if not the first, official statement to confront evangelical leaders.
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The statement also alleged that “systemic racism” was to blame for “differential treatment” given those who trespassed on the Capitol as opposed to those who protested police brutality over the summer.
“These realities are reprehensible,” it stated. “Our Christian faith demands shining a light on these evils and the simultaneous commitment to take appropriate action.”
The faculty statement released Monday differs somewhat from an official statement by Wheaton College the same day.
The official Wheaton College statement decried the “violent attack on democracy,” but did not name Trump or other evangelicals. However, similar to the faculty and staff statement, the college statement lamented “the way perpetrators used the name of Jesus to promote violence, display racist symbols, and attack our nation’s leaders.”
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103 Responses
Billy Graham would be ashamed of his Alma Mater. Talk about lies!!
Wheaton turned leftist a long time ago. Because it has been considered the “Christian Harvard” it has longed to side with popular ideologies over the true Word of God. I read a lot of college forums and I’ve always noticed when a Christian college turns leftist, it suddenly becomes popular with unbelievers. It’s because it no longer teaches what is at odds with the world.
Wearing certain clothes or symbols at the Capitol does not make a person from any group. It has come out that many there didn’t even vote, but wanted to stir up trouble. We don’t know the true identity of everyone.
More concerning, though, are the Wheaton professors who think their PhDs and faculty positions at Wheaton College indicate THEY are Christians. Please take the plank out of your eye Wheaton.
So the faculty want to be made aware of their own idolatry? They seek praise for their degrees and are masters of virtue signaling. They can’t discern the truth of what is happening in this country. Their idols are in the mirror.
No surprise. Perhaps they support the globalist agenda of the Democrat Party too.
Why does it have to be this “either/or”? Why can’t someone say that they were appalled at the behavior they saw AND still be a conservative?
Why is it we equate calling out the BLATANT sins we have seen committed by Trump with being a globalist, leftist, socialist or whatever other label?
Just as you can support Trump and NOT be a white supremacist or nationalist, you can be appalled by his behavior (and its divisive outcomes) NOT be a globalist or leftist.
I am a Christian. I can point to scripture to back up my observation of sins from our leadership – yes, that includes Trump. And the fish rots from the head – our leaders SHOULD be held to a high standard accordingly. This is about the Bible. This is about our witness.
I challenge anyone to point to scripture to defend how what they have seen from Trump, GOP leadership,and those storming the capital with “Jesus Saves” signs in tow is blameless before our God.
Amen, Amen
Amen and A woman.??
I don’t remember any statement 4 years ago after the 40 or so fires and riots when Trump was elected. Hypocrisy at its finest!
Amen. Could not agree with you more. The one thing, I have learnt from all of this, is – if people can be swayed and fervently believe in something, based on the sayings of one man, who clearly displays minimal to no fruit of salvation, how much more of a hold would the anti Christ have on ‘believers’. My plea to all is – immitate Christ! Please!!!
MH my heart grieves over the Body of Christ! Thank you so much for your courage to speak truth – God’s Truth!
And do you condemn Biden’s immoral character and behavior? Let’s condemn evil wherever we see it. My concern is that too many evangelicals cannot find a way to condemn leftist violence because they see it in support of social justice. I hope the Wheaton faculty are not in that camp, but it wouldn’t surprise me if many of them are. I condemn violence from any source for any reason. There is no justification for violence anywhere in our world.
While the Wheaton faculty is condemning and repenting for the violence and misuse of Christian symbols in DC, to be consistent, they should also condemn and repent for their failure to do the same when hundreds of Christian churches and symbols in six states were vandalized in BLM riots (see link below). The main stream press also refused to report these acts for fear that doing so might benefit Trump – the media should also repent for their dishonesty. Maybe the Faculty could also repent for not condemning the evils and false-witness born against Justice Kavanaugh, by Democrats – and on and on. The point being, to treating this evil incident as a singular event, is deceptive and itself dishonest. This evil is the result of many evils perpetrated, and not condemn by the left, the press nor the Wheaton Faculty.
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/06/01/churches-in-6-states-damaged-by-violent-protests/
Amen, and thank you.
Matthew 5:44 and 6:28
Thus us rich coming from an institution that to my knowledge has still not denounced Dr. B to date. Ugh.
Who is Dr. B?
Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian
https://julieroys.com/wheaton-college-coeds-say-bilezikian-sexually-harassed-them-college-accused-of-mishandling-reports/
Over the past few years, Wheaton has drifted further and further to the left: doctrinally, politically, and socially. Last year I completely severed my ties with my “alma mater” after being attacked and ridiculed by “alumni” in a Facebook chat group, simply for posing a question. The woke brigade has poisoned the minds of students, and apparently faculty as well, since now they are even espousing the Marxist-inspired “systemic racism” mantra. The folks who wrote and signed this letter are basically saying: those with views to our right are not welcome.
‘Systemic racism’ does not exist in Marxist theory.
On the contrary, some elements of Marxist theory would be regarded as deeply racist, in our current era.
Marx and Engels were men of their time: and their understanding of race was as conceptually limited as that of some people alive today, I am sorry to say.
I read some of ‘Das Kapital’ and all of ‘The Communist Manifesto’ as part of my degree at the University of Cambridge, so I am familiar with Marxist thought.
As Christians, it is vital to be as truthful as possible, and to fact-check our own posts, rather than to repeat unsubstantiated and uncharitable political polemic.
Such talk should find no place in a genuine Christian’s discourse.
Systemic racism was a term invented by Stokely Carmichael, a man heavily influenced by Marxist thought, and a fan of Che Guevara. It’s simply another incarnation of Marx’s “oppressed/oppressor” trope, where one’s faults and failures can always be blamed on a dominant oppressing group. Marx interpreted the struggle as class-based; 20th century critical theorists have flipped it to being race-based. Same book, different cover.
Why do Christian organizations feel the need to make official statements about everything? And why don’t they make statements when other groups burn, loot, pillage, etc.? And why do they think their take on the matter is so important? It’s getting old.
Good questions.
Right??? This adds to the divisiveness of which we, as Christians, should be steering clear.
Good points and I agree.
Wheaton actually DID make a statement about this on their official website. It condemned the actions of the rioters without also condemning Trump, or evangelicals who support him. That wasn’t enough for the woke brigade of faculty virtue signallers.
I have a niece that went to Judson college and came out an atheist what do Christian colleges teach? My sister was appalled she spent the money for her daughter to become an atheist. I’ve heard Wheaton isn’t any better.
Was her atheism the result of something she was taught? I know quite a few godly people at Judson among the administration, faculty, students, and graduates. And I’m not just saying this because Judson supports The Roys Report. I have witnessed consistent godly behavior from these people and am proud to call them brothers and sisters in Christ.
I went to Cedarville University, graduated in 2004. I keep in touch with quite a few alumni that are now atheists. It’s not about what Chrsitian colleges teach. A school or a parent doesn’t decide what a person believes later in life.
Sounds to me like you are blaming the school. People can (and do) become attests when they witness the harm that those who cause themselves Christians cause. I’m not saying that’s happening here, but it certainly happens.
Michael Cohen, in his book “Disloyal”, describes how Donald Trump in his business practices fabricated entire scenarios when it was to his benefit. It mattered not the truth, but whether if “it would fly”.
You believe Michael Cohen???
What a joke.
Having read the faculty letter and their claim about systemic racism I have to ask exactly what is the gripe that causes them to make that claim. Those who rioted and caused damage and the one who took the officers life have been arrested and continue to be sought out and arrested, many have lost their jobs. The evidence is abundantly clear that those who acted criminally are being sought out and criminally charged…..where is the systemic racism in any of that ?
Proof of systemic racism is in the fact that the protests even got that far. We all know – even from history (go look at the reaction when the Black Panthers stormed the California state capitol in the 80s) – that the response of law enforcement wouldve been WAY more aggressive had that been a crowd full of black people. If that mob that storming the Capitol were black and waving BLM flags, there would’ve been tanks going up and down the street, and the protestors would’ve been mowed down by law enforcement to the delight of conservatives, Christian leaders, evangelicals, and even the same people on this thread defending the Capitol being stormed by white conservatives.
We live in a nation where a cop was defended for shooting – and killing – a 12 year old black boy who was playing with a toy gun in a park. Shot him in less than 3 seconds.
But somehow we see videos of law enforcement demonstrating their ability to withhold aggressive force unless ABSOLUTELY necessary; some were even LETTING some of the protestors in!!!
Where is this ability when the people are black? Why not pull out the same rubber bullets, tear gas, batons, chokeholds, and sonic booms that are used on black protestors….especially once they shot an Air Force veteran and mortally wounded officer Sicknick?
Food for thought.
Why are you not decrying the riots and deaths that occurred during the BLM and Antifa demonstrations? I saw horrible videos of what they are capable of.They burnt down peoples businesses and destroyed the lives of those in their community. What about the black guard in Oakland who was shot in cold blood for doing his job? What about the free reign of anarchists who killed or incurred violence in Portland and Seattle? Antifa is an anarchist organization that has been emboldened now.
There was a young black boy who was mowed down with bullets for being in his house at the wrong time. I wonder who sent in federal agents to assist the local police in apprehending those thugs? What other President has done that in the last 20 years? But you will never here that story.
When people start decrying the violence of these parties, then I will listen. At this point, I see hypocrisy. What is going to happen when Antfa starts going after it’s benefactors?
Vinnie – I was directly answering Coonman’s question on “where is there is systemic racism in any of that (referencing the law enforcement response)”? I replied by referencing the law enforcement response – or rather, the difference in it – as proof of systemic racism.
How is not specifically decrying BLM and Antifa riots answering Coonman’s initial question?
If you’d like to take your comment to the general discussion, then ok. I’m more than happy to debate. But please don’t hijack THIS thread to rant about what YOU want, unless you can specifically point to how your comment addresses the question: “where is there systemic racism in any of that?”
To address the rest of your comment – this is NOT an either/or. I have a problem with the difference in law enforcment’s response AND have a problem with the riots and violence that took place throughout the summer of 2020. I’d like to see law enforcement explain why they behaved so differently. Again, why didn’t they use the same force, especially when the crowd became violent? I don’t know enough about the other cases you mentioned (black guard being shot, black child being mowed down) to say anything more than those situations leave my heart grieved. They are not “cases” or “tools” to prove a point and to be right. They are not “whataboutisms” that make the incidents at the Capitol ok. It is concerning to me that is how you used their deaths – to make a point and be right. They are people created by God who unnecessarily lost their lives PERIOD. And that SHOULD grieve us, no matter if we “like” the circumstances or politics around it.
Likewise, as a fellow Christian, I believe that you can have a problem with what you saw at the Capitol AND have a problem with BLM/Antifa riots (well, any riots). Both led to death, destruction, and despair. But if as you said, it requires people saying what YOU want to hear for you to listen or care (“until people start decrying violence of these parties…”), then I encourage you to pray on that. That is not the heart of Christ. That is the heart committed to a political viewpoint.
I can share with you my exposure to systemic racism that I have seen all my life. I am a grandmother by the way so this covers a lot of years. When I was a young child I came down with polio and spent three years receiving treatment at Michael Reese Hospital where my first exposure was with black nurses. They were treated as lesser than their white counter parts. The N word was often used, and they were often treated with hostility. I have them to thank for helping me to learn to walk. My next memory was when my church which was the Englewood 1 Christian Reformed Church on Sundays locked their front doors at the beginning of service to keep blacks from coming into our church for worship. Of course they were kept from moving into our white neighborhood for years. Christian parents sent their kids to Christian schools and colleges to keep their children from mixing with black and brown kids. Black families were given poorly serviced schools, low paying jobs, and were blocked from getting better paying jobs. When I attended Timothy Christian High School they did not want to allow black students to attend. Eventually I think they allowed a couple of black students to enroll. Segregation was practiced in many of the Chicago suburbs and certainly affected the attitudes of parents and kids. In 2019 Mark T. Mulder, a professor of sociology at Calvin College wrote a book called “Shades of White Flight, Evangelical Congregations and Urban Departure”. This academic book gives a factual description of what I saw growing up regarding racism. Blacks continue to be discriminated against. I have seen first hand how in a high school setting blacks being treated by deans and police with a heavy hand. At times black students have been hit, thrown up against a locker, and not shown respect. A black therapist shared with me that while driving through Hinsdale he was stopped and was asked to spread his legs for a body search. Most black parents have shared with me how they have instructed their teenagers and young adult children to always keep their hands on the wheel of their car when stopped by a police officer. They are afraid for their kids that they could be shot by the police. I am sure the well educated professors from Wheaton College are fully aware of the racism that has permeated our society. Minority students I am sure have shared with them their stories and many white students who are their friends are also very aware of the issues minority students have faced.
So systemic racism is real if you look beyond your white privileged experience!
white privilege is a racist idea. That’s a lot of awful racism you describe and there was once systemic racism in America but that is long gone. Racism is still here. There are perpetrators of racism of all your colors and victims of racism of all colors.
To Marge & MH, thank you for your well thought out replies. But neither of them answered the question of “where is the systemic racism in any of that” ….I can’t see how the actions of all law enforcement to apprehend and charge the criminals involved in the riots last week has any racist tones…systemic or not. The actions were appropriate in response to the crimes committed
I do not seek to know if racism exists, every human being has experienced it, observed, heard it, read about it, maybe participated in it. No amount of conversation will end it, for as long the evil one exists, surely there will be dark hearts and minds across the globe who choose NOT to love their neighbor. One need not be a well educated person to be aware of the obvious. I too am a grandfather and have similar experiences thru my life seeing the wrongs done by some whites to some blacks & I’ve seen it vise-versa, a dark heart has no color or gender boundaries. I’ve seen the same prejudice in caucasian vs caucasian, dark black vs light black, single ethnicity vs mixed ethnicity proving again darkness of heart goes where it wants, sewing hatred, discord, anger, grudge bearing etc. etc. For all the positive growth America has had in eliminating racism since the 50’s
there will always be much to accomplish and it starts with me on a daily basis….not to put labels on a person I know nothing about. It has served me well to expect the best out of anyone and the expectation has been met more often than not.
To that end please consider not labeling someone you have never met as anything ” privileged” when you know nothing of their journey and conditions thereof.
For me ancestory does not confirm privilege it provides only history…..Thru life the Holy Trinity has provided me with the knowledge I am no better or deserving better treatment than the person next to me.
Please save the key strokes explaining the current definition of systemic racism…..it simply nullifies the individual responsibility to treat each other with respect & unconditional love.
If I may respectfully intervene on how the word “privilege” can be triggering, but should not be expelled from the conversation.
We all have privileges – even if we don’t have wealth, and even if we have had to struggle.
A lot of our privileges are anchored in having experiences or backgrounds (inherent or developed) that are part of a “majority” culture. And those privileges can waver or shift based on our circumstances.
Some privileges we have that we may not think about:
– Celebrating Christian holidays in a society that acknowledges Christianity as a “dominant” or “majority” faith. This manifests in ways like not having to use our paid time off to celebrate Christmas (as most companies just give it to us, or even shut down), expecting lavish celebrations in our cities, and enjoying Christmas specials on TV. Those who celebrate other faiths don’t have that privilege. My Muslim and Hindu friends have to work or pay for extra days off for their “holy days” and they know it is unlikely to see decor along Michigan Avenue or see a holiday special on TV.
– Being a native English speaker. As someone who has lived overseas, I have learned that this is a privilege. Due to the dominance of the English language, there are few places in the world where I won’t find someone who I can communicate with.
So when someone speaks on the “privilege” of being white – no one is saying you have wealth or don’t struggle. We just say that there are some things that come along with it you don’t have to think about. Case in point:
– Having your presence “questioned” in nice neighborhoods. As a teen, I had a cop demand me and my brothers recite our address saying what was on our ID’s HAD to be fake because “there’s no way you can afford to live in that area”. We were then questioned on how my parents could afford it – with the cop asking if our family was involved in selling drugs. My parents still live in the area. At least once a year ,my siblings and I are stopped by police or neighborhood watch and asked the SAME questions.
– Presumed innocence. Where I live now (Chicago suburbs), it has baffled me to see white kids get drunk and misbehave (speed excessively, shoplif, etc), only to have the community say “they are just kids, don’t ruin their lives over this, give them a warning, make them do community service, remember what we were doing at 16….” Last summer when black kids were caught doing the same thing on one of the main streets, the community response was “Arrest those thugs! Haul them off in handcuffs! How did they get here from the south side?!?!”
– Have people refer to your name as “weird” or not even try to learn how to properly say it or the history behind it. Who determined “white” names as “normal”? My name is steeped in centuries of history and culture, but it is butchered, mocked, and actually has Biblical meaning. Some don’t even try to say it and say “can I just call you ___ for short?” NO, that is not my name. By the way, there have been multiple studies where resumes with “white” names were called back 50% more than those with “black” names – even when the rest of the resume is identical.
– Have people question your accomplishments. MANY years ago, I was one of 17 students who scored perfectly on the SAT in my county. At our awards ceremony, there were constant “jokes” on who tutored me and if they double checked my scores for a mixup. No comments were made to the white and Asian kids standing next to me. This questioning has followed me throughout my life, with assumptions I was at my college on athletic scholarship (or had wandered onto the wrong campus, see note above on “nice neighborhoods”) or “stole” someone else’s spot.
I can go on and on. Now where I can disagree with some elements of “critical race theory” is that I don’t think anyone is to be punished for being white (just like I don’t think people should be punished for not being white). I think people just need to be AWARE – mostly so you can speak up when you see incidents happening, especially to support someone who is on the receiving end of incidents like what I mentioned above. It has meant a lot to me when my white neighbors have said to cops, “Her family has lived here longer than us. But you’ve never stopped us. Come on!” That is how we look out for each other and build bridges in our communities.
So I hope you haven’t felt “accused” by the word privilege. If so, I am sorry you felt all the emotions that come with that. But I do hope you reconsider being open to a productive conversation about it.
Thanks MH for your thoughtful explanation. Would enjoy sharing a cup of tea or coffee with you some day. God Bless.
Thank you, MH, for your reply. I’m sorry that you lived, and continue to live, through such demeaning situations. I agree that racial slurs, etc., were deplorable when I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s (and still are), but is it wrong to say that the one party rule in Chicago (and IL in general) were responsible for much of the systemic racism, especially in institutions? What has that party done to reduce systemic racism when they control the schools, justice system, and the keys to corporate success? Why do social justice warriors continue to support the very entity that keeps minorities in second or third class status?
Marge and Pastor Dave – I’d love to have coffee/tea with either one of you to unpack these topics as believers. I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a “black evangelical” nowadays, and I appreciate opportunities to do more than “speak to my echo chamber”.
Anyway, to try to succinctly address Pastor Dave’s questions:
– No I don’t think that systemic racism has been due to one party rule. I don’t even think it is one organization or group’s “fault.” Systemic racism is very complex and has been reinforced through behaviors and attitudes that we as a society have COLLECTIVELY supported or taken part in for GENERATIONS. I’ve been exploring my own role in it as a black evangelical. We need to understand it will take a long time to COLLECTIVELY dismantle. It’s a journey.
– I assume your comment is questioning the little-wavering support of the Democratic party by the black community. A lot of this comes down to a differing belief of the role of government. While it is VERY understandable that the role of government should be limited, and an emphasis placed on individual responsibility – what do you do when individuals are INCREASINGLY not doing the right thing? In the black community, we remember it took the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to enforce integration, because the states and their individuals REFUSED to do the right thing. So it’s less about the stereotype of black people wanting to “lean on the government for handouts” as it is black people “knowing we can still turn to the government for protection when these folks around me won’t do the right thing”. See my comments on another thread about the fears in the black community around the Voting Rights Act that conservatives are fighting to gut and discontinue. Not a good look.
The irony is that socially, the black community is the LEAST progressive. Statistically, we are most involved in our churches, and hold the most conservative views in issues like LGBT/transgender “rights” …especially black Boomers (who vote in the largest numbers among our demographic). There’s a reason we are called the most “homophobic” community. So why can’t conservatives capture the black vote? If they played their cards right, they could lock it for at least another decade. IMO, if conservatives address a lot of the “code language” and microaggressions among themselves, addressed the tie between classism and racism, and boldly spoke out against some of the blatant racism we see (without being pressured or shamed into doing so), it would be a WHOLE new ballgame. BT (before Trump) there were some conservative candidates out there who I believe that if really backed by the GOP, would have the black community vote split. Examples: Colin Powell (who left the party in the era of Trump), Mark Cuban (who was an independent conservative that mulled running on the GOP slate before the era of Trump), Chris Christie (who before Trump had gained a lot of trust of the black community in NJ and was even backed by Oprah), John Kasich (gained a significant portion of the black vote with all he did in Ohio), Condoleeza Rice (whose intellect, experience, and poise is well respected in the black community – a good campaign trail for her could gain a lot of the black female vote that swayed many elections).
I want to conclude by addressing the use of the term “social justice warrior.” I want to warn you about the condescending use of that term in conservative circles, as in the black community we are preparing to spend Monday honoring who we believe to be the ULTIMATE social justice warrior: Martin Luther King Jr. In the black community, there are conversations EVERY year on how conservatives demean and belitle social justice warriors throughout the year, but then claim to “honor, respect and admire” the ULTIMATE SJW every January. It comes across as a disingenuous show so that no one thinks you’re racist. Based on the tone of your posts,I doubt that is your intent, but I want to be candid on how it can be perceived.
Much like what I say earlier, the conflict around SJW’s centers on one’s belief in the role of the church. I grew up in a black church, where all social justice initiatives were birthed and led by pastors (like MLK). To be a SJW was a duty of a disciple – to take the church to the streets, turning beliefs and stances into movements that stand up for the disadvantaged. Now that I attend a white church, I have seen the disdain for being a SJW, and a concentration on the role of the church being saving souls…positioning evangelism as the means to an end of injustice. (If everyone knows Jesus, they will love one another and our ills will fall away). Here’s the thing: neither approach is wrong. If we spent less time “right fighting” each other, and seeing that both approaches complement each other, think about the impact the church could have on the world.
(To be clear, an SJW is not someone out there throwing a tantrum because they didn’t get their way.)
Thanks for your time and engaging, respectful debate. Would love if our paths crossed.
Playing the victim card all the time? A Christian should be glad for suffering injustice! I come from a communistic country I was persecuted, i was mocked, I was not allowed to study in University, I was a target of the secret police etc. etc. I am not complaining about it, I am glad the Lord considered me worthy of being persecuted! I blessed those who persecuted me and moved on…
It is time for those who consider themselves to be Christian to realize the left has infiltrated the Churches in the USA and pitch one group against the other as the Communists did in those country they conquered.
They conditioned one group to believe they are exploited by the other group and need to redress the reality. In the end all were enslaved by the Communists.
Wake up people! The same totalitarian propagandists are working here to destroy this country that has been tremendously blessed by the Lord. Now the Churches would rather preach the social gospel silliness than the true Gospel. And some people are so eager to be the standard bearers of this lunacy.
Daniel Chiu
I wonder if these Christians are willing to make a strong statement condemning the hundreds of people killed in Chicago each year or the thousands of innocent lives that are taken through abortion!
I didn’t know that people could only care about one issue at a time.
Food for thought: I am a Christian who is appalled at the behavior I saw at the Capitol, mortified by Trump’s behavior and my fellow believers who support him in it, heartbroken by abortion and for those who believe it is their only option, and disgusted and frustrated by the murders I have seen in my community.
See? It can work like that.
No, you are not heartbroken by abortion, you are not disgusted by the murders you have seen in your community.. You only brought these issues in when people pointed out to your social justice gospel and victimhood attitude… It’s been long over due from you and the like a protest against all the black killings of black people… A protest about the murderous BLM activists, about the lies going around about their good intentions when we all know they are payed tugs of the Democratic Party. A protest about the fascists calling themselves Antifa, a protest against the injustices done against people who tried to defend themselves in face of the mobs entering their property only to see that their legitimate actions were labeled by the political correct henchmen as a threat to democracy.
You are not a Christian, but a Marxist activist in sheep clothing.
@Achile Dinu
Wow… that’s really uncharitable… hardly true… and of course full of accusations with no proof. How is that Christlike? When did talking like this become “christian”?
When Jesus called some people brood of vipers, did He lack Christian manners? Or when He called the Pharisees white sepulchers, did He overreacte?
Douglas; your post here comparing people killed in Chicago and abortions is unconnected from the main subject. It confuses me when people on this post bring up these two specific subjects and make them seem like they are one and the same. They are not. Political activism resulting in violence and death is not the same as gun violence in the streets of Chicago or the murder of innocent babies by means of abortion.
What is that, Sams?
There are common threads through these issues. Unwarranted violence is unwarranted violence, whether it is political or not. Black or White, Young or Old. Why does one group get a pass and the other doesn’t? I am surprised at your reasoning. Biblical justice is for the poor, destitute, and hungry. The least of these. Widows, Orphans. Not people groups. These issues are color blind. I have never heard once an outcry about our Native American citizens (who have never recovered) or our inner city children shot down by warring gangs. Where is their Justice? What about the human slave trade which is staggering in it’s dimensions. What about Justice for them? Why does BLM not say anything?
Your right, it is off subject, but it is relevant.
Sorry, just venting.
Douglas – It sounds like you are saying that as long as others are doing something wrong, then Christians have need to take account for their actions.
I think they have raised an important issue. If we see someone spreading misinformation for political or personal gain and say nothing, we are complicit. Many were silent in the Nazi era as Hitler rose to power. Evangelicals have been lured into supporting Trump because he has held the the Pro Life carrot out for them and led them down the path to extremism. Now many are convinced that he won the election by a landslide simply because he says so. So truth is how defined as whatever comes out of his mouth. Sounds more and more like Nazi Germany to me.
It is time for Pastors to stand up and condemn violent action and those who encourage it, before its too late.
You Americans are so dramatic “sounds like nazi Germany to me”. I live in a country where we have a ruling party that spawned out of communism, they are as left as can be. One day the trump haters in the USA will cry so much when you are under a communist party. That is what you all want, so don’t cry when all your freedoms go down the drain.
Yes I appreciate your bold statement too. Thank you.
There are many praying now in this hour against the spiritual powers behind communism and darkness. and we are believing God will prevail there and bring an awakening that will open the eyes of many.
The fact that you claim the Democratic Party is seeking to turn the US into a communist state is far more nonsensical and hyperbolic than equating a president who has just done every thing he can to overturn the will of the people and delegitimize our most important democratic institution with a fascist dictator. Seeking to cancel elections they lost is right out of the fascist’s playbook.
For all your personal experience of communism, you don’t seem to understand anything about the difference between it and social democracy and the fact that the Democratic Party would be considered center right in many nations around the world.
You are so gullible. In 1946 the Communists stole the election from the legitimate power. They persecuted all those who objected and questioned their right to be in power since they stole the election. They accused the people who contested the election to be Nazis. History is repeating here in the exact way, but some people are so gullible that the only explanation for it is that they are not illumined by the Truth and by the Spirit. They really believe the lies of the left. Patetic!
I was talking about 1946 in Romania.
Thank you for posting this clear and bold statement. I full agree.
I also do not understand why Wheaton thought they needed to make a statement, other than perhaps they thought ‘officially’ distancing themselves from the actions that were abhorrent to all of us might ‘save their own bacon’ at some point in the future; ie, when the hand comes down on Christians, they will already have ‘proven’ their alignment with the leftist ideologies to some degree and therefore seek to escape persecution.
I see more and more ‘Christians’ and ‘Christian organizations’ flocking to the left to avoid persecution and to be seen as ‘mainstream’ in an increasingly decadent, debase, deceptive and downright evil society. it is getting harder and harder to recognize true Christian instituions. JMHO.
It is really important to remember that Christian is not synonymous with Republican or Conservative. Reading the Bible, I am pretty sure Jesus was labeled by the religious elite as a liberal. So, I will happily be more like Jesus and lean left.
Jesus isn’t politics. Every time of humanity that has passed will find something offensive in Him for while He was in the world, not of it. He turns world systems upside down. In the end he will come back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He’s the Way, Truth, Life.
Follow Him.
He will show you the Way he has for you, if you’re willing to listen and for He is the Way.
Selective outrage does not merely nullify your protest and the points you are trying to make, it not only destroys all credibility, it reveals a lack of objectivity and a lack of concern for the truth, and for people, and for love based on truth.
The “siege” has help reveal those who truly care about truth, and what woke-ism is all about.
Furthermore, it is a travesty what has been done to those students, and I would hope (Julie) you would be far more concerned about them than aiding woke-ism.
The hypocrisy of those supporting this statement is monumental. Where is the condemnation of the Bolshevik rioters during the last year when they caused more than $2,000,000,000. in property damage (yes over $2B is the insurance and collateral damage estimate) and more than 25 lives killed in civil disturbances/riots cross our Nation. Their statement: “Furthermore, the differential treatment displayed by those with a duty to protect in their engagement with rioters who trespassed on the Capitol grounds illegally, when compared to recent protests over police brutality in D.C. last summer, illustrates the ongoing reality that systemic racism in our country is tragically and undeniably alive and well.” turns truth on its head. All Summer we watched as the media shielded the public from news of the violence and the destruction of cities, Christian Churches and symbols by rioters, mayors failed to protect property and lives, and leftist politicians like Pamala Harris encourage them and paid their bail to shield them from prosecution. Until those that justify violence on the left can balance their biased and warped views of truth and justice, their message is not worth listening too. I totally condemn the violence that we have seen both in DC and during last Summers riots, equally. I love Wheaton College and it has been the biggest beneficiary of the modest amount I have been able to give ($510K to endowed scholarship and CRUT) in my waning years, but if this unbalanced statement is representative of the faculty and staff then my giving to Wheaton is finished,
Important statement here. Thanks. Now I don’t have to comment.
Woke = anti-Christian
Woke = the world’s wisdom and ways
There are many churches, institutions, ministries, and people who claim Christ (outwardly) but also claim to be woke.
You can’t be woke and be truly for the true Christ, His Word, His teachings, etc.
To be woke is to be like Saul who hated and persecuted the true believers, all while he thought he was zealously doing what is right before God. It’s time we all acknowledge the pure anti-Christian nature of woke-sim/leftism.
Julie, what say you? It seems you are clearly aiding woke-ism, at least you do not seem to point out the multitudes of problems and anti-Christian activities and teachings of the left … so …
How am I aiding “woke-ism”? I’m simply reporting a news story.
How? Because you presented this as if their faulty assumptions and false accusations were true (yes, a little truth is in most lies, as is the case here). There was no other point of view presented, there was no push back on the prevailing false narratives, etc. You have ZERO mention of their flagrant selective outrage, there was no consternation about the stream of violence this nation had to endure at the hand of the left, of escalating hostility toward conservatives, threats against them, censoring their free speech. And on and on it goes … Yet nothing about this, and YOU selectively choose this absurd thing?
This is not objective journalism. This is not objective at all, or concern for truth.
I am all for pointing out the real problems on all sides, including mine. Yet it seems you continue to put things out that are highly disparaging of people who are mainly conservative, who don’t yield to woke-ism. However, I don’t see much about moderates and progressives at all. And those in the latter group are low hanging fruit. It does not take much effort, they have destroyed our country, our schools, our Christian schools, but most/all effort goes into conservatives (accurately or not). That is aiding leftism.
Honest question: do you really not see all this?
Thank you for responding
I did not present the views of Wheaton faculty as true or false. I reported them straight. That’s precisely how other media outlets handled the story, as well. This is a simple story, reporting the statement. It’s not an essay arguing different sides.
Also, the story I reported yesterday gave quite extensive space to a Trump supporter to argue his view. I believe I was very charitable.
You presume too much. I am a conservative. On policy issues, I agree with most of the Republican Party. That said, I do not agree with the methods many in my tribe have employed. I am not Machiavellian. To me, and I would argue to Scripture, the ends do not justify the means.
What you’re seeing here is people’s failure to understand the difference between reporting and opinion — the unfortunate result of people consuming too much social media from inside their own political bubble.
I am confused…didn’t Jesus reach out to the Samaritan woman? The woman who was an outcast in part because of her race? Doesn’t that make him…woke?
It may surprise you that woke was first used in anti slavery campaigns in the US, which I think we can all agree being woke is a good thing. Why wouldn’t you want to stand with the oppressed like Jesus did?
I suppose I can try to explain…
You could say Jesus was the most “woke” of all people, heh heh. He is the Word—but the world defines “woke” according to their fallible wisdom.
He is the One who Awakens everybody with His marvelous light. There are some who can’t take that Light so they run to the deception of their darkness.
The anti-slavery campaigns of the mid 1800s??? I’m not so sure. “Woke” seems to have a 2010s etymology origin.
perhaps a Christian College should put out a statement condemning the anti-Christian teachings of the left then she could report on it. It’s clear she’s doing journalism and not commentary here.
Julie – Please keep doing the right thing as God leads you by His word. The anger expressed here in some of these comments saddens me. Much of it seems to come from people who are smarter than I, who appear convinced they know the motives and heart attitudes of those they disparage., I am not so gifted. That’s why I appreciate courageous Christian journalist’s who strive to find, verify and substantiate, and print the facts. Praying for you and your family.
Are you not judging their motives and attitudes? Was not the motives of the president falsely judged and condemned… by these students, Twitter, et al … for “inciting violence” when he did no such thing?
If anyone can find such, please send me a copy of Wheaton’s letters about Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and DC. What Pharisees! Looks like it is still easy to strain out gnats and devour dromedaries —and donkeys.
Balance, Wheaton, balance! Why am I having to tutor you folks?
Do you seek the same “balance” from conservative Christian institutions, or do you conveniently forget all that when they publish statements you agree with?
I think the statement’s reference to systemic racism is very significant.
There’s currently a big argument in some branches of the evangelical church (particularly the Southern Baptist Convention) over Critical Race Theory and social justice. And CRT says that there is systemic racism in society, a view which many church leaders do not want to accept.
I would suggest that, by saying there is undeniably systemic racism, the academics at Wheaton are not just sending out a message to everyone, they are saying “you are wrong” to those church leaders who believe otherwise.
Wow, some commenters here have really drunk the Kool-Aid from the Cult of Trump.
This isn’t a right or left issue — it is an issue of dangerous lies and bogus conspiracy theories being pushed by Trump, Q-anon, Giuliani, Sydney Powell, and their enablers like Eric Metaxas.
Faithful Christians can land at different places on the political spectrum, but we should all oppose lies, period. Good for these Wheaton folks to take a prophetic stance against the complicity of some in the church with those who are using blatant lies to try to retain political power and destabilize the country.
We may have drunk Kool-Aid, but the rest have “drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality….you have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality”. Of course your post doesn’t get censored. Mine was. You can name call the disenfranchised 80.0000 Americans supporting the President and the Republic. But I can’t call out the blatant Marxism/Communism being forced upon us. Bill de Blasio is already calling for the redistribution of wealth. Schumer promises to go after the Second Amendment. Illinois is already on the path to defund the police (the bill was just passed today). The Left promotes violence, excuses riots and arson (Pelosi, “People will do what they do”. Bowser calls for the destruction of statues). The Conservative Voice is censored. Twitter, FB, Google, Amazon cancelling the Right. Walk away from the immorality of the Left and return to Kool Aid like children do. I remember someone saying somewhere, unless you become like children you will not enter the Kingdom of God. Yeah, the lines are being drawn and you are on the wrong side, just like the Lutherans and Catholics and Evangelicals during the reign of Hitler as the Jews were whisked away. To those who have studied the CCP are seeing the same things happen here. Anything other than the Leftist narrative is classified “conspiracy, conspiracy” (read Isaiah 8:12).
“Marxism/Communism being forced upon us”
Are we still doing this Red Scare nonsense in 2021? Seriously?
Tacitus, if you are raising that question, you are either ignorant of what communism/Marxism is and in denial of its present impact in the world and its presence in the US via the Democratic platform (they are not even hiding this fact in the least), or maybe just out of touch with our political-social changes. We have moved way beyond McCarthyism when communists were just being discovered in our high places as spies. They are much more pervasive today in our political-economic-educational-medical institutions. If you aren’t seeing it or not hearing it then you are not looking or listening.
Danny, this same thing was said when Obama was elected in 2008, and re-elected in 2012. “8 years and Obama’s gonna have all of us worshipping Muhammad and enforce Sharia law! He’s gonna turn this into a communist country!”
Look around you: it didn’t happen. Take a deep breath and pray.
Danny, With my experiences working in the largest school districts in the Chicago suburbs and also one of the largest high schools, I can tell you that I have not seen any teacher or administrator shoving Marxism down the throats of students. In fact in the last twenty years schools are more open to allowing for Christian clubs such as Young Life to hold meetings in their schools. I see teachers openly displaying Bible verses on their bulletin boards. Many teachers I know are Christians and show much wisdom in how they convey Judeo/Christian principles. The schools are often stressing servant leadership as a way to help others. From my eye witness view from the large districts I have worked in, your allegations are unfounded.
M H, Muhammadism and Sharia law is different than Marxism/Communism. I wasn’t talking about Obama and Muhammed.
Marge Pomykala you only need to look at the 1619 Project Curriculum or any curriculum denouncing capitalism, promoting systemic racism, colonial white supremacists, redistribution of wealth, etc. All Marxist tenants.
The naivete amazes me!
And I guess you will see no Red in this article either. Just good ol’ progressivism.
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2021/01/il-congress-member-signs-onto-effort-to-remove-christian-influence-from-american-culture-.html
And this is from a DuPage Congressman. Wonder if Wheaton College faculty agrees with this also? Remove all Christian influence. Nah, no communism here. There are no Communists in America.
Wake up sleeper! Things are becoming visible!
It is sad that the world has so infected the mindset of Wheaton College faculty and students that a statement like this is so readily produced. The language and thinking is completely secular, using the usual Biblical quote from Micah (favored by every leftist who needs to dab a quote here or there to establish his bona fides). The accusation of “vicious lies…white supremacy, white nationalism” is right out of the Leftist/Dem playbook. Everything for them is racial and if you disagree with them, you are a racist. That kind of simplistic (not to mention false) thinking is unworthy of a college like Wheaton. This tract could easily have been written by Sojourners, SPLC, Russell Moore, Barack Obama, George Soros or Hillary Clinton. Now for the signers of this deplorable document, those associations might be high praise but for anyone who believes the Great Commission, not the Democrat Party platform nor the Biden-Harris agenda, is our mission, such associations are a damning judgment. P.S. Wheaton, be on notice: the secular and godless administration will come for you sooner rather than later and compel you to completely submit to their agenda, throwing away the last vestiges of your Biblical beliefs.
Or maybe not…
Hey, Wheaton! Listen to the Holy Spirit. Not just people.
How would He “wake” you?
Wake up to Him.
Hmmm interesting the phrase that caught my attention was….wicked leadership especially by Donald Trump..
The sad part is, Donald Trump has been the same brutish guy his whole life.
In the 2016 Republican primary, he whittled down the opposition through character assassination.
Then over the next four years, his tweets contained messages that were abusive, savage, vulgar,
offensive, vicious, ruthless, merciless, disparaging, belittling and cruel.
Then to top it all off, was the claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
All the while, evangelical leaders formed a conga line to the White House where
they prayed over and blessed Donald Trump.
Even now, Franklin Graham less than a month ago stated that.. Donald Trump will go down as a GREAT president….
Now we have an appalling attack on the Capitol directed by the wicked demagogue Donald Trump….
Wow! The righteous Biden (did he have some problem with abusing women?), and Harris (did she have some problems when she was a state attorney?), and Sanders (did he take his honeymoon in Russia learning at the feet of Stalin?) and Pocahontas (being a Native American and profiting from this perpetual lie?) and all the virtuous people on the left! You forgot to sing their praises. It’s a pity you only see the speck in Trump’s eye!
We have to assume that there are trolls here just spouting off their incredulities and can be ignored. TK, Tacitus, Aharvey22, are obvious trolls. MH and Marge Pomykala are misguided by the Leftist propaganda that has saturated the social media. MH, it will always be the Marxists/Communists that will advocate the class and race struggle while blaming it on white conservatives (or supremacists to be more emotionally charged) and the “system”. They reinterpret American history as nothing more than class struggle. That is the strategy. To divide and conquer and to tear down the Republic (the system). As long as we engage in this class and race struggle, we fall into the trap of the communists. As you may know, communists are racist! They are using the black community to “struggle against the system” (BLM) because, in their opinion, blacks are the easiest to manipulate. All the while they advocate the destruction of the black nuclear family, black abortion (they want to depopulate the blacks. Consider their sterilization and vaxx programs in African communities), welfare for the fatherless black moms. The enemy of mankind is not Trump, despite the assassination attempts of his character by the media. It is the globalists who are rolling out their totalitarianism in the Western world. We are witnessing tremendous momentum in less than one years’ time in the dismantling of our country. From a fabricated WHO pandemic to enforce global vaccinations and surveillance, to riots instigating the class struggle (racism), to State totalitarian control of Governors, to a cancel-culture media and destruction of national symbols, to a stolen election, to a war on Christianity (just released, Secular Democrats of America, by Democratic Representatives for the Biden-Harris Administration), to a war on conservatism. This is not Trump politics. Trump exposed the working of the deep state. And they have assassinated his character from the day he won the 2016 election (a shock to the deep state because it was Hillary that they put in place). Trump declared war against the deep state when he announced US Economic Sovereignty at the World Economic Forum against the globalist agenda of the Great Reset. And so he did by bringing manufacturing back to the US, increasing jobs, cutting taxes, a boom in the economy. And look what the globalists did with COVID to trash world economy for the sake of the reset. We try to expose this where we can. Some listen. Many do not. But we will continue the fight against the destroyers of mankind. We can only ask others to fight with us. The choice is yours.
No need to troll Danny C… I can just give you messages from Trump’s Twitter Archive…
Here is a classic from October 23rd 2019… there are thousands more if I had the space and time…
The Never Trumper Republicans, though on respirators with not many left, are in certain ways worse and more dangerous for our Country than the Do Nothing Democrats. Watch out for them, they are human scum!
Last time I checked, no human is scum.. unless one espouses Marxism or Fascism….I think we will go with the person being a Fascist on this one….
So true
Have you considered limiting comments to 280 characters?
Clarifying that my ‘so true’ comment was in response to Achile Dinu’s comment. dierectly above mine. But it can be applied to Klatu2019’s as well.
Danny, voters aren’t disenfranchised when another candidate receives more votes. That is called “losing”.
When large groups of people redefine words and refuse to accept shared societal truth (in this case multiple witnesses from both political parties in multiple states and the Supreme Court as well) the result is false victim hood. Which apparently results in attempted takeovers of long standing societal institutions such as our congress.
As for why Wheaton faculty and staff felt a need to comment, Perhaps they like many other American citizens are dismayed and feel powerless to stop this rising tide of extremism.
Amen, Fisher.
When I saw the Jesus Flags and other Christian imagery at this “event”, I wanted to jump through the TV screen. Somehow faith in Trump has been equated with faith in Christ. I totally get the need for an Evangelical University to respond to this.
As in so many other digital places where we Christians congregate and discuss things… the whataboutism is thick…and depressing. When will american evangelicals stick to dealing with the cleaning of their own house. I see that as the main point of Wheaton’s statement, and that’s a good thing. All these other deflections; “what about Antifa! what about Marxism! What about wokeism! Whatabout that over there!” Most of those things are not problems or even issues within the american evangelical church, so why should Wheaton or any Christian institution address them? (at least in the way some here want to) This is actually been the great failing of the culture war; always pointing at others, that seems to be one of two main tihings… either it’s prideful arrogance (pointing out how everyone is so much worse, so we look better) OR it’s in service of one of our main idols, the american nation (look at those awful people – it makes Our precious nation look bad or God won’t bless Our precious nation state…)
Sick of the whataboutism and deflections… just tired and sick of it. Praise God for places like Wheaton who are willing to look american evangelicalism square in the face and point out the filth it gleefully flounders around in; one area being the blasphemous mixing of Jesus and faith in Him with idolatrous nationalism, rebellion, militarism, etc. Personally I don’t care what the pagans and unbelievers are doing or what fad their chasing today: I care about the Church and its purifying…and that’s all through the NT. Paul and the apostles lived in a culture far more pagan than ours, and yet you don’t see them half as concerned about what those people did… instead the epistles are full and overflowing with exhortation to the church, to the believers – to be more holy, to improve ethically, to grow in virtue, to cast off the besetting sins… Oh that we would do the same! It might even have a bigger missional effect in the long term.
Andrew, you said it so much better (and more powerfully) than me. Thank you, and Amen.
It seems to me that the problem is the mis-prioritization of modern ills. If I were Wheaton College, and I am an alum – I would issue a statement that says something like this:
Wheaton College was saddened when we saw Christian symbols like crosses and Bibles being brandished at the US Capitol by those who were breaking the law and acting contrary to the callings that Jesus has placed on his followers. We want to be clear that true followers of His do not act in this way and we do not endorse these behaviors as representative of the cause of Christ. We famously stand “for Christ and His Kingdom.”
All that is wrong in this nation is due to the fallen human heart. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, to give them new life in His name, and redeem and restore them. It is only in Christ that enmity and hostility can be turned to conciliation and friendship. We recall our most famous graduate, Billly Graham, who for years was an instrument of Christian hope and an example of Christian character and commitments. You can hear his many messages (like a podcast) on Sirius XM Channel 460. We commend this to all Americans, a revisiting of the simple truths of Christianity spoken to millions worldwide.
Here are some of Billy Graham’s relevant quotes that need a re-hearing in our times:
“The church is not preaching the whole Gospel unless it emphasizes righteousness in our daily living through salvation found only in Christ.”
“The common life of humanity is part of the church’s concern because it is part of God’s concern; and in these days, especially, it is important that people should be reminded that all life—political, social, economic and industrial—must be subject to the laws of God.”
“The secret strength of a nation is found in the faith that abides in the hearts, homes and families.”
“We have forgotten that our nation grew strong in an era when moral standards were emphasized; it has grown weak because we condone that which we once condemned.”
So likewise, we not only condemn racism of any kind, we also condemn the abuuse of the Bible by Pete Buttigieg and other so called evangelicals, to falsely imply that homosexuality- including same-sex attraction – as acceptable to the Lord. We condemn Joe Biden’s implication that he can claim to be a devout “man of faith” while condoning and the “wicked leadership” of abetting abortion here and around the world, signing into law just hours after his inauguration a promise to use our tax dollars to fund abortions in other countries! We condemn the implication that the phrase “All Lives Matter” is in any way racist – but is rather a true of belief of all Christians who submit their lives to God’s Word. We decry the thought that it is “loving” to allow a male or female -created lovingly and purposefully by God as such- to believe that God makes mistakes or that they are anything other than what God created them.
And if we were to issue a statement every time a public figure or event paired something ungodly with some sort of false cover of faith, thereby misrepresenting true Christianity, we would have to issue such statements multiple times a day.
We hereby simply refer you back to this passage of the Bible which praises our God and Savior Jesus Christ and gives His vision for the Christian life in this very fallen and broken world:
1 Peter 1
New International Version
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces – who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Furthermore, we proclaim to those confused about the Christian message that one foundational component is that its otherworldly and not about American politics per se.
What does it means that Christians are not of this world?
The phrase “not of this world” comes from John 18:36 where Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” The context of this statement is Jesus speaking to Pilate, assuring the governor that He was not leading a political revolution to overthrow Rome; rather, He was leading a spiritual movement that would change the hearts of individuals for eternity. Jesus prayed, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). When we are born into the family of God, we “participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4) This world relies on what it can see, but we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
We have a home not of this world. “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Those who have lived and died in faith “acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). This world was not their home and its not ours. Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).
We have peace not of this world, that nothing can take away. Our peace comes straight from our Lord, the Prince of Peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27).
We have treasures not of this world. We seek “a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief b breaks in and steals, and no moth destroys” (Luke 12:33). Our riches are not material but eternal, “kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4).
Being “not of this world” means we have a higher, that is, a heavenly calling, purpose, and destination. This world and its priorities are fading away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17).
As a community of college faculty we pray Americans will prioritize these eternal realities, not the passing political ones. To quote another famous alumnus Jim Elliott “I do not know how to make a man think seriously about sin and judgment, and must look to the work of the Holy Spirit for any hint of such a working.” We therefore urge every American to get and read one of those misused Bibles, and to pray for your own soul and the hearts of your fellow citizens, that Jesus would be King in each heart, that Americans would love and obey Him, and that the overflow of millions of people who claim God as their Father would be unprecedented love between neighbors across this land.