Dumb, Bankrupt, Wrong... and Sinful

"Recently in some places in the nation, there's been a disturbing reoccurrence of bigotry and violence... To those individuals who persist in such hateful behavior … you are the ones who are out of step with our society, you are the ones who willfully violate the meaning of the dream that is America, and this country … will not stand for your conduct."

Ronald Reagan, 1981

"If there is anyone who has mistakenly attached themselves to our party in the belief that we're not open to citizens of every race and religion, then let me remind you, tonight this hall belongs to the party of Lincoln and the exits, which are clearly marked, are for you to walk out of as I stand this ground without compromise.”

Bob Dole, 1986

"For our nation, there is no denying the truth that slavery is a blight on our history, and that racism, despite all the progress, still exists today... For my party, there is no escaping that the reality that the party of Lincoln has not always carried the mantle of Lincoln."

George W. Bush, 2000

"We... unwaveringly denounce racism, in all its forms, as deplorable sin; and... we affirm the Bibles teaching that every human life is sacred, and is of equal and immeasurable worth, made in Gods image, regardless of race or ethnicity (Genesis 1:27), and that, with respect to salvation through Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for (we) are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28); and... we lament and repudiate historic acts of evil such as slavery from which we continue to reap a bitter harvest, and we recognize that the racism which yet plagues our culture today is inextricably tied to the past; and... we apologize to all African-Americans for condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic racism in our lifetime; and we genuinely repent of racism of which we have been guilty, whether consciously (Psalm 19:13) or unconsciously (Leviticus 4:27); and... we ask forgiveness from our African-American brothers and sisters, acknowledging that our own healing is at stake; and... we hereby commit ourselves to eradicate racism in all its forms from Southern Baptist life and ministry..."

Southern Baptist Convention resolution, 1996

We "decry every form of racism, including alt-right white supremacy, as antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and... we denounce and repudiate white supremacy and every form of racial and ethnic hatred as a scheme of the devil intended to bring suffering and division to our society; and... we acknowledge that we still must make progress in rooting out any remaining forms of intentional or unintentional racism in our midst..."

Southern Baptist Convention resolution, 2017

I have two simple takeaways in light of these clear historical declarations of truth by Republican presidential candidates and Southern Baptist Convention meetings.

ONE
The Republican Party under the continued leadership of twice-impeached Donald Trump are attacking their own members for making similar statements.

"It’s very important, especially for us as Republicans, to make clear that we aren’t the party of white supremacy... You saw the symbols of Holocaust denial, for example, at the Capitol that day; you saw the Confederate flag being carried through the rotunda, and I think we as Republicans in particular, have a duty and an obligation to stand against that, to stand against insurrection."

Liz Cheney, 2021

TWO
A group of SBC leaders is doing the exact same thing in the name of "protecting the Gospel."

"We should mourn when closet racists and neo-Confederates feel more at home in our churches than do many of our people of color... The reality is that if we in the SBC had shown as much sorrow for the painful legacy that racism and discrimination has left in our country as we have passion to decry CRT, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess."

J.D. Greear, 2021

Those attacks... heck, those "principled stands" - are dumb politically, ethically bankrupt, wrong on a number of levels...

...and absolutely sinful. 

"There is [now no distinction in regard to salvation] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus [no one can claim a spiritual superiority]."

Galatians 3:28 AMP