Often I find the arguments made by evangelicalism’s anti-anti-racist to be peculiar but predictable. Certainly that was the case as I read some of their thoughts on the murder of George Floyd and the riots that followed. It was Samuel Sey’s latest article that resulted in this response, my first post in this blog.
Riots in response to police brutality have existed since policing began in America. The idea that “careless and selfish” reactions by Christians on social or mainstream media “contribute” to or result in riots is absurd. That assertion makes the anti-social justice advocate feel good. It confirms their biases that social justice warriors make the problem worse or that they create a problem where one doesn’t exist. But that feel good assertion isn’t reality. When someone engages in the sin of burning property or stealing a TV, in no way is that action the result of the social media posts of Christians. The people who are rioting in streets across America are not responding to the Tweets or Facebook posts of Christians. Our social media posts are not that influential. We are accountable to God for what we write and say. But we should not be so arrogant to believe that we are “especially influential Christians” causing unbelievers to burn buildings or steal TVs. Who are these “influential Christians” whose reactions have “contributed to riots we see in America today”? I would pay to see examples. My theory is that they don’t exist and that the condemnation of these statements by “influential Christians” is just another edict from the defenders of orthodoxy, the anti-Marxist, anti-liberals, anti-social justice evangelical overseers. Is it only when Christians speak against racism that they cause others to misbehave? Is it possible that when Christians deny the prevalence or existence of racism they are causing increased division?
Obviously more whites than blacks are killed by police because whites make up the majority of the population. Sey said “the most common victims of police brutality” are whites. However, the link provided, “People shot to death by US police, by race 2017-2020”, doesn’t say that whites are the most common victims of police brutality. The data doesn’t speak to police brutality at all. It simply gives the number of people, by race, shot to death by police. The only inference is that a disproportionate number of blacks was shot and killed as compared to the number of whites shot and killed. The unproven assertion that whites are the most common victims of police brutality does not speak to the question of is racism involved in police brutality against blacks. White people being mistreated or killed by police does not equate to a lack of racism in police mistreatment of blacks.
More from Sey…“In America, White men in blue uniforms have a long history of murdering men in black skin. In fact, during segregation, many black Americans were more afraid of White men in blue uniforms than white men in white uniforms.” The killing of Floyd happened within this historical and cultural context. The motives of the police involved in Floyd’s death should inform their accountability. But as thinking, justice loving, righteousness pursuing Christ followers we are capable of reacting to Floyd’s murder beyond our knowledge of their individual motives. We are called to examine the shared and cultural impacts of sin. Just as we correctly ask: “what are the societal impacts of a government sanctioned culture of abortion and how should I react as a Christ follower?” Within the context of the history of policing and race, that Sey acknowledges, we should also ask: “what are the societal impacts of a government sanctioned culture where minorities are disproportionally mistreated and killed by law enforcement and how should I react as a Christ follower?” The police killing of Floyd did not happen in a vacuum. Without knowing the individual motives of the police involved, I can justly, without sin ask: “how does the historical and present culture of racism in America cause these incidents to happen far more frequently than they otherwise would? What should my reaction be as a Christ follower? How should I pursue justice and love the mistreated with the hope of the Gospel?” My answer to does questions far outweighs any fear of unjustly assigning a motive of racism to the killer. Even less significant or sought after is the social media praise and recognition I’d get for publicly expressing that I’m slow to speak when it involves the issue of race in America.
While I condemn riots, it’s not the absence of riots in America that would symbolize unity in remembering George Floyd. A true focus on his humanity isn’t achieved by ignoring his skin color or refusing to discuss the complex context of his murder. The appropriate reaction is to tell the truth.