Black Lives Matter is no different than the Democrats or Republicans
Question:
Hello Brother,
First I like to start off by saying this website has been a tremendous help with my Christian walk. I am a member of the church, and I stumbled across this website roughly five years ago. I check your topics pretty much each week, and I agree with the majority of your answers. I believe they are very sound in the gospel and Scriptures. I have encouraged others to reach out as well to your church's website for godly encouragement and sound scriptural understanding. Thank you sincerely, my brother.
I do have a question. What are your thoughts or scriptural beliefs about the Democratic, Republican, and Independent Parties in this great country? The reason I ask is that in the beginning and now these parties all have good and bad things about them. I’m sure you know your history about the Democratic Party and how they first started off by supporting slavery and Jim Crow Laws. The Republican Party started off rebuking slavery and inequality. But as we all know, the times change. Many Southerns began to vote Republican after the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Why? Because they believed their views were no longer aligned with the party at that time. The new Republican Party argued that the former party had shifted more toward liberalism. That’s recorded history and their choice. But once again in today's time both parties, including the Independents, have good and bad things about them. Each party has what we call Liberals and Conservatives. You can say as a Christian you tend to classify yourself as a Conservative, because of your strict values (typically religion). This is in no way putting down liberal values at all because both are man-named categories.
I saw that you put up some of Black Lives Matters' beliefs, and the majority was about homosexuality and gay marriage. That was interesting because our beloved great country had two major parties (Democratic and Republicans) that approved by law gay marriage for all if they choose too. I am a strong believer in the Word of God and believe that my Father says it is wrong, It is wrong. What is the difference I ask you? You emphasize that Black Lives Matter believes in gay marriage and rights for transgenders. You ask if God would want us to support organizations with these values. Yet, we support two major political parties that have shamefully approved gay marriage by law for all, if you choose too.
Based on Scripture, can you show me the difference between the two? I know one is an organization and the others are political parties. But a political party is a political organization as well. Why should we support one group for change in this country, but not the other?
The Black Lives Matter Organization has liberals and conservatives. Just as our great political parties, they believe in equal rights for all, Peaceful protest (your First Amendment right), and no violence. But before I go, when I study great American history, I see our great political parties had people who committed violence, riots, lynching, etc. So I use my God-given sense and see that it was not all Democrats, all Republicans, and all Independents who were doing these awful acts but only a small few, who tried to pull the message away.
Equal rights for all.
God bless.
Question:
I debated about answering this question because it is more rooted in politics than asking a scriptural question. The original question was: Can Christians stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter and the ongoing protests? This is not the same type of decision as to whether to vote for Candidate A or B who are being offered by a political party. You may search this web site and you won't find any support for either of the major political parties or any of the minor ones. Yes, my views are conservative, but my concerns are in regards to religion and morality. I'm not interested in supporting some political party.
I continue to find it humorous how many people assume that because I point out flaws in one point of view that I must then support some other point of view. For example, I oppose violence and destruction, but that does not mean I oppose peaceful demonstrations.
In my prior answer, I pointed out four flaws in the Black Lives Matter moment that Christians should consider before saying they are in unity (solidarity) with this organization's beliefs:
- It supports homosexuality and related issues.
- It opposes traditional marriages.
- It emphasizes one skin color. Any mention of equal treatment for all people is always a secondary after-thought.
- Its protests are regularly violent and destructive despite its claim that the group is against violence.
Let's take the last point. You hinted that the violence is only due to a few problem makers trying to hijack the message of Black Lives Matter. Which of the numerous protests in recent weeks were organized by Black Lives Matter? How many of them became violent and destructive? Personally, I can only think of a very minor number that did not become violent.
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/31/george-floyd-protests-live-updates/
- https://www.vox.com/2020/6/2/21275901/police-violence-riots-george-floyd-minneapolis
By the way, if you would like to argue points, you need to check your facts. The southern states have not voted in a block for quite a while. Their support for Democratic or Republican candidates has been fairly mixed over the decades with whether the candidate came from the southern states holding the biggest sway. See "Solid South."
Nor is it valid to argue that because one group does wrong, then another group should get a pass when it does wrong. Wrong remains wrong regardless of who violates God's laws.