Moody Apologizes Over Historical Blackface Photos

My family came to the U.S. in the late 1700s. They settled in PA and were farmers.

No one in my family line owned slaves (as they lived in the Union).

I can’t speak to what they thought about or how they treated African Americans in PA.

So, I feel no “white guilt” for my family’s past or a need to apologize for the sins of my family.

That being said, chattel slavery in the U.S. deprived African slaves of their former wealth. Once emancipated, the US government never made good on its reconstruction promises to newly-freed slaves. During the Jim Crow and black codes era blacks were disenfranchised and much of their wealth was plundered. Black communities were redlined. Black soldiers couldn’t take full advantage of the GI Bill. A white mob destroyed what was known as black wall street (a center of black wealth and prosperity) in Tulsa. etc, etc.

Given the wealth that was either stolen or refused to black Americans ever since slavery, I’m not opposed to reparations (otherwise known as making restitution).

BTW, our government owes reparations to Native Americans too.

On the subject of reparations, here is an article worth reading:

https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/settling-up/

If we’re going to have financial reparations, then the U.S. gov’t owes money to the descendants of southern families who were victimized by the carpetbaggers from the north. Or perhaps I can receive reparations from the people who terrorized myself & others in the high school locker room. Or perhaps … oh well, this will never end. And the federal gov’t is financially bankrupt anyway, so any money I receive will be borrowed from me anyway.

Southern families supported the war effort and slavery. They should have repaid the U.S. government for the cost of the war effort. What they received after the war was much better than they deserved given they didn’t have to forfeit their property to resettle their former slaves.

And, I agree that our government is practically bankrupt. But, when you print your own money, and the world still values that money, you are able to get a way with it.

One of the MANY problems with reparations is that there isn’t Biblical precedent for it. Reparations are not the same as restitution. OT restitution was personal, not national. No one alive today owned slaves. To make today’s generation pay financial reparations for the sins of past generations violates the principle of Jer 31:29-30; Ez 18:1ff. I suspect some have lingering racism towards southern descendants. To say “What they received after the war was much better than they deserved” shows incomplete knowledge of the post Civil War south.

It’s amazing how easily the conversation on race turns into a bunch of rabbit trails. The topic at hand was an institution, Moody Bible Institute, apologizing for its leadership not dealing with its sins of omission in regards to blackface. They owned it and repented of it and they will move on.

In 1996, the national GARBC leadership, representing the GARBC churches, at its national conference publicly apologized to the leadership and churches of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association for rejecting them from fellowship because of their skin color back in 1961, which led to the creation of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association. I remember the same griping and complaining from certain fundamentalist Baptist pastors, criticizing it “politically correct,” no basis for “Biblical basis for corporate repentance,” and calling it an “unBiblical Social Gospel Blunder” and insinuated that white Christians would have to continue apologizing for the sin of racism. But, that didn’t happen. The Corporate Entity (representing the churches of the GARBC), owned their past. The FBFA leadership graciously extended forgiveness and reconciled. All groups moved on with unity and fellowship. Several of these churches now have dual memberships between the FBFA and the GARBC. Also, Dr. Charles Ware, who was most instrumental in helping oversee this process has been a great example of leadership in the area of “Grace-Relations.”

As for those of us on this thread that claim they don’t need to repent of racism or owning up to anything, that may be true. It would be wrong for me to know and judge people’s hearts and too many people make too many racial assumptions. At the same time, in my interactions with some on Sharper Iron about racial issues, I believe there might be racial blind spots that some of us don’t want to admit. When I share statistics and experiences that I’ve seen about why there are racial disparities, whether it be about the American criminal justice system, police brutality, continued housing discrimination, wealth and poverty, and etc.. if your first instinct is to prove me wrong and blame it all on deviant black culture and/or solely on Fatherlessness, then you might be harboring the sin of impartiality towards black folks, which is racism (By the way, Fatherlessness/lack of marriage is a/the primary cause of several of these disparities, but it is hardly the only cause). Also, I am not saying that people can’t question things I write. Hopefully, all of us have mindsets like the Bereans in the book of Acts.

But In my interactions with several conservative white Christians on social media (especially on Facebook), you wouldn’t believe how many send me the latest Candace Owens video to try to convince me that every social problem in the black community is entirely their own fault (criminal justice system, interaction with police, housing, employment, and the list goes on) I have to patiently respond by explaining that, while there are times that she exposes some bad arguments and bad (univariate) data that liberal/progressives make, she counters with bad arguments and bad univariate data that comes from conservative sources ( Heather MacDonald, for example) to try to prove that systemic racism is a myth and the main issue for blacks is their perpetual victimhood status and refusing to leave “the democratic plantation.” I have to overexplain that I am not denying one’s individual sin and culpability in any of these issues, but also there are systemic issues at play as well. I also have to explain that I didn’t start believing in the reality of systemic sin, which includes systemic racism based on political ideology or progressive sociology, but rather doing mission work and living in an urban multi-ethnic community for the past 30 years combined with Reformed Theology that I learned and embraced in Seminary (e.g. Total Depravity). It gets quite exhausting having to constantly prove that I am doctrinally sound, that I am not a proponent of the social gospel, that I am not being influenced by Critical Theory, that I am not a cultural Marxist, that I am not being influenced by ungodly political ideology, that I am not virtue signaling to look good in front of African Americans, and that I am not following some popular whim/fad.

To conclude and bring it back to the subject at hand, (I got off on a rabbit trail as well), I really liked Kevin Deyoung’s article on apologizing from two years ago. It provided some needed Biblical parameters to corporate repentance. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/toward-theology-…

[WallyMorris]

One of the MANY problems with reparations is that there isn’t Biblical precedent for it. Reparations are not the same as restitution. OT restitution was personal, not national. No one alive today owned slaves. To make today’s generation pay financial reparations for the sins of past generations violates the principle of Jer 31:29-30; Ez 18:1ff. I suspect some have lingering racism towards southern descendants. To say “What they received after the war was much better than they deserved” shows incomplete knowledge of the post Civil War south.

Not necessarily. David had to make restitution for the sinful acts of Saul against a people group in order for God to take away his judgment on the land.

And, the South did receive much better treatment than they deserved, given the cost involved and the lives lost during the war. The people who got the shaft were the freed slaves. Their promised 40 acres were taken away from them and given back to their former masters because, “This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men.” Thus said Andrew Johnson in 1866. The money these freed slaves invested in the Freedman’s Savings Bank (estimated at the time to be more than $1 million) was also subsequently plundered by its all-white trustees.

Thanks for the link Joel. Been reading lots about this over the last several years and still not convinced on corporate repentance. As for reparations, I don’t believe black people should be given money but rather exempted from taxes. That’s if anything should be done which I’m not certain on personally.

I too am pretty surprised by some of the poor arguments made by conservative and progressives alike. My new least favorite word is systemic since it’s used as a ridiculous generality but there is no doubt that there is widespread discrimination in the categories mentioned above.

Thanks for the link Joel. Been reading lots about this over the last several years and still not convinced on corporate repentance. As for reparations, I don’t believe black people should be given money but rather exempted from taxes. That’s if anything should be done which I’m not certain on personally.

I too am pretty surprised by some of the poor arguments made by conservative and progressives alike. My new least favorite word is systemic since it’s used as a ridiculous generality but there is no doubt that there is widespread discrimination in the categories mentioned above.

[Joel Shaffer]

It’s amazing how easily the conversation on race turns into a bunch of rabbit trails. The topic at hand was an institution, Moody Bible Institute, apologizing for its leadership not dealing with its sins of omission in regards to blackface. They owned it and repented of it and they will move on.

Joel, I’m here for the fellowship. The posts just give us a start to interact. I’m not a strict constructionist when it comes to blogs (you have to stay on the exact topic or you are wrong and impolite).

[T Howard]

David had to make restitution for the sinful acts of Saul against a people group in order for God to take away his judgment on the land.

Good job of finding the David/Saul illustration. But that example has a big problem: The commands in Jeremiah & Ezekiel, since they come later in Biblical revelation, prohibit doing what David did. So while David was allowed to do that since the Lord specifically told him to, later revelation prohibits that type of restitution. So still looking for Biblical precedent that requires corporate restitution/reparation. The Bible clearly teaches individual restitution for personal sin, Example: Zaccheus. But corporate restitution for sins of generations earlier … ?

Whether Moody or any other Christian institution will “move on” is debatable. I suspect Christians will keep allowing the secular culture to keep us guilty and saying “Sorry” for as long as they can, wallowing in introspection and promoting every race-themed event as atonement.

It strikes me that most of those commenting here are commenting on how the North fought to end slavery, and how initial efforts against Jim Crow laws were largely successful. They are also arguing against reparations.

However, these issues are not among those addressed by the protests of the treatment men like George Floyd have gotten. Maybe, if we really want to be understood as caring about our African-American brothers and sisters, we ought to listen to what they’re actually saying.

Some in the protests have publicly stated they want reparations. Don’t assume that criticism of how some (many?) Christians have responded to these events doesn’t mean that we aren’t aware of racial problems. I have many criticisms of the current protests and how Christians have responded. Individuals in all races are guilty of racism.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/20/joe-biden-reparations-slavery-george-floyd-protests

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/black-communities-have-been-robbed-will-reparations-for-black-americans-finally-get-real-consideration-2020-06-08

https://fortune.com/2020/06/18/george-floyd-protests-uk-slavery-reparations/

Perhaps Bert needs to listen to what the protesters are actually saying?

Gentlemen, are you guys really under any doubt that the main reason people are at these demonstrations is because of perceived police brutality? Seriously?

Sure, some people use this as a platform for their personal agendas, just like fundamental pastors use message boards for theirs. But that doesn’t change the main impetus of what’s really going on. It’s not about slavery, it’s not about Jim Crow, and by and large, it’s not about demands for reparations. It’s about police brutality, and anyone reading the most basic reports about these demonstrations/riots ought to get that.

Robertson McQuilkin in Biblical Ethics has a helpful discussion about racism in pp.300-308.

As far as Bert’s recent post: I’ve never denied the issue of police brutality in these protests. I grew up in south Georgia where the “good ‘ol boy” police network was common. I know how good the police can be and how bad the police can be. My point is that more is involved than just police brutality and that the way Christians are responding will result in a never-ending atonement for sins of the past. More than “some people” are using the protests for personal agendas. Regarding “fundamental pastors use message boards for theirs”: Fundamental pastors aren’t the only ones who do that.