With all the admiration now given to the late Martin Luther King Jr. I wonder how many now know that when he was alive relatively few white Christians admired him. Looking at old photos of the marches he led you will see mainly liberal Protestant, Roman Catholic or Jewish leaders marching with him. Christians who wore the label "Fundamentalist" back then despised King for two reasons. They saw him as a theological liberal and they supported segregation of the races as something that "God ordained". Believers who preferred the label "Evangelical" generally believed that racist attitudes were ungodly but they were often cool toward King, primarily because they sincerely believed that confronting white racism would get a lot of innocent people hurt or even killed. Being conservative in theology tended to make them conservative in matters that required confrontation. The passing of time has put things in better perspective.
There were some notable exceptions. The late Frank Gabelein, a leading Evangelical scholar and educator, was sent by Christianity Today Magazine to report on one of the marches that King led. At a certain point his conscience moved him to leave the crowd of spectators and join the march.
Now, on to something else you may not have known. Until well into the 1960's what was the moral issue that dominated the thinking of many Christians? It was - are you ready for this - the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks! The 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 1919, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of most alcoholic beverages, had been considered by millions of Christians to be the ultimate triumph of righteousness in America. The 21st Amendment that repealed it in 1933 was the most bitter of disappointments. As a child, 20 years later, in 1953 I personally witnessed the cause of Christ and evangelism hurt badly in the community where I lived by the zealous efforts of Christians to make alcoholic drink illegal. They lost the vote that November by a 2 -1 margin but bitter feelings remained for many years.
Back to the subject of human rights for everyone regardless of skin color: did you know that a century or more ago the proper words were "Colored" or "Negro", as in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)? Then, in the 1960's "Black" became the word of preference, as in "Black Pride". But that didn't last long. Jesse Jackson and others promoted the term "African-American" and it is still the term of preference. Many thoughtful people, both Black and White, believe it is unwise to have hyphenated Americans. I agree with them but I use the term out of respect for the wishes of others.
Along these same lines, did you know that 90 years ago the ethnic group with the lowest rate of pregnancy outside of marriage was - you guessed it - African-American girls? The church, either Baptist or Pentecostal, was the center and anchor of life for most Black families. The grace of God experienced in fellowship with other believers sustained them through the cruelties of slavery and segregation. Did you also know that the 1915 movie "The Birth of a Nation" glorified the KKK and fueled the myth among Whites that Black men lustfully pursued white women?
Did you know that the virtual destruction of the Black family in America is a result of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty in the 1960's? The government sent the message: "the father is not needed in the Black family (or any family for that matter). The government will take care of you".
Did you know that at any moment in the past that you could point to, there were thoughtful and intelligent people saying "morals are so low that at this rate we won't last long"? Does that mean that our present situation is not as bad as we might think? Not at all. It only means that humans have always been capable of the same evil things we see now. The big difference between now and the past is that once restraints are removed they are rarely, if ever, brought back unless there is a major spiritual revival in a nation.
Did you know that Bill Clinton's immorality in the White House was not at all the first to happen there? What was a 'first' was: 1) it was revealed while the President involved was still in office; and 2) his popularity remained high and even rose. This was a watershed in U.S. history.
This one you may already know. The main "health crisis" in America is -- the way people eat. In a word, the crisis is obesity. Add to that, diabetes, cancers of various types and all other maladies connected with poor dietary habits. I offended one or more people some time ago in one of these blogs with the passing comment that just observing crowds of people anywhere will show how widespread and serious this problem is. I should have said it differently. I should have said what an opportunity for Christians to set an example in the way they eat and maintain a healthy weight.
Do you know that this Presidential election has no precedent in U.S. history. No woman has ever been this close to the Presidency. Never before has someone with no political experience been this close. Never before has someone with a record of crude, vulgar and arrogant statements been this close to the Presidency, and not only close but promising, if elected, to promote those things dear to the hearts of millions of Christians!
You and I both struggle to grasp how full of danger and how full of hope and promise for the Cause of Christ this moment is. Charles Dickens said the days of the French Revolution were "the best of times and the worst of times". He should be alive now. The spirit of antichrist may be everywhere but people are coming to Christ in numbers almost too large to grasp. Fifty year ago Chairman Mao promised to eradicate Christianity in China. Today the Church there is growing as fast or faster than anywhere on earth. I know that from eternity I shall look back with unbounded gratitude to God that he let me live at this moment; not only let me live but speak and write for his honor and for the good of others.
I almost forgot. A copy of this blog and $1.00 will get you a free coffee at participating McDonalds.
