Dear Editor,
The controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention over systemic racism (critical race theory) points to the politicized nature of Christianity from the beginning.
The earliest issue was whether or not to fellowship with heathens. By the time of the Reformation, the church had been on a 1,500-year quest to amass wealth and influence in the world through political means.
When modern nations enforced separation of church and state, the church found protection from marginalization by asserting its supremacy over government in matters like providing for the success of families, the eradication of crime and punishment, and the construction of holy and healthy cities. These things it tries to achieve by bringing more folks into the society of the church, teaching proper lifestyle, and promising happy life in the hereafter.
The process of separation has gone so far that many evangelical churches today see the larger society almost as an enemy, and so they are late comers, if they arrive at all, to social improvement efforts like the civil rights movement.
Jesus himself, however, dove into problems and solutions dealing with all sectors of society. He taught a kingdom of God that emphatically requires individual civic involvement in the secular realm as well as effort in the church realm.
Kimball Shinkoskey
