To say this is a difficult article to write is an understatement. On one hand, my motive is simple: I reject the narrative pushed by far left activists, who are strongly supported by the mainstream media in their condemnation of whites everywhere as a collective of historically guilty parties. However, I know that it is easy to be misunderstood on this, especially when this same media has created a climate where any rigorous argument of self defense of whites is quickly labelled as racist, for wider political means than because of any truth.
The recent death of George Floyd sparked riots in Minneapolis, which then spread to several other US cities. The media, political class, and remarkably, even Corporate America limply excused the destruction, pillaging, and even murders which resulted from these riots, as an acceptable outlet for the perceived injustices which African Americans face from a culture deemed “systemically racist”. Aside from the fact that discussion of the treatment Floyd received just before his death was complicated by the fact that it complies with the policies of the Minneapolis Police Department, it was shocking how rapid America declined into anarchy, with several Districts Attorney refusing to indict anyone arrested by police during the riots.
What was even more remarkable was how many American civic and religious groups eagerly bought into the far-left narrative that the death of a complicated figure like George Floyd is incontrovertible proof that white America is racist, whether they know (or believe) it or not.
One priest on a popular Catholic YouTube channel remarked (twice, in case you misheard him the first time) that “George Floyd was murdered”, despite the famous “innocent until proven guilty” dictat of American law. He then relayed a story about how a black woman challenged him that he never once preached on “diabolical racism”, which showed him about “how much more he needs to listen and learn”.
When a priest preaches a homily on the sins of lying, greed, covetousness, blasphemy, or lack of charity, we understand that we are ALL liable to commit such sins, given man’s fallen nature. Human nature is immutable, and we know that everyone from children, clergy and everyone in between, are subject to the vagaries of such sin.
However, preaching on the sin of racism is an entirely different matter, given the lack of any objectively clear definition on what racism actually is.
According to Wikipedia, it is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to physical appearance and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another.[1][2][3][4] It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against other people because they are of a different race or ethnicity.
By this definition, a racist is therefore anyone who believes that West Africans are genetically inclined to be the best sprinters in the world, notwithstanding the fact that the Olympic winners of the 100 meter sprint are practically all of this ethnicity. It could even apply to someone such as Cardinal Sarah who has spoken against the perils of mass migration for native cultures.
It may seem like I’m being facetious, however, perhaps the problem is in the definition, in that it is entirely subjective and so broad that is open to be applied to an alleged racist upon the slightest perceived pretext. It is therefore, counterproductive and alienating as a genuine way to deal with actual injustice or discrimination for no other reason than the race of a person suffering this injustice or discrimination. Further, racism is for all practical purposes, an emotional rather than logical construct of leftists, and as in so many idols of the left, it has no logical end at which there is no racism, save for the elimination of the so called oppressor group. Another critical point to note is that leftists are by and large extremely intolerant (if not outright hateful) of Christianity, so pandering to such people in a vain attempt to be seen as an ally, is frankly a fools errand. This has been seen quite noticeably in the attacks on Catholic churches which have been committed by those under the banner of Black Lives Matter.
So getting back to the priest in the example above, what is the actual sin that is being committed? The danger is that many in the Church, eager not to be perceived as an aggressor in a game framed by its ideological enemies, seemed to have abandoned the very concept of truth in a desperate attempt to win favour from those who will always regard you with derision if not outright hostility.
Without a very clear definition of terms, and a specific explanation of the sin being committed, which does not condemn men for taking reasonable actions based on measurable data and experience, the Church risks taking on the nihilistically blasé persona of Pontius Pilate in his response to our Lord when He declared, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice”. Pilate’s dismissive response was “What is Truth?”
Irish Bishops have recently stated in a conference with the pope, that “the evil of racism is not simply an American phenomenon.“ This is quite a slanderous fait accompli to make about white Americans, and by now it should be clear to any clear headed serious observer, that it is white people who are implied to be the solitary guilty party in any accusation of racism. This simplistic rationale does no favours to anyone, least of all those poor and needy of all races who must bear the brunt of America’s poverty, crime and drugs crises.
At the risk of speaking above my lowly station as a mere Christian, I humbly posit that Church leaders should direct their efforts on leading as many of its flock to heaven, by preaching on the dangers of specific sin, while fearlessly and volubly defending the rights of its adherents to participate in the Holy Sacraments, and defending the unborn and the holy institution of marriage from an onslaught which delights the devil. Both George Floyd and the officer involved were sinners, we should want both of them to get heaven, rather than getting caught up in a world condemning one or the other to damnation.
Submitted by: Jerome de Stridon.
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