A Fresh Approach to Ferguson

THOUGHTS ON FERGUSON

VODDIE BAUCHAM

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Voddie Baucham is the pastor of preaching at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas.

[A thoughtful presentation of the problems in Ferguson, indeed of the USA and much of the world. I hope that a way out can be found by all the people entrapped by this burning rage and victimhood and that leaders can arise to question the current presentation and education of their communities]

In early August my wife and I, along with seven of our nine children, left for a month-long ministry tour in Africa (Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa). It was a couple of days before we got settled and had any access to media. As such, I was taken aback when I began to receive Google alerts, emails, and Facebook and Twitter messages either demanding that I comment on “Ferguson,” or condemning me for failing to do so. The only problem was, I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Who, what, or where was Ferguson? Why was it such a big deal? Why was I being condemned (along with other “high-profile” evangelicals) for “failing to speak out on such an important issue”? 

I eventually got up to speed. Or at least I found out what all the fuss was about. Over the next several weeks I viewed this issue from a unique perspective. I was an American in Africa watching an issue ignite ethnic tensions in my homeland. It was almost surreal. 

Who Am I to Speak?

My first response to Ferguson was to say nothing. I was on the outside looking in. I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t know the communities or the issues surrounding the tensions. Second, I chose to remain silent because people were demanding that I speak—even condemning me for my silence. In this age of “I sure would love to hear your thoughts on” I get tired of the sense of entitlement with which people approach those whom they deem to be popular or high-profile Christians. No one is “entitled” to my opinion. Nor is my faithfulness to God determined by how quickly I respond to “relevant” issues.

As a pastor, I have a responsibility to my flock. If those for whose souls I care (Heb. 13:17) want help thinking through these issues, I am obligated to them. I have a duty to walk them through issues like these to the best of my ability, and with sensitivity to their particular needs. What worries me is that Christians in the age of social media care more what “popular” preachers have to say on issues like this (and whether or not they agree with other “popular” preachers) than they are about taking advantage of an opportunity to work through challenges in the context of Christian community. More importantly, it worries me that so many Christians view themselves primarily as members of this or that ethnic community more than they see themselves as members of the body of Christ.

The Plight of Black Men

Rest assured, I do believe there are systemic issues plaguing black men. These issues are violence, criminality, and immorality, to name a few. And all of these issues are rooted in and connected to the epidemic of fatherlessness. Any truly gospel-centered response to the plight of black men must address these issues first and foremost. It does no good to change the way white police officers respond to black men if we don’t first address the fact that these men’s fathers have not responded to them appropriately.

There is indeed an epidemic of violence against black men.
I am surpized at the disparate comments below that I see are against him, and fortunately of course the 

ones that do agree.

Still food for thought and understanding of what may be causing these problems.

In fact I have gave much thought in taking in the differing points of view, as I was amazed at the

 comments and their points of view,

However, that violence, more often than not, occurs at the hands of other black men. In fact, black men are several times more likely to be murdered at the hands of another black man than they are to be killed by the police. For instance, in the FBI homicide stats from 2012, there were 2,648 blacks murdered. Of those, 2,412 were murdered by members of their own ethnic group. Thus, if I am going to speak out about anything, it will be black-on-black crime; not blue-on-black. I want to apply the gospel and its implications in a way that addresses the real issue. If a few black men being killed by cops requires a national “dialogue,” what in the world does the overwhelming number of black-on-black murders require? If the police do not see black men through the proper gospel-centered, image-of-God lens, what does the black-on-black murder rate say about the way we see ourselves?

In addition to violence, black men are plagued with criminality. Low-income black communities like Ferguson know all too well that black criminals preying on their neighbors makes life almost unlivable. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, I know all too well what it’s like to have bars on the windows and doors for fear that thugs will break in to steal or kill. I remember being robbed at gunpoint on my way home from the store one day. It was one of the most frightening and disheartening events of my life. The fear, helplessness, and anger I felt stayed with me for years. And it taught me an unfortunate lesson: the greatest threat to me was other black men.

The underlying malady that gives rise to all the rest of these epidemics is immorality and fatherlessness. We know that fatherlessness is the number one indicator of future violence, dropout rates, out-of-wedlock births, and future incarceration. And in the black community, more than 70 percent of all children are born out of wedlock! Fatherlessness is the bane of the black community. 

Nor is this plague forced on us. It is as common as morning dew, and as overlooked as dust under a refrigerator. Where are the marches against this travesty? Where are the protestors who demand better? Where are the black “leaders” who . . . oh, that’s right, they have just as many illegitimate children as anyone else. Again, it is common knowledge that this is the most immediate root cause of the ills plaguing black Americans.

But What About Racism?

I have been pulled over by police for no apparent reason. In fact, it has happened on more than one occasion. I was stopped in Westwood while walking with a friend of mine who was a student at UCLA. We found ourselves lying face down on the sidewalk while officers questioned us. On another occasion, I was stopped while with my uncle. I remember his visceral response as he looked at me and my cousin (his son). The look in his eye was one of humiliation and anger. He looked at the officer and said, “My brother and I didn’t fight in Vietnam so you could treat me like this in front of my son and my nephew.” 

Again, this experience stayed with me for years. And for many of those years, I blamed “the system” or “the man.” However, I have come to realize that it was no more “the system” when white cops pulled me over than it was “the system” when a black thug robbed me at gunpoint. It was sin! The men who robbed me were sinners. The cops who stopped me were sinners. They were not taking their cues from some script designed to “keep me down.” They were simply men who didn’t understand what it meant to treat others with the dignity and respect they deserve as image bearers of God.

It does me absolutely no good to assume that my mistreatment was systemic in nature. No more than it is good for me to assume that what happened in Ferguson was systemic. I have a life to live, and I refuse to live it fighting ghosts. I will not waste my energy trying to prove the Gramscian, neo-Marxist concept of “white privilege” or prejudice in policing practices. 

I don’t care what advantages my white neighbor may or may not have. If he does have advantages, God bless him! I no more fault him than I fault my own children who have tremendous advantages due to the fact that they were raised by two educated, Christian parents who loved, disciplined, and taught them. Ironically, when I think about THAT advantage, I am filled with joy and gratitude to God for his faithfulness. People are supposed to bequeath an advantage to their children and grandchildren (Prov. 13:22). Why, then, would I be angry with my white neighbor for any advantage he is purported to have? And what good would it do? How does that advance the gospel? Especially in light of the fact that growing up with the gospel is the ultimate privilege/advantage! It is the advantage that has granted us all “American privilege”! Are we guilty for being citizens of the wealthiest republic in the history of the world? I think not!

As a father of seven black men, I tell them to be aware of the fact that there may be times when they may get a closer look, an unwelcome stop, or worse. However, I do not tell them that this means they need to live with a chip on their shoulder, or that the world is out to get them. I certainly don’t tell them that they need to go out and riot (especially when that involves destroying black-owned businesses). I tell them that there are people in the world who need to get to know black people as opposed to just knowing “about” us. I tell them that they will do far more good interacting with those people and shining the light of Christ than they will carrying picket signs. I tell them, “Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay'” (Rom. 12:19). And I tell them that there are worse things than suffering injustice. That is why we must heed Peter’s words:

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. (1 Pet. 3:15–17)

In the end, the best lesson my children can learn from Ferguson is not that they need to be on the lookout for white cops. It is far more important that I use this teachable moment to remind them that “God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). Moments before his death, Michael Brown had violently robbed a man in a store. A man doing the best he could to make a living. Minutes later, Brown reaped what he sowed, and was gunned down in the street. That is the sad truth. 

My sons have far more to fear from making bad choices than they have to fear from the police. The overwhelming majority of police officers are decent people just trying to make a living. They are much more likely to help you than to harm you. A life of thuggery, however, is NEVER your friend. In the end, it will cost you . . . sometimes, it costs you everything.

www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/thoughts-on-ferguson

I am surpized at the disparate comments that I see are against him, and the debate.

Feronica Fajardo • 2 hours ago
Thank you for your insight and God-given wisdom sir. It was a pleasure and peace-filling experience to read your words.
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estaples • 3 hours ago
Whether the difficulty is in a marriage, a friendship, or race* relations, the answer is the same if one values the relationship over one’s pride: being the bigger person. And this is not the same as denying injustice.

I think this is Dr. Baucham’s point, and why it’s hard for some to swallow. We all want to demand our “rights”. Demand justice. Place ultimatums on others. The problem though, is that you cannot control other people. Not that there isn’t a place for demonstration, but you cannot change another person’s worldview by force. If you’re a bible-believing Christian though, you know that with God’s help you can control and change yourself.

Does this guarantee that as an African-American man, which I am, that I’ll become immune to discrimination or persecution? Not at all... but at the end of the day, maybe that isn’t the point. Look at the example of Jesus. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

My job is to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, whatever the disagreement. I can’t pursue justice and simultaneously be unjust. Who knows? Maybe by making myself friendly I’ll win a friend.

*According to the bible, and observational science/genetics, there is only one race.
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Brandt Hardin • 4 hours ago
We were told this week that two wrongs make a right. Michael Brown was only 18 years old. He was no saint. He disobeyed a Police Officer. He struck a Police Officer. He broke the law and he should have been punished, not murdered. He should have been given a chance to reform himself through the proper channels of a justice system we're supposed to trust. Instead, he was given a death sentence in the middle of the street. Michael will never see a day in court for his wrongs- and neither will Officer Darren Wilson for his. I was compelled to create a portrait of Michael in memoriam at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot... to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson and families who’ve lost their children to sentences passed by cops in the streets.
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Heather MacDonnell • 4 hours ago
This is a powerful read. I think the image of the black community in general would be much better thought of if we focused on men (and women) like you, who are God fearing and are a wonderful example to all those they encounter, white, brown, green, purple. Thank you for these words, they most certain have a lesson for each of us in them, no matter race.
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kim • 4 hours ago
Yet another AA (Pastor at that) who has chosen to take the spotlight off unarmed Black males being killed and the white officers who kill them and walk away. These people crack me up, as if the cessation of black on black crime will usher in the cessation of bad white cops killing unarmed black males. As though you cant address these bad cops killing black men unless you address and give statistics on black on black crime. Smh. Raising strong sons will not not ensure their immunity against racism and/or death by bad cop-nor will it guarantee that they wont stray and get involved with the wrong things as 18 year old boys! Educated, career driven, sucessful black males are targeted all the time so it has nothing to do with the "type" of black male you are. Yes Jesus is the final judge, yes He will repay but it doesnt exclude us from being His body on earth! We are commissioned to take care of the widow and orphan, to stand up for injustice, to be a voice for the oppressed....the things Jesus did for us while He was on earth and continues to do by His Spirit. Be not deceived, most black on black perpetrators are arrested and convicted so one is dead the other is in jail...the problem here is the fact that bad white cops or ex cops keep killing unarmed black males..what is Christs position on that? We already see yours and I sure hope no mother loses her son in this way and looks to you for counsel, comfort or reassurance-cause if he is 18, rebellious and black...she shouldn't accept much.
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Curtis • 5 hours ago
I thought this was satire and something from The Onion! But after seeing that making rounds on Twitter it seems that this pastor and article is legit. This is sad and abhorrent! Additionally the argument is tired, weak and illogical. If anything, it's your typical red herring that has nothing to do with anything. On top of that, this pastor seems like a hypocrite, and frankly this is one of the reasons I and so many people have left the church. Perhaps he needs to take his self-righteous ways and reflect on Luke 6:37-38 (The Message): "Don’t pick on
people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of
course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down;
that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot
easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely
given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is
the way. Generosity begets generosity."
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cyndi59 • 6 hours ago
What wonderful commentary, such Godly perspective and Biblical truth - personal accountability, such a novel idea. God expects it any you are surely his man.
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BadJasper • 6 hours ago
AMEN!
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Brian Howell • 6 hours ago
This post is just another 1500 words to say "God Changes the World One Heart at a Time," which is terrible theology and even worse sociology. Jesus did not come to make moral individuals, but to establish his reign and rule on earth through his church, a collective. The CHURCH, not families, not fathers, not boy scouts, is to work for justice and righteousness, which is not something you do by just keeping your nose clean and picking up your trash.

Sociologically, you're looking at a world where Black Men are hundreds of times more likely to be convicted for the SAME crime as a white man. Black families have a tiny fraction of the wealth of white families. Black families are less likely to have health insurance, more likely to be unemployed. These statistics don't make for compelling pep talks to the football team, but they're true. What is the church doing about it? Oh yeah, lecturing people on being well behaved and being nice.

No wonder so many people see Christianity as irrelevant today.
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Holly Tucker • 7 hours ago
As a white woman, I want to thank you for writing this article. You are the only black man that I've heard who hasn't blamed white racists or the police. It makes it so difficult to unite when we are constantly being called racist, no matter what happens. I know racism still exists, but its an individual problem, not a group problem. And the problems of crime and teenage pregnancy also occur in white families where the father is absent, so the notion of white privilege really isn't about race as much as it is about having a stable family.
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CDub • 7 hours ago
So, the link by the FBI that you cite to demonstrate that there is more "black on black" crime actually refutes your statement. In fact, it's actually showing LESS black on black crime than white on white crime-- by almost 200 incidents. 3,128 WHITES murdered by 2,614 WHITES. So, the suggestion that black on black crime is rampant, when it is actually somewhat less than white on white, is a bit misleading and harmful. It just perpetuates the stereotypes. The total message of this article is irresponsible. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cj...
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jess • 8 hours ago
Sorry-
this article is saddening and offenseive! "it's not systemic, it's sin" WRONG it's both.
It's systemic injustice which is absolutely sin! "The primary problems
of the black community are immorality, and criminality"?? WRONG again.
"Black people are more likely to be killed by other blacks than by cops"
true but this is true for all races. Murder is by far and large and
internal thing. Whites kill whites, blacks kill whites so it's a bad
comparison and one that the far right and racism deniers have been using
for FAR too long. The question that's more appropriate is this: "making
up such a small percentage of the population, why are black
disproportionately jailed and killed by law enforcement??" Even
adjusting for higher rates of crime (which is much more attributable to
class than race- just look at crime records in poor white neighborhoods)
they are still jailed and killed disproportionately. Do we people of
color need to know better and do better in our own communities? Yes, of
course we do, just as all people do, but that has nothing to do with
demanding proper treatment and justice NOW. I can't believe what this
article has to say- it's the same old line we've been hearing for years.
"Don't take it personal, just work harder, do better, be better and
people won't assume you're an animal, people won't treat you like an
animal." If you are black or brown, you are not afforded the same room
for error and grace as Whites in this country. It starts at a young age
and it's not just Whites (as evidenced by this appalling article) who
are perpetrating this awful bias- we people of color do it too. We know
the truth, the dangers, so we make sure out kids get the most harsh
discipline at home so they won't have to suffer it out in the real
world. We teach them to never give anyone in authority a reason to
exercise their extreme authority over them, to always be on their very
best, because we know their safety and their right to live, their right
to be kids, their right to just exist is fragile and we dare not have
them be seen as tedious or trying. It's disgusting actually. We are
afraid so we make them afraid. It's not how we were created to live -
it's how we were trained to live. Take a look at how early it begins: http://www.apa.org/.../rele......
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Forest C. Adcock  jess • 5 hours ago
" Do we people of color need to know better and do better in our own communities? Yes, of course we do, just as all people do, but that has nothing to do with demanding proper treatment and justice NOW"

Does a boss pay an employee at the beginning of the week or at the end when the work has been completed? Just the same, how can anyone demand respect before he has become respectable? How can one demand justice while being unjust?
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Lisa Jones  jess • 7 hours ago
Jess, you hit the nail on the bed with this comment:

We know the truth, the dangers, so we make sure out kids get the most harsh
discipline at home so they won't have to suffer it out in the real
world

I raised my sons with a heavy hand because I knew all to well the dangers for my sons when they are encountered by the police. Regrettably, I teach mines that if a police officer approaches you and you have not initiated a call for help, you have just cause to be concerned, very concerned. They are taught to call police officers as a last resort and I do mean as a last resort.
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Andy Wiesendanger • 8 hours ago
Wow, amazing writing Voddie. I've been thinking about how to respond to such instances, you've made many great points.
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Emmanuel Escamilla • 8 hours ago
Very interesting article. I respect Pastor Bauchman, but I disagree on his position.

An issue is that the pastor criticizes Christians for looking to popular preachers; he dismisses that the body needs guidance at this moment, they are looking to the faces of Christianity, who, in many cases, have been very vocal on other issues such as gay marriage. A pastor’s calling is to guide the flock of Christ, this is their opportunity. To say that the Christian body is wrong for looking to these men and women is incorrect; we are dealing with a Christian body who is confused, they need guidance, they have received guidance from these leaders before, so they desire guidance again. I believe his position is an “out” from responding to the true issues of recent events.

Another issue I have is reducing the issues of the black community to “fatherlessness.” He completely disregards the facts of discrimination, cultural capital and social capital. Fatherlessness is not the reason members of the black community are hired less, discriminated against from moving into certain communities and given less opportunities than other racial groups. I feel that fatherlessness, though an enormous issue, has been a crutch for too long to explain issues within minority communities. “We know that fatherlessness is the number one indicator of future violence, dropout rates, out-of-wedlock births, and future incarceration.” This is an enormous generalization, I do not believe there is any statistical evidence that prove that fatherlessness is the deciding factor of all of these issues.

Speaking out on black on black crime is not the issue at this moment, I feel he is circling the true issue at hand. Black and black crime is a huge issue, but this takes no legitimate grounds in Ferguson and in the death of Michael Brown.

This leads into my largest problem with his article, victim shaming. He asks why aren't there marches against fatherlessness. One of the reasons, is because mothers, similar to the black community, have been victim shamed, which this article furthers. No marches have ensued on fatherlessness because mothers have been blamed for being too loose, and the black community is being shamed for its black on black crime, which is a product of systemic issues such as social reproduction and lack of opportunities. The pastor is furthering this stance which is unfortunate.

“It does me absolutely no good to assume that my mistreatment was systemic in nature. No more than it is good for me to assume that what happened in Ferguson was systemic.” He must not fall into the trap of being so heavenly minded to forget about earthly good, and the issues in the way of that realization (using the reaping and sowing principle to explain death of Michael Brown is not appropriate). These issues are a direct result of social reproduction and the demonization of black men. To not care of the advantages of his white neighbors privilege, is unfortunate. Even with a college degree and all of his children’s accomplishments; there is a sense that your humanity doesn't have value because of the color of your skin.

To state “I have a life to live, and I refuse to live it fighting ghosts” in regards to reading Gramscian, neo-Marxist concept of “white privilege” or prejudice in policing practices is the exact reason why he does not understand this situation properly. This is most disheartening to hear from a religious leader.

I believe it shows the disconnect of a successful preacher from the disparities of impoverished communities he was once a part of. Therefore the search continues for guidance on this issue.
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Forest C. Adcock  Emmanuel Escamilla • 4 hours ago
"This leads into my largest problem with his article, victim shaming"

And this is the real problem in Ferguson. The two sides each consider different people as the victim. Please allow me to make a case for the opinion that Darren Wilson was the victim who has been shamed.

Michael Brown was a violent felon who died while assaulting a law enforcement officer. Minutes before his death he comitted strong-armed robbery on a shop near his home, using threats of violence against the shop owner to steal a box of cheap cigars. This is not conjecture, it is fact. It was caught on video and Mr Brown's accomplice admitted that they were the robbers.

On the way home from comitting a violent felony, the pair were stopped by a police officer for walking in the middle of the road and during this stop Mr Brown is alleged to have assaulted the officer inside of his vehicle. The evidence suggesting that this is true includes Mr. Brown's blood inside the officer's SUV and a bullet hole that shows rounds were fired from inside the SUV out of the driver's side door to where Mr. Brown's blood trail starts on the ground.

After being shot, Michael Brown began to run away before turning around and charging the officer. Multiple wittnesses testified to this in front of the grand jury and the blood trail Mr. Brown's left show this, moving about 40 feet away from the SUV before turning and coming back 21 feet towards the officer's car.

Multiple wittnesses also testified that they saw Mr. Brown being shot in the back while raising his hands. These wittnesses started comming forward once Mr. Brown's accomplice's statement to police was made public and they stopped once forensic evidence showed that their statements were not accurate. For one, zero rounds impacted Mr Brown in the back. He had no injuries to his back at all. Second, the rounds in Mr Brown's arms went from wrist to elbow which is only possible if the arms are reaching towards the muzzle of the firearm. Those same rounds tore through his biceps which would have made rasing his arms above shoulder height almost completely impossible.

Michael Brown was shot 6 times at close range. As a veteran who has been in many fights at close range, I can tell you that without a doubt, this is not an unusual number of rounds to be needed to effectively stop an assaliant.

Much is made of Michael Brown being a teenager, but the fact is, that at 18 and nearly 300 pounds, Michael Brown was both a legal adult and one large enough to be a lethal threat very quickly. I don't know if you've ever been punched in the face, but it's not like in the movies. People simply aren't capable of being punched repeatedly in the face, expecially by someone who was larger than 90% of the NFL's football players. This was a life threatening assault by a violent man against a much smaller police officer who was simply doing his job that day.

As a resuly of this shooting, one violent criminal is dead, one police officer has lost his job and will likely never recover financially, emotionally, or socially, a town is smouldering in the ashes of violent riots, and half of our nation is looking at the other half like they have two heads for supporting a violent felon instead of the man he attacked simply over the color of his skin.

Officer Wilson was not indicted, not because of racism, but because the evidence showed that a reasonable person would have feared for their lives in that situation.

Put yourself in the officer's shoes for a minute. An unknown subject of unknown age is walking down the street with another male and when you ask him to move to the sidewalk where it is legal to walk, he reaches in your car and assaults you. While you were just asking a man to get out of the street, the response you recieve is being punched in the face by a MASSIVE, angry criminal. Punches that your training and experience tells you will knock you out and leave you defenseless against a violent felon (the moment he assaulted the officer, that officer is safe to classify him as a violent felon, seeing as how assaulting an officer is a felony.) and whatever he wants to do with you.

If you were in that situation, what would you do? Would you use the one tool that your training tells you is likely to stop the attack and save your life? Would you use pepper spray which blinds an assaulter but does not impair their motor function and still lets them assault you, knowing that at arms length, in a car, you will be sprayed with the spatter and will suffer the same effects while fighting for your life? Would you allow yourself to die and leave behind a pregnant fience'? Most people would choose the first option. They would use the tool, a firearm, that allowed them the best chance of ending the attack in the quickest and most effective manner.

But why keep shooting after he ran away? Because he turned back aruond and charged. Officer Wilson STOPPED firing when Michael Brown stopped fighting. This is shown in evidence by the fact that he was never shot in the back and in the audio recording by a break in the firing. Once Michael Brown turned around and began his aggression again, the officer was in the right to keep firing. A logical person would assume that after a subject has been shot by an officer and run away, any further agression would be met with further shooting by that officer.

Michael Brown was not the victim. He was a legal adult who was killed by a police officer during the commission of his second violent crime that day. He used his size and strength as a weapon to rob a store owner and to attack a police officer.

Blaming anyone but Michael Brown is illogical in my opinion and results from racism. The only way I can think of anyone thinking Michael Brown was a victim at this point is if they stopped listening on day one when it was announced that a black man was shot by a white cop. Every bit of evidence that has come out has both supported Officer Wilson's story and has gone against the story of "wittnesses" who claim that he had his hands up. By seeing Michael Brown simply as a black person and Officer Wilson as simply a while police officer and never moving past that point, one would be able to convince themselves that Darren Wilson was a criminal.

But that would be the textbook definition of racism.
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Sally Jones • 8 hours ago
Excellent post. It's time we stop blaming the world and use this same energy to stop violence in our own community. Yes, people are racist we all have experienced it, so either live with a chip on your shoulder or become the best God created you to be. It is not okay to burn down a business and call it justice. If that's okay, then it's okay for someone to shoot up innocent people when they get fired. It's okay to walk into a movie theatre and commit mass murder because no one liked you. We can live inferior or rise up and live a life of freedom with Christ.
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disqusDmom • 8 hours ago
A great message for us all to read and share. Thank You!
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Gavin Adams • 8 hours ago
This is a great perspective on the events in Ferguson and beyond. As a Christian, I watched the events unfold with eyes to listen and learn. While there are many, many thing to be learn politically and racially, there are also things to be noted spiritually.

http://gavinadams.com/learned-...
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Matt • 9 hours ago
Hands down the best thing I've read about this entire situation. Thank you, sir.
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Bill Hickman • 9 hours ago
"Moments before his death, Michael Brown had violently robbed a man in a store. A man doing the best he could to make a living. Minutes later, Brown reaped what he sowed, and was gunned down in the street. That is the sad truth."

This statement turns my stomach. I can't believe a gospel-preaching pastor wrote this.
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meepy • 10 hours ago
Thank you for such excellent clarity of thought. I wish your article could be read on every major news outlet, and maybe a few people would stop lashing out in senseless anger and ask God to help them rebuild their families and communities. We need more leaders, and fathers, like you.
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cheryl • 11 hours ago
Beautiful message. Thank you for sharing.
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Athomas320 • 11 hours ago
I live in the southern part of Alabama. A place where racism was mainstram until the very end of the civil movement. But yet I see less of it here now than I see throughout a lot of the country. The black community here has a very impressive sense of togetherness. But it's not strictly black on black togetherness, it's more of a white/black partnership. It's easier for a white man to convince a white racist to change his mind than it is for a black man. If we see a problem we try to correct our own ethnic group before we try to "fight" the other. This was a great message. Lead by example and people will follow.
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Johnny956  Athomas320 • 3 hours ago
You realize in 2000 Alabama voted to get rid of the ban on interracial marriage (already ruled unconstitutional decades before) and it passed....with 60% in favor. That means 40% opposed it. Racism isn't dead by any means in Alabama Or any other state
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Athomas320  Johnny956 • 2 hours ago
I'm not saying it still doesn't exist. That was almost 15yrs ago. Almost a whole generation of new voters. I don't know what the percentage would be if it was voted on today. But I'm sure it would be alot higher.
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Paul Byvtary • 11 hours ago
Very nice writing, thank you for sharing.

Never walked a road as a black man so I don't know but I wonder if is it possible blacks at time get pulled over or questioned because of the behavior or other blacks?
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Funmi Ojetayo • 12 hours ago
Underpinning the notion of "black on black crime" (disregarding that the term itself is a misnomer) is the idea that black people deserve the violence rained down on us. "You don't value your lives," it says, "so why should we?"

Why is that ever a justification for violence or impunity?
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Forest C. Adcock  Funmi Ojetayo • 4 hours ago
Why is there a failure to blame criminals for their actions?

The black community has a blame problem.

First, many blame white people for slavery even though nobody alive today was alive during the time slaves were owned. Blaming an entire race for the actions of a few (expecially when those few have been dead for 100 years.) members of that race is called racism. That's the only word that fits.

Second, from Mumia Abu-Jamal and Malcom X to Travyon Martin and Mike Brown, blame is frequently placed on the victims of criminals while excusing the actions of violent criminals is a frequent occurrence. In spite of evidence that these men were violent criminals, these men are often held as heroes. How are people supposed to not fear someone when that person's heroes are violent criminals?

Last, rioting and burning local minority-owned businesses to protest the death of a local minority at the hands of a white police officer shows that destruction and chaos is the motivation for these crimes, not anger at a specific group. Why weren't the police station, courthouse, or city hall torched? Why were white neighborhoods completely untouched? Why were the only people who's lives were effected members of your own community?
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Malachi • 12 hours ago
Wow...just wow. THE best message I've heard on this atrocity so far. God bless you, Pastor! And may young black men across this country heed your words.
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Mark A. Bauer • 12 hours ago
One of the other elements I have thought about for awhile is the effect of hard drugs on lower income communities' crime rates.
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Funmi Ojetayo • 12 hours ago
I get that it is popular to assert that black people are the agents of their own doom, to attack black morality, to highlight black criminality and thus change the conversation from what the American state has done to black people to what black people have done to themselves. It's easier than facing the truth of white supremacy in this country: that high rates of violence in black neighborhoods do not exist outside of the facts of redlining, sub-standard public services, under and over-policing, but instead they evidence the policy of white supremacy. I get that it is simpler to talk about cultural pathologies in the black community, because it's only if black people are somehow undeserving can a just society tolerate a yawning wealth gap, a two-tiered job market, persistent housing discrimination, and a racist "justice" system. A large number of white Americans live exactly as you have charged Black America (single-family households, high drug use and crime rates, violence e.g. Appalachia, Upper New England). Very few of them are shot in the head and left to bake on the pavement. The moralizing, especially at a time of grief, does a disservice to the pain, the anger, the hurt, the cries of so many, and avoids the circumstances which gave birth to this pain that is being expressed in different forms across our nation. Consider how easily "black-on-black crime" becomes not a marker of a shameful legacy of segregation but a moral failing.

Let's quickly debunk this whole idea that black people don't care about or speak out against violence in our communities. The notion that violence within the black community is "background noise" is not supported by the historical record—or by Google. It's almost as if Stop The Violence never happened, or The Interruptors never happened, or Kendrick Lamar never happened. The call issued by Erica Ford at the end of the "Do The Right Thing" retrospective is so common as to be ritual. It is not "black on black crime" that is background noise in America, but the pleas of black people! Furthermore, virtually all violent crime is intra-racial (86% is white on white & 93% is black on black). It's almost as if killers tend to murder people who live near them! Go figure! Moreover, it seems that people actually hold officers operating under the color of law to a different standard. [The myth of] Black on Black crime has absolutely NOTHING to do with police brutality and/or the horrendous deaths of Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant and others alike. Instead of blaming the people who have been oppressed by the system, let’s put demands on the system itself.

I come from a two-parent household, I don't do drugs, I respect women, I am often accused of speaking in Shakespearean English, I have an Ivy League Degree and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence, and I wear slim fit suits to work everyday. Yet NONE of these protected me from being stopped and frisked. NONE of these protected me from a cop pulling me over and unclipping his gun holster because he thought I "matched the description". NONE of these can protect me from suffering a like fate as Michael Brown. That is the problem with respectability politics. It isn't the problem! Sin (i.e. white supremacy) is! Our moral uprightness notwithstanding, it is only by the mercies of God that we are not consumed. And is the last paragraph of this article in anyway charitable or loving to suggest that a public execution is a proper penalty for stealing??? The closing paragraphs of this article are appallingly devoid of Christian charity.

True religion calls us to care for the widow, the poor, and the marginalized in our society, to weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. Black America mourns at this time and weeps, crying out for justice. Let us mourn together; that is what this moment calls for. Pastor Thabiti put it best when he said that "you don’t answer oppression, violence, poverty, injustice, and a host of other problems with theology alone. Theology alone is not an answer. Nor are vague appeals to the gospel, however true it is that the gospel is our first, only and greatest hope. Action and policy guided by sound theology are answers. When Paul wrote to Philemon on behalf of the enslaved Onesimus (Philemon 1:8-20), he reminded Philemon of the gospel and the duty of Christian love. Then in love he told Philemon to take an action consistent with that theology: release Onesimus and receive him as a brother. As Christians, we cannot be long on theology (gospel) and short on ethics (loving action)." The loving action this moment calls for is decrying the injustice of a criminal justice system that does not value Black lives, and demand that it lives up to its ideals. We make those demands while praying for the city of Ferguson, the Brown family, the families of the boys, men and women lost to the abuse and violence of power, our civic and political leaders, and yes even the family of Darren Wilson. That in all this, God will get His glory, and our hearts and minds be drawn to the true reconciliation that is found at the Cross of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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meepy  Funmi Ojetayo • 10 hours ago
I am truly sorry you have been frisked and profiled by police. The prejudice is very ugly, but be assured that I do not share that mindset.

You say "NONE of these can protect me from suffering a fate as Michael Brown." I can't ignore the hyperbole of that statement, so sorry if this sounds snarky, but here are some simple rules of conduct that can keep you from suffering that fate:

1. Don't rob a convenience store.
2. After robbing a convenience store, don't walk down the middle of the street carrying the goods you stole.
3. When a cop tells you to use the sidewalk, don't mouth off to him.
4. When the cop sees the cigars you stole from the convenience store and starts to exit the cruiser, don't slam the door closed and punch him in the head.
5. While struggling with a cop, don't go for his gun.
6. If a cop is trying to arrest you and tells you to get on the ground, don't try to tackle him like an NFL defensive lineman going for a quarterback.

If Brown had followed these rules, I imagine he would have made it home alive. You are no criminal, so why do you lower yourself by trying to relate to thugs who dig their own graves through a constant string of bad choices?
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Funmi Ojetayo  meepy • 8 hours ago
Please see my response to Denise and Mr. Powell below. Following the rules does not guarantee I make it home to my baby boy at night. Consider this: Tamir Rice, Ezell Ford, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Jonathan Ferrell, and to take it back even further, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr. All these men followed the rules; none of them made it home to their families. It is only by the mercies of God that I am not consumed. There lie I, in a pool of my own blood, were it not for the mercies of God.

Consider this also: my white brothers and sisters who don't follow rules, yet still make it home to their families. There is abundant evidence showing (do a simple search on google or youtube) of white men, women, teenagers behaving rudely and even assaulting police officers, yet these were able to walk away with their lives! One of my favorites from a while back was of a man (white) fighting police officers (i.e. resisting arrest violently) in the police station! Yet, he was subdued with non-lethal force. Consider also the recent Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire. Were any rioters shot at or brutalized by law enforcement even while openly defying authority? Consider also:

2008: Jim Adkisson — kills two; wounds seven — apprehended alive
2008: Nicholas Troy Sheley — kills eight — apprehended alive
2011: Scott Evans Dekraai — kills eight; wounds one — apprehended alive
2011: Jared Lee Loughner — kills six; wounds 13 — apprehended alive
2012: James Holmes — kills 12; wounds 62 — apprehended alive.

These individuals all happen to be white (and murderers!) and are very much alive. It would be nice to chalk it all up to coincidence that an alarming number of unarmed blacks — who also hadn’t murdered anyone — are killed by law enforcement across this country, while those who not only murder average citizens but kill cops as well, are still breathing, eating and sleeping. In order to do that, though, a whole lot of history and contemporary facts would have to be ignored.

If we're going to argue for following rules, then let's argue that it be equally applied and the punishment should fit the crime across the board regardless of race or ethnicity. Unfortunately, the FACTS belie that maxim. That is why Black America is weeping and mourning --- nobody is arguing that there shouldn't be rules or that we shouldn't follow rules; we just want the rules to apply across the board, to be granted the same benefit of the doubt as our white brothers and sisters (that Black male does not equal guilty until proven innocent), and to simply be treated fairly. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently, it is.
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Forest C. Adcock  Funmi Ojetayo • 3 hours ago
Tamir Rice was shot by a police officer after pulling a toy firearm that had been modified to look like a real pistol out of his pants as cops arrived at a call over a male pointing a firearm at people. Those cops were never told that it was a child or that the caller suspected that the toy was real. This happened during a very stressful time for police officers as threats of violence against them rolled in constantly in the days leading up to the grand jury decision in ferguson that everyone knew would errupt into violence.

While I believe that he was never a threat to anyone in reality, and was likely trying to show the police that the firearm was a toy, Tamir did not follow common sense and died as a result. In that officer's eyes, during the seconds that this encounter lasted, this child was pulling a firearm that he had been pointing at people earlier in the day. After all the ambushes against cops this year, even I would have pulled the trigger and I have no desire to kill any child, ever.

Ezell Ford fought with officers who stopped him and tried to grab one of their weapons. Grabbing a police officer's firearm is on the list of things that just shouldn't happen if you don't want to die. Yes, he was mentally ill and may not have understood what was going on, but that did not make him any less of a threat. Often, violent mentally ill offenders are the most dangerous because their actions are not logical and are not related to reality.

Amadou Diallo ran from police officers who approached him at night and pulled what was believed to be a handgun from his clothing. That officer shouted to warn his fellow officers and a one-sided shootout occurred. Yes, I will agree that this is a complete tragedy that should not have happened, but running from the police at night is a bad idea and reaching into your clothes during that chase is an even worse idea. It's sad that he died, but the jury came back with the correct verdict in my opinion. After approaching a man they believed to be a wanted felon and identifying themselves as police, the suspect fled and drew an unknown object from his pocket when cornered...

Sean Bell was with a group of men at a strip club (when has anything good ever happened at a strip club?) that was being investigated by the police when one of his companions was heard threatening to retrieve a firearm and shoot someone. An african american officer followed the men and radioed for backup. When approached by officers who identified themselves as such, Mr Bell plowed his car into one of them. He comitted a violent assault on an officer while officers thought he was in posession of a firearm... Sorry, this one gets chalked up to "not the cops fault" also. Yes, the cops went overboard with the shooting, but they were not the ones who started the attack, he was.

Jonathan Ferrell was most likely murdered by police. After a homeowner called to report a suspicious person on her property, police found Mr. Ferrell walking towards them looking for help after a car wreck and they shot him. While lying on the ground bleeding to death he was also handcuffed as if he posed a threat to the officers who killed him.

That's one out of five people that you mentioned who died as a result of their violent actions or their misguided actions at bad times. 80 percent of the people you mentioned acted in ways that directly led police officers to conclude that they were lethal threats to their safety during some of those officer's most stressful moments.

The other two people you listed would be ashamed to have their names listed in with those criminals and I won't even give you the satisfaction of a listing of the crimes their murderers committed. Those men dedicated their lives to peaceful protest of unjust laws to set a nation free of racism and shame even though they knew the dangers their work would bring at them. They willingly walked with their heads up towards peace and you have the balls to list them among criminals who ran down black law enforcement officers without provocation simply because they were black men who died? Neither were shot by police. Neither were close enough to their attackers to have been any threat. Neither had histories of violence or criminality (aside from protest related activities.) The only thing those two men have in common with the men listed above them is that they were black, they died, and that they were just used by a racist as justification for their distrust of white people.

You really should be ashamed.
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Denise  Funmi Ojetayo • 10 hours ago
I do not understand your logic that black on black crime is not an issue. Nor is it a way to put the black man down. I also take offence that you would group Trayvon Martin in with Michael Brown. Michael Brown was a thug who robbed an innocent store owner and scared the poor man with his big size. Trayvon Martin was an innocent kid walking home and accosted by a wannabe cop. The difference to me is sin. Trayvon was not sinning. Michael Brown was sinning. He approached and challenged a cop. I'm not saying the black man isn't pulled over more and harassed. I know that to be true. But what this article is saying is that being shot by a cop when driving innocently on your way is much less likely to get you shot than robbing a convenience store. My question to you is what can be done to protect a criminal from being shot? You seem to think Michael Brown was shot because he was black. I just think that's fundamentally wrong. Trayvon Martin was shot because he was black in my opinion. Michael Brown was not and if we can't agree on that, how can we ever have a discussion. We have a black president. Oprah is one of the richest people in the world and also black. So what can we do differently in America in your opinion so that there are more Oprahs and Obamas and fewer Michael Browns?
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Funmi Ojetayo  Denise • 8 hours ago
1. We do not publicly execute people in this country, even criminals, without due process of law and a public trial (note: I did not say fair trials, because again, the statistics, history, and contemporary realities belie the idea of "fairness" in the criminal justice system as it applies to African Americans in this country). It's absurd to think that the punishment for stealing cigarillos should be public execution, whereas there are those who do much worse, and walk away with their lives (more on this in point 4).

2. Blacks stubbornly persist in being poor, living in disadvantaged circumstances, getting shot by the police for no particular reason and going to prison in large numbers. With that said, just because our president is Black, Oprah is a Black-billionaire and you don’t personally use racial slurs, does not mean that racism is dead. It’s alive and well, and starring you in the face.

3. So this is what we're doing now: throw crime stats in the faces of those attempting to address institutional and systemic racism. The assertion is that a high number of blacks are killed and assaulted by blacks, and those numbers should dictate how blacks should be treated by law enforcement. In other words: A black person’s rights as both a citizen and a human being are tied to the percentage of blacks who commit crimes.

So, if that is the case:

White young people should be pulled over by police a great deal more because white 21-year-olds are 50 percent more likely than their Hispanic, Asian or black peers to report driving after drinking.

We should regard white males with suspicion around children because most suspects charged with sex exploitation are white, male, U.S. citizens. They are nearly 70 percent more than any other group to commit violent crimes against children and three times more likely than black inmates to have committed a criminal offense against a child.

We shouldn’t trust whites with our money, either, because the financial crisis which began in 2007 destroyed $34.4 trillion of wealth globally by March 2009. Those at the helm and in management positions in these financial institutions were predominantly white. White-collar crime costs us between $300 and $660 billion annually, as of 2005. This is another crime whose perpetrators are mostly white.

There are many more examples, but these are adequate to make the point. Now, before the invectives are spewed, please remember that the rule of the racialized logic game dictates that statistics regarding crime or incompetence drive the debate and the preponderance of an ethnic group’s representation in certain misdeeds is what the argument hinges on. The point is simple: either we ask all groups to answer the what about blank-on-blank crime question, or we ask no group to.

3. This comment and others keep talking about following the "rules" as a means to sparing Black lives. Again, the historical record and contemporary realities, and the statistics (please please please look up the facts on disparate treatment, police brutality, unequal justice system; there is a ton of studies and well-sourced materials out there - this is not anecdotal, this is no polemic; I'm talking about FACTS) belie this assumption! Let's use a recent example of a black man in South Carolina that was pulled over at a gas station and the cop asks him to get his wallet. He followed the rules, with his hands raised, went to get his wallet from his car, and yet the police shot at him multiple times! I'm not making this up; you can look it up on youtube right now. This is real life, this is what it means to be Black in America Denise, where my skin-color has typecasted me as a thug and criminal. I am not afforded the benefit of the doubt, something that is richly afforded my white brothers and sisters. There is abundant evidence showing (do a simple search on google or youtube) of white men, women, teenagers behaving rudely and even assaulting police officers, yet these were able to walk away with their lives! Consider the recent Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire. Were any rioters shot at or brutalized by law enforcement even while openly defying authority? Consider this also:

2008: Jim Adkisson — kills two; wounds seven — apprehended alive
2008: Nicholas Troy Sheley — kills eight — apprehended alive
2011: Scott Evans Dekraai — kills eight; wounds one — apprehended alive
2011: Jared Lee Loughner — kills six; wounds 13 — apprehended alive
2012: James Holmes — kills 12; wounds 62 — apprehended alive.

These individuals all happen to be white (and murderers!) and are very much alive. It would be nice to chalk it all up to coincidence that an alarming number of unarmed blacks — who also hadn’t murdered anyone — are killed by law enforcement across this country, while those who not only murder average citizens but kill cops as well, are still breathing, eating and sleeping. In order to do that, though, a whole lot of history and contemporary facts would have to be ignored.
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Gabriel Powell  Funmi Ojetayo • 12 hours ago
"NONE of these can protect me from suffering a like fate as Michael Brown."
Brother, while not dismissing past and potential discrimination against you, that statement is simply false. It may very well be that you have been and may be unjustly treated, but how you respond to that treatment, and how you live the rest of your life will, will protect you from suffering a like fate as Michael Brown.
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tumimoraba  Gabriel Powell • 11 hours ago
Interesting that you, Mr Powell, dismiss Fumni"s experience as a black person living in America. Mr Powell it is incorrect of you to say that, that statement is false. As black men growing in this country, yes christian and very educated, we are subjected to some unfair treatment from white cops, regardless of my faith or level of education. Sometimes disagreeing with people about their own experiences shows that you might need to walk a mile in their shoes, then you might get to disagree.

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Gabriel Powell  tumimoraba • 9 hours ago
If you read my comment again, you'll notice I did not at all dismiss his experience. I merely doubted that there was nothing to protect him from Michael Brown's fate.
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Funmi Ojetayo  Gabriel Powell • 11 hours ago
Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof (Mt. 6:34). My being good or responding "right" does not earn me my life, and to think so is the height of self-righteousness. It is by the mercies of God that I am not consumed (Lamentations 2:22-23). There lie I, with a bullet in my head from a crazed cop or gangbanger, only by the grace of God! I have not earned my life or did anything to deserve it! Except the Lord keeps me from evil, I keep myself in vain! (Psa. 127:1) The idea that if I (or Black folk in general) follow the rules, then I will be spared is belied by historical record and contemporary realities. I am also appalled that that is now the metric we should measure the exercise of police power and authority. At least I didn't get shot at?! What about my basic God given right to dignity as an image bearer of God? There is abundant evidence showing (do a simple search on google or youtube) of white men, women, teenagers behaving rudely and even assaulting police officers, yet these were able to walk away with their lives! Consider the recent Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire. Were any rioters shot at or brutalized by law enforcement even while openly defying authority? Consider this also:
2008: Jim Adkisson — kills two; wounds seven — apprehended alive
2008: Nicholas Troy Sheley — kills eight — apprehended alive
2011: Scott Evans Dekraai — kills eight; wounds one — apprehended alive
2011: Jared Lee Loughner — kills six; wounds 13 — apprehended alive
2012: James Holmes — kills 12; wounds 62 — apprehended alive.

These individuals all happen to be white and are very much alive. It would be nice to chalk it all up to coincidence that an alarming number of unarmed blacks — who also hadn’t murdered anyone — are killed by law enforcement across this country, while those who not only murder average citizens but kill cops as well, are still breathing, eating and sleeping. In order to do that, though, a whole lot of history would have to be ignored. But I guess it's safer to ignore the glaring inequities and unequal application of law than to deal with the system that perpetuates it.
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Gabriel Powell  Funmi Ojetayo • 9 hours ago
Brother, my statement was not intended to deny the sovereignty of God over the moment and circumstances of our life and death. It is simply to say that Michael Brown was shot only--ONLY--after attacking the police officer. Perhaps that is not always the case, but it was in his case. Even when you are mistreated or falsely assumed as in the wrong, if you do not retaliate, the likelihood of you getting shot is extremely low.
As to your statistics, they are meaningless until you add to them all the criminals that were shot and killed during a crime. Here in LA I hear on the radio all the time of criminals being killed at the scene because they retaliated rather than submitted to arrest.
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Funmi Ojetayo  Gabriel Powell • 5 hours ago
Herein lies the rub of your argument: "even when you are mistreated or falsely assumed as in the wrong, if you do not retaliate, the likelihood of you getting shot is extremely low"

I'm trying to tell you that, as much as you wish it to be, the rules that apply to you don't apply to me. We live markedly different lives in America - my life as a Black man in America is very different from yours as a white man in America (again, the research and numbers bear this out) ***Aside: you cannot now seriously disregard the stats I cite about inequality while just moments ago agreeing with the stats on "black-on-black crime"; that is simply illogical and an unequal treatment/weighing of the evidence***. For you perhaps, obeying the rules and following the dictates of authority will spare you from indignities and even murder; but for me, it is no guarantee. The likelihood does not lessen even when I follow the rules. There are multiple examples out there (cf: my response to Denise above) supporting this. It is the height of hubris to now say that cannot be the case, because obviously you don't experience authority that way, I cannot possibly experience authority in America that way. Again, that is decidedly not the case. To be a Black man in America is to carry a different burden of proof, for we are guilty before proven innocent, we are above all a threat and menace to society. Even Pastor Bauchum's anecdotes bears that out. One more time: America is a country of inequality, discrimination, segregation, and racism. There is no equality under the law. To deny that simply yet true fact is to willfully ignore and remain blind to the mountain of evidence as well as the cries of your brothers and sisters in Christ of a different hue. To deny that truth is to deny that America is endemically sinful.
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Sarah • 13 hours ago
Appreciate your thoughts, but "black on black" crime is an unfair term that distracts from the issues. "White on White" crime is, too, out of control. Blessings and thank you for sharing your heart, brother, but I disagree.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/a...

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/21/6...
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Ben C • 13 hours ago
Voddie, thank you for such a wise and insightful piece. I'm so glad you didn't fall for the "white privilege" carrot or blame some vague abstract "systemic injustice" for the incident in Ferguson. You sound like an incredible father and leader. I've been so disappointed with the leadership in the Christian community over the Ferguson issue (from both blacks and whites), but your words give me hope. Keep up the good work!
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Michelle  Ben C • 5 hours ago
As Christians we SHOULD be decrying systemic injustice. The Bible does and calls it sin.
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alexguggenheim • 13 hours ago
Solutions come only when people will speak the truth about a matter. You spoke as a man interested in the truth, both the gospel truth and social truth.

This is an unexpected article which TGC posted and may other TGC blog writers have the courage to read and consider your words. I have been appalled by some of the hand-wringing/no-real-solutions and pandering articles I have observed being posted.

As I think about what you have written I want to also add that this should be something any man or woman, black, white or in-between, should be able to say without being lectured about failing to be sensitive or being call a "racist" and especially a Christian among Christians. Some of these things are blunt realities that will not go away with blame shifting or racial motive assignment and are true in any context which you brought out and applied to this specific context.

Further, dealing with such realities should not be treated as some kind of racial privilege where only a black Christian may speak about tragic events that involve black people because non-blacks and especially, whites, simply cannot understand (I do not believe you hold that view, I am speaking to those who do). That, in and of itself, is a fallacy based in racial narcissism. I understood quite clearly what you wrote and thought many of those things before ever reading this.

This is an essay on truth, not color, though you acknowledge (and I am sure your readers do to but even those must be based in truth as you example for your readers in this essay) that there are social issues relating to color to be addressed. And where there is truth, there is freedom, there is preservation, there is opportunity and there is honest fellowship. Thank you again.
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Jacob Cullers • 14 hours ago
Great teaching and perspective as always Brother Voddie. I am appreciative of your willingness to say things that our society has a hard time hearing, the truth you speak is undeniable. Yet your reminder to live and glorify Christ in all things sticks out and even in these times as much as the culture around us wants to all be riveted by the controversy it is our job to remember the calm Our Father is in the storm. i thank you all of you brothers and sisters that live for the Gospel may we all be driven to lead others to the Peace of Jesus Christ!
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Bo Salisbury • 14 hours ago
Thank you for this... you addressed a real issue for me. I have said nothing on this event/issue or others on FB or anywhere else, since I have essentially been shut out of the discussion because of my skin color - I have been tagged with the epithet of "privilege" and, once that stereotype sticks, my objectivity, feelings of sympathy/empathy or contribution to the discussion or solution is effectively discounted, ignored or derided.

I did not know that you grew up in South Central. I grew up in South Whittier and I am 59. I was there during the Watts riots and the unrest of the late 60s. I knew gang members and radicals. They were in my "hood."

I also knew a man pretty well down there: He grew up dirt poor and his mom was the sole bread-winner. His dad fought in an unpopular war and came back forever scarred from chemicals, but no Purple Heart medal that I was aware of. His father was aloof, couldn't hold down a job and, by all accounts, was not an ideal father or husband - he died young. The family raised chickens, sold eggs and anything else, including what property they had, to pay off debts and stay afloat. This man I knew grew up in a diverse neighborhood where everyone was poor and some were violent. One kid in the hood burned down a barn with another kid in it. After getting off to a new start in the Army, this man found himself a despised minority and was involved in bar fights and brawls, witnessed murder scenes and misery. He loved the movies, but saw many of them in theaters where rats would start crawling around his feet, as soon as the lights went out. As an adult, he worked at a number of low skill jobs, until he finally landed work as a delivery truck driver in Vernon, Compton, Watts and that area. From what I do know of Ferguson MO, this guy had it worse growing up.

As I say, I knew this man very well. I personally did not go through the struggles or face the obstacles he did. Yes, I was privileged in that sense, but I fail to understand how my good fortune renders my thoughts and insights into poverty, injustice, prejudice, inequality, joblessness and family dynamics irrelevant. What is it that I "don't understand" about these issues and how is it that I lack empathy? I'm just at a loss and really wonder, what it is these people want from me? I mean, once they (not just African Americans) tag me as privileged, don't they realize that I bring nothing to table -- there's nothing I can do, really, except agree with them? It's like all they want from me is their approval to have their opinion, seek their own solution and, then, comply with it. In essence, doesn't that just make me a modern-day slave to them and their system?

In other words, because I'm white that makes me privileged. Because I'm privileged, I have nothing to offer except my slavish obedience to their system and I must submit to their demands as my master. If I don't, I get punished.

I'm not whining. I'm just saying that much of what I hear from folks representing the underprivileged and oppressed seems to be 1) holding people like me responsible for their plight 2) holding me to some unattainable or impossible standard of thought or conduct to change the situation.
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Scott Ingram • 16 hours ago
Great article Pastor Baucham! I too am a pastor of a Baptist church in NC. I am also retired Law Enforcement having working in the streets for over 17 years. I have seen both sides of this coin that you have so thoroughly laid out to the readers. I am moved by your words as someone who has been dealt the blow of injustice. You hit the nail on the head. But it is very difficult for me as a Pastor to have a conversation about matters such as Ferguson because I am a white man (former cop) from the South. I am already viewed as biased. However, It is so refreshing to hear a Godly man....a Godly black man stand on God's word and call out sin...despite race and social status. I commend you for standing up and bringing out facts about the issues facing African Americans but more importantly for giving the truth that all are sinners. May God richly bless you and your ministry.