Giving Lip Service to Martin Luther King Jr. and The Civil Rights Movement

The American Charade

I find it quite interesting that a large portion of the American population has abandoned Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream but still gives lip service to civil rights every year. What do I mean by that? Take a look at this quote from Martin Luther King Jr's speech "I Have A Dream": 

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

Notice that Martin Luther King Jr. appeals to the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson (and the Declaration's signatories) understood that the idea that "all men are created equal" and that all people have intrinsic and equal rights and dignity (black lives matter, and so do all other lives) is completely dependent upon the truth of the claim that all humans are created in the Image of God. If that claim is false, then no humans have intrinsic or equal rights or dignity (black lives do not matter and neither do any other lives). As Americans continue to abandon God, they abandon the only foundation for intrinsic and equal human rights and dignity; they are abandoning the idea that black lives matter but are holding on to the phrase because everyone knows that the phrase conveys a truth about reality despite their philosophical denial of it. These Americans are playing a charade.

Book Review: The Magna Carta Of Humanity

The Magna Carta of Humanity: Sinai's Revolutionary Faith and The Future of Freedom

In today's world it is difficult to be online, at parties, with family, at work, or even just in public without hearing about the current cultural and political climate in the United States. Even if the Christian case-maker tries to avoid politics, they still confront culture and will be challenged with the hypocrisies of the Church and those who claimed to be members of the Church who just happened to also have founded The United States of America. And it is rare that challenges stop there. 

People are passionate about one political view (or party) or another. Extremes on the different sides constantly accuse opposing sides of trying to destroy democracy, the Constitution, and even freedom itself. The rhetoric and apparent goals of different politicians can get our heads spinning out of control as we try to make sense of what is going on, how it affects us (and our future), what we can do about it to bring some measure of sanity in the conversations we inevitably get sucked into, and how we can respond logically with both gentleness and respect when the challenges come. 

That is where I have found great value in Os Guinness' "The Magna Carta of Humanity" (Hard copy, audiobook, Kindle). Guinness digs into the foundations, principles, and histories of the cultural and political divide in America. He compares and contrasts them in such a way that brings crystal clarity to the current situation. He points out that before we can even talk about "make America great again" (MAGA), we must truly understand what made America great in the first place. And before anyone wishes to reject the ideals that founded America, they must first truly understand those ideals and truly understand the implications of the ideals they are trading them for. 

In my effort to help you determine if this is a book that is worth your time (and I believe it is), I will include a few of the skeletal points of the book, several of my favorite quotes (mainly from the Introduction- I don't want to spoil too much), and my more specific recommendations. 

Answering Death and Suffering- Christianity is the Only Option

All Worldviews Must Address Suffering

Suffering is a great challenge of life and a great inconvenient truth to the world's religions and worldviews. Many different worldviews offer different ways to address this challenge. The worldview of naturalism simply makes the recognition that "life is suffering, then you die." If naturalism is true, then this is a very accurate, though bleak, view of life- you suffer for no apparent reason then you die and become worm food. 

I have heard some people claim that this is quite satisfying because it frees them from any expectations of others and grants them the satisfaction of being able to do whatever they want to numb, avoid, or drown out the suffering of life. Granting that "life is suffering, then you die" is not satisfaction, though; it is surrender. It is not inspiring; it is depressing. But the truth is that if atheism is true, it really doesn't matter if this statement represents surrender or if it is depressing; if it is true, then we are stuck with it and its implications of surrender and depression.