Some
time ago, a Virginia Tech humanities professor apologized to her students of
color for being white; for having white skin and encouraged her white students
to join her on a journey to confront their innate and inherent racial biases;
biases that supposedly her white students never knew they had until she told
them that white people are inherently racist.
She
also apologized for the middle-class privileges that she supposedly was born
into and expressed shame that she benefitted from those privileges and that being
white is what bestowed upon her so-called “white privilege”. [1]
She
wants white people to not only be ashamed of the color of their skin because it
somehow makes them racist, but she also wants them to be ashamed of any
prosperity that they have attained and if they have been born into a well-to-do
family, to feel ashamed of the benefits and privileges into which they were
born.
How
does “white skin” make anyone more inherently racist than someone who is NOT
white?
Anyone
claiming that all black people are inherently criminal, or that Arabs are all terrorists
would be immediately branded as a racist or a bigot, and rightfully so, because
not all blacks are criminals and not all Arabs or people who hail from the
middle-east or are of mid-east descent are terrorists, and if it would be
racist to claim otherwise, how then can it not be equally racist to claim that
all white people are inherently racist?
And
how does simply being white make anyone more “privileged” than someone who is
not white especially when minorities have the same rights and liberties as any
white person and are given the same opportunities to prosper as any white
person, and are found in virtually every occupation that white people are?
And
how can minorities, who have been granted a greater amount of wealth,
influence, and even power, still be considered oppressed? If they were oppressed, they no longer are
now while many white people, like many minorities, for a variety of different
reasons, continue to live in poverty living pay check to pay check.
No
one is going to deny that white people have done their share of evil and
injustice both to each other and to people of color but how can anyone possibly
buy into the nonsense that only white people have things for which they need to
apologize and that people of color have nothing to apologize for?
What
nations and people can honestly claim themselves innocent of the crimes of
which western civilization is accused of?
What
nation and people are innocent of stealing what doesn’t belong to them?
What
nation and people are innocent of taking captive and enslaving their fellow man
for power and profit?
What
nation and people have a history devoid of atrocities and cruelty of some form?
What
nation and people can declare themselves free of prejudice?
What
nation and people can claim that have not been unjust?
What
nation and people can say that they have not played the role of the oppressor?
What
nation and people can claim that there are no citizens among them who may be
more privileged than others?
There
isn’t any. Study any history you want
and you will find that every society has committed evils and injustices of their
own at some point in their history and in many cases still do today.
But
why is it that whites are the only ones being condemned for imperialistic ambition,
for land theft, slavery, racism, and oppression? Why are these so-called justice warriors who
demand that whites take responsibility for injustices already rectified turning
a blind eye to the treatment of women under Sharia law? Why are they ignoring the oppressive Hindu caste
system that has kept many in India in poverty and denying them any way of
moving up the economic scale in that country?
Why have they not expressed outrage at the killing of baby girls in China?
Why
are they not campaigning against human sex-trafficking which is taking place
throughout the world including nations and regions dominated by people WHO AREN’T
WHITE?
Some
of the worst atrocities imaginable that have been committed and are still being
done today have been done by non-whites.
Some of the most oppressive societies to have ever existed were governed
and are still being governed by non-whites.
North
American and western European societies already look back upon colonialism,
slavery, segregation, and apartheid with shame and remorse. These evils have already been rectified. Slavery in western society was abolished and
outlawed centuries ago. Segregation in
America and apartheid in South Africa were put to an end and measures have been
taken to ensure that everyone in western society, regardless of skin color,
gender, religion, social, or economic status are treated the same and are all
given the same civil rights and liberties.
But
when the last bastions of Communism fall and when there becomes a mass
disillusionment with Islam and Sharia law loses all credibility, those
generations in which Communism and Sharia law, in at least as we know them, no
longer exist, are going to look back on that dark history with disdain,
contempt, shame, and remorse, just as North Americans and Europeans look back
with disdain and shame at the wicked things within their history and without
any desire to repeat those evils again.
Every
nation and society whether they be western, Native American, Latin American,
African, Caribbean, Pacific Islander, Arab, Central Asian, or Far East Asian, has
something in their history to be ashamed of if we really want to be fair; some
more so than others, but still, every people, white or not, has something in
their history of which to be ashamed. No
matter what history or culture you study, there will always be a record of evil
and shameful deeds and actions alongside those that are good and honorable,
failings alongside every accomplishment, and dark eras alongside every renaissance
period and if we were to study each history objectively and fairly, we would
find that every society and people, in spite of their differences, share in
common the ability to accomplish great feats, to do things that are good and worthy
of honor and respect, to be creative and innovative, and yet at the same time,
all have the propensity to commit every kind of wickedness and evil imaginable
under the sun.
But
those continuing to insist that the history of white people is the only history
containing records of shameful, wicked, and contemptible acts do not know history
much less understand it, but instead have only received propaganda that does
not present everything that needs to be known in history or they have received
a gross misrepresentation of past events in history.
We
cannot apologize for the color of our skin, lineage, or gender because no one
chose the color of their skin, lineage, ethnicity, nationality, or gender and
those things are not what determines whether we are good or evil.
We
cannot apologize for the economic and social status into which we may be born
and we need not be made ashamed for taking any opportunity presented to us to
better our respective economic and social status but we should remember to
desire those less fortunate than us to become as prosperous as we are.
But
what we do need to apologize for are bad actions and deeds, cruelly and
carelessly spoken words, not treating our fellow man with the love, respect,
and dignity that we should be, and the poor and foolish choices that we make in
life.
For
the day is coming when all nations and all people must stand before the God who
made them to give an account for what they have done and how they have lived
their lives because the God who made the heavens and the earth will judge all
people in accordance to one law that He applies to all people regardless of their
skin color, nationality, lineage, ethnicity, gender, or station in life. (Num.
15:16)
He
is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and He will judge all fairly, not
regarding any one nation or people morally superior or inferior to another because
we have all instilled in us the capacity to choose good or evil and it has been
that way since the day that God created man.
But
there is a standard that, despite the best efforts and intentions of any of us,
that we all fall short of and have fallen short of it ever since the first man
Adam and his wife Eve, from whom we all descend fell into transgressions
themselves.
Before
then, they were without corruption nor were they subject to any moral
shortcomings for they were created to be morally perfect and pure until the day
that they had disobeyed one command that God had given them and that command was
to not eat fruit from a certain tree called the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, for they were warned that in the day that they did so, they would
surely die. (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3)
Refusing
to heed the warning of their Maker, they did eat the fruit from that tree and
when they did, sin entered into them; sin being that fallen corrupted inward
condition inside of all people and which prevents them from being able to
attain moral perfection.
In
the day that sin entered into them, they received in themselves the sentence of
death (Gen. 3:19) and as a consequence, eventually died, but the sentence of
death did not stop with them, for the sin that entered into Adam and Eve when
they disobeyed that one command, passed into all of humanity (Rom. 5:12) which
is why all people sin and fall short of the glory of God which is moral
perfection (Rom. 3:23) and it is because of sin that we all eventually die. (Rom.
6:23)
Because
of sin, we all have something from which we need to repent of before God every
day and every one of us will always have something for which they need to
apologize to their fellow man for and vice versa.
And
the day is coming when all sin will be punished and eliminated but that also
means that any who remain in their sin will also face punishment as well because
sin affects more than we can comprehend.
It taints, spoils, ruins, defiles, corrupts, twists, and destroys all that
it touches. It is the reason why it is
written that all of creation groans and travails in pain to this day (Rom.
8:19-22) and it is because of all the suffering and evil associated with sin
that God cannot allow it to abide forever, nor can He allow sin a place within
His Heavenly Kingdom or in the new and better world to come that He has
promised to all who will fear, love, and serve Him.
But
though divine justice must eventually be carried out against all things evil in
the sight of the Lord, the Almighty is not willing that any should perish but
that all come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9) and therefore has provided redemption
on our behalf in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, in whom there is no sin
(2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15) making Him that perfect and unblemished sacrifice
needed to take away the sins of the world and by His shed blood upon the cross
to which He was crucified, the demanded penalty for sin was satisfied in His
death and by His resurrection from the dead are we made justified in Him (Rom.
4:25) and able to receive forgiveness of sins if we will but call upon His name
for salvation (Rom. 10:12) and place our trust in Him alone for redemption and
in no other name nor by any other means.
In
calling upon the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, we are transformed
spiritually, being made new, (2 Cor. 5:17) no longer desiring to do those
things evil in the sight of God nor wanting to do those things that displease
Him but desiring to honor and please Him in all things, no longer wishing to walk
in the lies and falsehoods of this dark world, but only in the truth that comes
from God, and no longer setting our sights and priorities upon the temporal
things of this present world, but only upon advancing heavenly interests, and
no longer seeking the favor of men, but only the honor that comes from God, no
longer concerning ourselves with what men think of us but only with pleasing
the God who made us, no longer placing our faith and hope in the things of this
world, but only in the God who is able to provide for all of our needs, sustain
us during times of difficulty, and who is able to deliver us from evil.
And
just as we have been given new life spiritually in Christ and just as our souls
are transformed by His cleansing blood, so one day, our bodies, which are still
subject to death, will also be changed into bodies that are no longer subject
to death (1 Cor. 15:51-55, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) when they are transformed from the
presently corruptible forms in which sin dwells into forms incorruptible and in
which sin has no presence.
And
lastly, creation itself will be liberated from its present curse that came upon
it because of sin when it is made anew (Rev. 21-22) and into a world in which there
is no sin, in which neither death nor decay dwell, and in which all the evils,
sufferings, miseries, pains, griefs, hardships, adversities, and sorrows that
we experience today will be no more, but instead will only be a place of
happiness, gladness, peace, and joy before the Lord God Almighty.
I
would urge you reader, that if you have not already done so, to turn away from
your sins and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins,
so that you will not have to face the unimaginably terrifying judgment that is
to come upon all evil and all things sinful, but instead be liberated from condemnation
and be brought into the Kingdom of God before whom there will be everlasting
joy, peace and contentment but if for any reason you do not feel you have
anything to repent of, then I would challenge you to embark on this journey:
A
journey of self-examination before God Almighty; an examination of not only
outward acts and words spoken, but also of every thought, motive, and
attitude. It is a journey that can the
most humbling of journeys and experiences that you might ever have, but at the
same time it can also be the most terrifying when you come to the realization
that your own goodness falls short of the goodness that God desires of all of
us and that you are guilty of breaking His law in some form or fashion and the
penalty for breaking His law is not only death but eternal damnation which is
nothing more than everlasting torment and separation from the Creator but it is
only when you take that journey of self-examination of both the outward
performance and the inward performance that you begin to understand why Jesus
had to die upon the cross for your sins and why it is by grace by faith in
Christ that we are saved (Eph. 2:8-9) and not by our own efforts or by any
other means because it is not just the outward performance that is judged, but
the inward person as well and the change required for redemption is not merely
a change in actions or even in the words that come out of our mouth but a
transformation of the inward person which is a spiritual transformation which
is only possible in Christ and it is this spiritual transformation done by
Christ in us that redeems us from what would otherwise be a terrifying judgment. It that redemption of the soul that grants us
entry into Heaven a redemption given to us by an act of grace and mercy to any
who will call upon the name of Christ for salvation
It
is but a simple prayer of repentance away:
"Lord
Jesus I need you.
I
realize that I am a sinner
who
has fallen short of the glory of God
and
that my goodness falls short
of
your standard of Moral perfection.
Please
forgive me of all of my sins.
Come
into my heart and into my life
to
be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make
me into the servant and follower
that
you want me to be.
In
your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen."
End
notes:
1. Cullen McCue, “Virginia Tech Professor
Apologizes To Her Students For Being White,”
National File, September 18, 2021
https://nationalfile.com/virginia-tech-professor-apologizes-to-her-students-for-being-white/
Scripture
references:
1. Numbers 15:16
2. Acts 10:34
3. Genesis 2:16-17
4. Genesis 3:3
5. Genesis 3:19
6. Romans 5:12
7. Romans 3:23
8. Romans 6:23
9. Romans 8:19-22
10. 2 Corinthians 5:21
11. Hebrews 4:15
12. Romans 4:25
13. Romans 10:12
14. 2 Corinthians 5:17
15. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55
16. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
17. Revelation 21-22
18. Ephesians 2:8-9
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