"In conservative evangelical circles, often times there'll be a real concern about immigration, and especially, what? Illegal immigration...But here's the thing. What if that is God's plan to reverse secularization in the United States?"
Ligon Duncan
Thread incoming 🧵.
Ligon Duncan
Thread incoming 🧵.
This clip'll probably earn some dunking in the quote-RTs, because there's a lot of perfectly innocuous things to agree with. But I'd like to unpack some of the assumptions in it that reveal a really ugly anthropology.
The point, in brief:
The point, in brief:
As @SovMichael points out, this has been a talking point from the WEF/CFR-adjacent evangelical elites for a long time. Plus the claim "immigration aids the Great Commission b/c it brings the nations to our doorstep." Duncan uses it earlier in this talk.
https://twitter.com/SovMichael/status/1451165583278583811
Recently, we heard it from Tim Keller at TGC21.
https://twitter.com/WokePreacherTV/status/1396517786034245634
The frustrating thing about this talk (and 2 others at the same event) is Lig is very good at assuaging conservatives' objections/tossing in caveats. He gave a great plug to Thaddeus Williams' book on justice! Same here with "legitimate concerns" re: illegal immigration. BUT...
He assumes MOST conservatives' fear = demographics. He's got 1st-person anecdotes of ppl who are. Fine! But others' bad reasoning doesn't excuse us of the same. Lig should absolutely oppose illegal immigration, even if he doesn't care about demographics/nat'l cohesion/law + order
To illustrate this point, I made a wall-o-text lefty meme.
"I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!"
"I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!"
Next, the claim of "immigration curbs secularism." Historically, there does not appear to be a positive correlation in this regard. In this talk, Lig cites the Immigration + Nationality Act Of 1965 as the source of blooming diversity in the U.S. But religiosity has tanked since.
So, what data is driving his claim? Surely it couldn't be race essentialism and stereotyping!
...Right?
...Right?
Note the vagueness. "Reverse secularization" does not necessarily mean Christian belief. NPR describes Dearborn, Michigan, as "overwhelmingly Muslim, and majority Shiite Muslim." Not secular, yay! So how does that make a difference for evangelism and culture? He doesn't say.
Similarly, we've all seen the survey about "more witches than PCUSA members" in America today. Not secular, yay! How does that make a difference for evangelism and culture? He doesn't say.
More weasel wording @ the end of the clip: "Certainly, it gives us a great gospel opportunity."
Now, does that mean an opportunity to share the gospel? How would "secular assumptions" affect that one way or another? Ray Comfort + others show it's no sweat to evangelize atheists.
Now, does that mean an opportunity to share the gospel? How would "secular assumptions" affect that one way or another? Ray Comfort + others show it's no sweat to evangelize atheists.
If not evangelism, what is the "gospel opportunity"? Shifting the culture/laws? Like I said, good luck forming a Presby/Wiccan coalition in that regard. "Gospel issue" is one of those feel-good fluff phrases that really doesn't mean anything until Lig gives us real content.
I realize I'm putting words in Lig's mouth here, but the inescapable conclusion I'm getting from him is: white Americans are fallow ground. They are hindering the gospel. Thank God for these other ethnicities which will yield good fruit.
Which is bigotry.
Which is bigotry.
There's more to nitpick, sure (e.g. describing all "Asians" as Christian, ignoring the slow-motion colonization by China's decidedly atheist regime), but I think I'll leave it there.
Source: facebook.com/redemptiveunit…
How strange pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
