These Words Don't Mean What Christians Think

Due to pervasive ideas spawned by Critical Theory, there are some “buzz words” that Followers of Christ should understand. These words don't mean what Christians think.

One of these words is oppression, and its sister-word, oppressor.

Oppression (in the context of Critical Theory), does not necessarily mean cruel treatment. A person is an oppressor if he/she is part of an oppressor group, as we discussed in recent posts. The individual is a non-factor.

But what defines or determines an oppressor group? 

An oppressor group is not necessarily the largest group. Old white males, for example, make up 15% of the U.S. population. But they are deemed an oppressor group because they have “hegemonic power.”

Hegemonic power establishes what is socially normal. It is a “gate keeper" for socially acceptable behavior.

For many years, Christianity had “hegemonic power” in the U.S. When I was a boy, even non-Christians accepted Christianity as the “gate keeper” for acceptable moral behavior. It was common to hear people say, "we're a Christian nation.”  

In the 1830s, when the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville came to examine the U.S., he noted: “The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other” (from Democracy in America). 

Not so today.

Critical Theory cannot tolerate hegemonic power, because hegemonic power determines what is “normal” or “acceptable” for others, and that is oppressive.  

This is why some Christian groups are now being branded as “hate groups.” Teaching that homosexual practice is wrong for everyone is now deemed “hate speech.” It imposes a “normativity” on people across people groups. Such cross-group "norming” is verboten. Such teaching is an oppressive imposition, especially if those who teach it are quoting the Divine.   

Imposing social norms on others (even if it is a passive imposition through unspoken expectations) is an offense because it restricts people’s freedom to determine what is acceptable for themselves.

Even for a 5’ 9” white guy to say he is a 6’5” Chinese woman is not a problem these days. To not agree with him/her would be offensive—and oppressive. It’s a postmodern sin to say your neighbor's self-identity is “wrong.” To do so imposes a social norm on them, and this is oppressive.  

Watch how Critical Theory has affected students at the University of Washington (https://youtu.be/xfO1veFs6Ho):

Posted by Dr. Christian Overman 

Why Christianity Must Be Silenced

Proud enough yet? 

Dr.Neil Shenvi identifies one of the main premise of Critical Theory this way: “Who we are as individuals is inseparable from our group identity, as either oppressed or oppressor.”

Think about this.

According to Critical Theory, if an individual is "white," his/her identity as an oppressor is determined by his/her group identity. Regardless of how any individual Caucasian may feel about other people’s skin pigmentation, he/she is a racist because he/she is “white” (an oppressor group).

So a vice president of a major theological seminary can suggest that a “white” Christian’s attitudes about race are “deeply informed by whiteness.” And because he is “white,” he can say: “I am a racist and I’m going to struggle with racism and white supremacy until the day I die and get my glorified body.” (The CapstoneReport, July 29, 2019).

If you are a capitalist, you are an oppressor.

If you are heterosexual, you are an oppressor.

If you are a male, you are an oppressor. (The solution to this sticky problem is to eliminate male/female distinctions. If you were born with certain plumbing, you need not be male. You can “trans” to one of many gender options, and escape your oppressive birth-sex identity.)

If you are an old, white, heterosexual, capitalist, Christian, male, you are the ultimate oppressor.

Critical Theory rejects the idea that people are individually guilty or innocent. It is group identity that determines whether a person is an oppressor or oppressed.

This is delusional.

It stands in stark contrast to the biblical premise that people are individually accountable to a Higher Being for their attitudes and actions, which most Americans formerly taught their children, even in school. 

According to Critical Theory, personal responsibility and accountability under God is oppressive. This is why Christianity must be silenced: it teaches there are universal, objective, unchanging moral norms that apply to everyone, and we are individually accountable. 

Such "Christo-normativity" is oppressive.

To follow this line of thinking, the God of the Bible is the ultimate oppressor. People must be liberated from the very idea of a personal God who is there, and has spoken about how we should then live. 

Christo-normativity must be neutralized. Even if by force. 

Critical Theory (through knowing and unknowing adherents) has fueled an impassioned, international fight to "liberate" people from the ultimate oppression: Christo-normativity.

I believe this is the root of the cold civil war we are in.

In this 5-minute clip, Elly Barnes, CEO of Educate & Celebrate, a British group, happily explains how they are training school teachers to "completely smash hetero-normativity" through "usualizing" homosexuality. In this way, they help children to be "so much happier."  (https://youtu.be/nt2bSF2xOVg)

Then there's this 45-second clip from the BBC, showing how 'smashing hetero-normativity' is done with a class of 6 year olds.

(https://youtu.be/uWuy-aDwM4U)

Posted by Dr. Christian Overman 

Critical Theory

"Critical Theory" (a philosophy taking root in the 1930's) has spawned an army of activists who believe it is their moral duty to emancipate oppressed people groups. Sounds good! Until you realize...

Critical Theory is a lens through which many Americans (whether they realize it or not) now view society and human freedom. It is based upon ideas developed by a group of “social theorists” who left Germany during the turmoil of the 1930's and came to the United States.

This group became known as the Frankfurt School. They found welcome mats at prestigious American universities, and their activist ideas have influenced higher education ever since. This group included Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Erich Fromm, and others.

Critical Theory is a philosophy with a bold mission and a compelling (some would say “heroic”) purpose. This purpose provides the fuel that feeds its engine. That fuel is “human emancipation” and “liberation,” as defined by Critical Theory itself.  

The Frankfurt School divided people groups into two categories: the oppressed and the oppressors. Critical Theory can be summed up by the idea that oppressed (dominated) people groups must be liberated from all forms of social oppression, particularly in relation to gender, “race,” and "class." 

Domination of human beings is the enemy, no matter what form this domination takes. Freedom from obligation to conform to any oppressing group's norms is the goal, and social transformation is the intended outcome. 

From its beginnings, Critical Theory has been about changing society, not just understanding or explaining it. Thus, Critical Theory "liberators" are often activists.

Over time, Critical Theory has spawned various specializations, such as Critical Race Theory, Literary Critical Theory, and Critical Pedagogy, to name a few.

I recently heard an interview of Dr. Neil Shenvi by Alisa Childers that connects the dots. It is by far the most helpful piece on this topic I've heard (https://youtu.be/KEPCwbuXbhw).

Dr. Shenvi identifies six premises that underpin Critical Theory in general. I will not repeat them here, but here’s my take-away: 

Critical Theory maintains that people are either part of an “oppressor group” or an “oppressed group.” It is the group identity that dictates whether a person is an oppressor or oppressed. Any "dominate group" claiming that certain moral norms are universally obligatory is oppressive. Such dominating groups and institutions must be silenced in order for humans to be truly free.    

Followers of Christ who believe that biblical norms governing morality (sanctity of life, marriage, homosexuality) are pre-determined by a Higher Being and apply to everyone equally, are an oppressor group that needs to be silenced. 

To be continued.

If the video does not play, click https://youtu.be/KEPCwbuXbhw

Posted by Dr. Christian Overman 

Delusional Thinking Among Educators Today

If you're seeing and hearing what I am, you’re asking yourself how in the world we got to where we are today at such breathtaking speed. 

"Drag Queen Story Hour" is now part of elementary schools and public libraries, where men dress in women’s clothing, reading homosexual-themed books to children. This, according to their own website, “captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.” See https://www.dragqueenstoryhour.org/

K-12 schools now have policies like: “Some students may feel uncomfortable with a transgender student using the same sex-segregated restroom, locker room or changing facility. This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender student.”

And: “…school personnel should use the student's chosen name and pronouns appropriate to a student's gender identity, regardless of the student's assigned birth sex.”

The last two paragraphs are from the public school manual of the Massachusetts Department of Education, http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/lgbtq/GenderIdentity.html. These policies are not unique to Massachusetts.

Gender identity, however, is but one of many areas of delusional thinking among educators today. Other areas have to do with “race” and “class” (two words that are not part of my vocabulary).

For example, a senior vice president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently suggested that a white Christian’s attitudes about race are “deeply informed by whiteness.” Apparently because he is "white," Dr. Matthew Hall asserted, “I am a racist and I’m going to struggle with racism and white supremacy until the day I die and get my glorified body.” (The Capstone Report, July 29, 2019).

Really? Me too? Because of my skin pigmentation?

What’s going on here?

What’s going on is, various streams of 20^th century thought have merged into a common river as wide as the Mississippi. Streams of thought such as Postmodernism, Deconstructionism and Dialectical Materialism, have found their “common denominator” in an overarching idea called Critical Theory.

“Critical Race Theory,” “Literary Critical Theory,” “Critical Pedagogy,” are all sub-sets of Critical Theory. If you don’t know what Critical Theory is by name, you know it by its effects. Unless you’re living on an island, cut off from all radio, T.V., social media and billboards, you cannot escape its current. We’re being flooded by its weight.

It goes way beyond education.

Next week: Critical Theory 101.

Posted by Dr. Christian Overman