News And The Willful Ignorance Of Christians

We live in some crazy times. Pandemic. Critical Race Theory. Transgender women (so, biological men) competing against women in sports. Shared bathrooms in schools. Graphic sex education for elementary school students. Blue’s Clues featuring a drag queen to teach preschoolers about the Pride flag. This is the tip of the iceberg, and it’s all at our fingertips. All we have to do is turn on, click on, or pick up the news. But so many Christians will not. It’s willful ignorance, and it’s hurting the church.

We Should Pay Attention To The News

I often hear, “I don’t look at the news anymore because it’s just so depressing.” I get that. It really is quite the dumpster fire, but that doesn’t mean we should disengage. I’m, for all intents and purposes, an independent fundamental Baptist. Though, I do go to movies, dance, and wear pants. So, if measured against the stereotype, I’m a pretty bad one.

One thing that I wish the conservative Christians would do differently, if not dance more, is stay up-to-date with the culture. I’m not saying join it. Rather, I’m saying be educated and engage in meaningful ways when necessary. Here are some reasons why I believe we need to stay current in our knowledge of the news.

1. We can find ways to point others to the Bible.

If I had a criticism about conservative, fundamental Christianity (and I might have one…), then it would be the inward focus we tend toward. We say “outreach,” but some of us will think chatting up our extended family members is sufficient to accomplish the task. Oh yes, reach out to them, but there are people in our communities who need Jesus. How can we show them the Word if we don’t know who they are, what is going on with them, or what their needs may be?

Keeping up with local news can offer us insight into the avenues available to us to plug in and minister to others. This could be a farmer’s market, a volunteer opportunity at a food pantry, or an available booth to rent at a community event where you can share the gospel and invite people to church.

Keeping up with national news will help you have thoughtful conversations with people who are looking for counsel. Are you ready to sit down and talk about Critical Race Theory concerns a nominal Christian has when your children are having a playdate? Are you able to defend your church’s right to gather even when other churches remain closed during the aftershocks of the pandemic? Do you know that the gospel message can tie into both those conversations? I hope so.

2. The world is changing fast, and we need to know how to interact within it.

The LGBTQ+ community and all the surrounding issues that come along with it have created a whirlwind of legislative activity. However, the cultural norms have changed quite a bit, as well. In some places, if you use he or she when talking about someone, you may get clobbered. Watch some YouTube videos or check out TikTok, and you will see what I’m talking about. On second thought, don’t. Please, take my word for it and spare yourself the trauma of watching a grown man threatening to beat someone up because he is no longer the correct pronoun.

I don’t think we should bend to the times, but we should know how to exist within them. Know what topics of conversation will immediately shut down any opportunity at sharing the gospel. Learn which opinions are best to keep to yourself until you can be confident that the listener is able to hear your intention in sharing it instead of perceiving a personal attack.

We live in a world covered in eggshells now. Let Jesus be the offense if there must be one, and tread carefully.

3. The news helps us see opportunities to serve.

If you live near the U.S./Mexico border, then you probably know there is a crisis happening there right now. Can you share the gospel and provide relief to people in immediate need? I live in Wisconsin, so I’m not readily available for that, but there are many who are there and ready to serve.

Pick up a paper and you’ll discover all kinds of opportunities. You don’t need to storm the border wall with bottled water and bibles in order to serve people in need. You only need to open your eyes and ears to what is happening around you. Go ahead and take a step out of your bubble.

4. Parents need to teach children discernment.

You might not pay attention to the news, but your children will. Their friends will. If you don’t know the news, then you can’t help your kids know how to discern it. Our legislature just failed to pass a bill referred to as the “voting rights bill.” Scan a mainstream media article and it sounds like the conservatives in Congress don’t want certain people to vote. Keeping up with the news will help you see that the bill addressed an issue that did not truly exist and was written to help one side of Congress keep control. I’m not a political commentator, so I’ll leave it at that. Anyway, your children can’t discern that from a CNN article. They need to learn how to test out the information they see and hear, and you need to help them.

Your kids need you to know what is happening in the world and help them learn to read between the lines. Why is Critical Race Theory so controversial? What is Comprehensive Sex Education, and is it wise? Why can’t a boy actually be a girl on the inside, and can’t he race other girls in track? These issues are constantly addressed in the news, and they are regularly presented with a hard Leftist leaning. Help your kids by educating yourself on the issues.

5. We need to prepare for what is coming.

It has been in the air for quite awhile. The government will come for our churches. Check out what is happening in Canada with Pastor Coates, for example. The day will come when the government will try to force churches to hire LGBTQ+ clergy, perform marriage ceremonies that violate God’s law, and to stop preaching against the sin of homosexuality because it will be “hate speech.” Churches need to prepare. Part of that preparation is to monitor the changes in government policy.

6. You’ll know how to vote.

For starters, ladies, you need to vote. Some conservative circles believe women need to abstain from voting. I asked someone for her reason one time. She told me that women might not vote how their husbands want them to vote.

I’m no modern-day feminist, but that’s about the most backwards thing I have ever heard. Be one flesh, but go ahead and be two votes, OK? Our country runs on representation of the population. If you don’t vote, then our representation is more likely to not represent you.

Now, onto my actual point. Assuming you vote…and please vote, how will you choose your candidate? I’m going to blow your mind right now. That “D” or “R” you see after the name doesn’t necessarily tell you anything about the candidates position on issues. For instance, “R” used to mean you knew that person would not support abortion. The republican platform would never support that. Today, however, you might be looking at a more progressive “R.” This person doesn’t want to stand in the way of woman’s “right to choose.” He may even be fully pro-choice. What’s a girl to do? Research. Watch this individual in the news. Go to his website and read what he says about himself. Check out his voting record.

Don’t be willfully ignorant. You don’t have to listen to me, though. Listen to the Lord.

Willful Ignorance And Scripture Don’t Jive

1. Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

Jesus said this to his disciples when He sent them out as his apostles. It applies to us, as well. We are in the world sharing Jesus, and doing the work of the Lord, too.

This verse warns against the “wolves.” We are surrounded by them in and out of the church. The media is a well-advertised and respected wolf. So are schools. And sometimes family and friends. Christians cannot simply accept what they are told. They should be wise (study and know the Scriptures) and discerning, all while continuing to love and serve others while sharing the gospel.

We do this with biblical literacy and by knowing what is happening around us.

2. 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Many are sharing lies and falsehoods. Hear what is being said, told, and reported, but compare it with what the Bible says. Know what is “fake news” by God’s standards.

3. John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Believer, we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. He is a Helper and can enable us to understand spiritual things we never could before we were saved. The news is sometimes hard to decipher and pull apart, but the Holy Spirit can guide your understanding of current events in a spiritual way. Please, don’t misunderstand me, though. Sometimes things aren’t so spiritual. Last night’s final scores for the baseball game are just that, scores. On the other hand, if something appears to contradict Scripture, then give it another look-see.

The Case In Point

I’ve given you reasons why keeping up with news is a good idea. I provided some Bible verses to support my argument. However, I also said willful ignorance to what’s happening in the news cycle hurts the church. That could be a book, but this is a blog. So, let’s examine a recent example that was in the spotlight not too long ago. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting.

The SBC 2021 Annual Meeting

What Is It?

I feel like I talk about the Southern Baptists a lot. For the record, my husband used to be a Southern Baptist pastor at two churches, but we left the SBC in 2019. We felt no ill will toward them, but it just wasn’t the right fit for us. However, I am still interested in what happens within the SBC because of my previous ties with these churches, and they are the largest evangelical Protestant group in the United States. So, what happens within the SBC affects a whole lotta Christians. Let’s review what the SBC is for those of you who aren’t familiar with it.

The Southern Baptist Convention is a collection of like-minded churches who work cooperatively to serve the Lord and advance His Kingdom. It is not an overseeing bureaucracy that controls Southern Baptist churches. They are independent entities that all agree with the Baptist Faith and Message.

What Happens At The Annual Meeting?

The churches send representatives called messengers. These individuals vote on resolutions that seem to be statements on what the SBC believes and prioritizes. They also vote for representation, such an SBC president.

What Happened In 2021?

I have been following Southern Baptists on Twitter and reading the news concerning this annual meeting for months because there was a lot of drama in the weeks leading up to this event. Here are a few notable things I gleaned from the reports about what happened at this year’s annual meeting.

1. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) controversy was essentially ignored.

NAMB is a great idea. Instead of missionaries spending years going from church to church asking for them to pledge monthly support, NAMB is funded by the churches in fellowship with the SBC. The money is controlled by NAMB, and they send out missionaries with those funds. It feels streamlined and so much easier than any other way I know about.

Here’s the controversy. NAMB has been accused of adding “the Great Requirement” to the gospel. That is, the gospel is not complete without social justice. Allegedly, missionaries have been forced to teach this works idea and utilize it in their church plants. This following video has been a bit of a bombshell.

2. The motion to rescind Resolution 9 failed.

Resolution 9 was passed in 2019. Originally, it said that Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Intersectionality are incongruent with biblical approaches to address social justice issues because they add to the gospel. (That is, the gospel is not enough without CRT.)

Eventually, it was retooled until it was unrecognizable. Resolution 9 ultimately claimed CRT and Intersectionality are useful tools when used wisely.

There was a motion to step back from Resolution 9 this year, but the attempt failed.

A similar resolution claiming that CRT is incompatible with the Baptist Faith and message never even saw the light of day. Additionally, a man named James Merrit threw a grown-man temper tantrum after taking offense that anyone could be opposed to CRT. Then, he, like, quit his committee position… *exaggerated sigh*

3. Ed Litton was elected SBC president.

It was a tight race between Litton and conservative, Mike Stone. In the end, Litton pulled ahead. The problem? He’s super woke, ya’ll. He seems to support CRT, and he’s even had his wife preach with him. This election has led to a lot of Southern Baptists looking to leave the SBC, altogether. I think some of them believe that there’s no coming back from this much movement to the Left.

How Did This Happen?

Well, we can’t forget how the liberal agenda has swept through the churches in this country. So, a lot of people just wanted the SBC to become more progressive and aligned with liberal ideals. However, that’s not all.

Many reports on social media (so, totally unbiased and scientific) claimed that a startling number of messengers did not know what CRT is or anything about Ed Litton aside from what people were marketing at the annual meeting. To be clear, people sent to the SBC Annual Meeting to vote on important issues and leadership came completely unarmed with knowledge and just took what some people told them at face value.

Does It Matter?

The willful ignorance of these particular messengers has aided in the fracture of a highly visible and influential Christian denomination. They have helped move forward the trajectory of unbiblical teachings and ideologies, and they did while smiling and applauding themselves throughout it all.

Meanwhile, the world stood by and watched as Southern Baptists tried to retain their fidelity to the Word and work out just how to do that among so many varying views on recent cultural shifts. The New York Times stood by and happily reported the results. It changed a headline calling conservatives “insurgents” to the less aggressive “Southern Baptists Narrowly Head Off Ultraconservative Takeover.” Who were these ultraconservatives? They were mainline Southern Baptists! I follow the news, so I know that headline is biased and uneducated. You know who doesn’t? All those Christians who are too scared to face the truths of what the world is like and be informed.  

Christians with a direct role to play in their own denomination couldn’t be bothered to learn who the candidates were and what essential issues, such as CRT, were about. The result was deeper rifts and further adoption of unbiblical ideologies.

Final Thought

The SBC 2021 Annual Meeting is a nicely packaged lesson for all of us. Know what is happening in the world. Engage with the news. But not just that. Understanding the issues in our culture is a great idea but know your Bible. Learn to discern what is truth and what just sounds “good.” Be informed and remember Ephesians 5:11.

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them”

Ephesians 5:11 (ESV)

Without information, you can’t expose the darkness of this world and show people Jesus. Instead, you just dim His light.

What do you think? Are you following the news, or would you rather not know?

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Image courtesy of Nijwam Swargiary via Unsplash.