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Wolves Among the Sheep

If it walks and growls like a wolf, and preys upon the weak, it might be a wolf. In the Bible, wolves are acknowledged as dangerous to flocks of sheep and, metaphorically, to the spiritual well-being of early Christians. However, modern Christianity, particularly in the kumbaya denominations, seems to ignore the wolf warnings in Scripture. In these dangerous, decadent times, love — some kind of amorphous, uncritical love — will presumably tame the wild beasts.

That was the message I took from the petition of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC) which called for the American Renaissance conference to be canceled. A gathering of “White Supremacists, neo-Nazis, and Klansmen,” said CPC, would desecrate the “birthplace of our beloved church,” which is reportedly now within the state park where AmRen was meeting. The original CPC was founded in 1810, by what appears to be and continues to be white folks.

Thus, a present day “grassroots group of concerned Cumberland Presbyterians” was moved to denounce a meeting they were pretty sure would be “a threat to justice, peace and the common welfare.”

If the CPC’s denunciation is taken at face value, it came down to this: Jesus loves all people. If you don’t love all people, you are a hater. “Our prayer is that we always embrace reconciliation, love, and justice among all persons, classes, races, and nations,” declared the CPC. That does not appear to include those bad folks having their meeting.

The proclamation went on to mix wokism with greeting-card Christianity. White Supremacy bad. Silence is complicity, therefore also bad. God has an infinitely wise vision for our “diverse” world. All persons created in the image of God. We must humbly examine our “privilege” and work to end individual and systemic oppressions. And the “covenant community governed by Lord Christ (sic) opposes, resists, and seeks to change all circumstances of oppression — political, economic, cultural, racial . . . .” That’s a tall order. Leave a few tasks for the Armageddon crew.

The CPC statement sweetly notes that “we pray for White supremacists,” by which they no doubt mean the people who attended the conference. Jared Taylor did note during a talk on Friday evening that from time to time but especially on Sundays, he has been feeling warm tingling sensations shooting through his whole body. “Now I know what that is,” he said. “It’s the Presbyterians praying for me.”

But, here’s what’s missing in the CBC statement: the wolves. The world, now as ever, is full of wolves. They rape and murder. They smash windows and loot stores. They attack helpless old women. They travel in packs. They invade homes. They attack officers of the law. By any measure, this is ungodly conduct, but where is the spiritual reproof?

An uncanny silence about wolves has descended on society, even in the Christian churches, which are meant to emulate the Good Shepherd, who protects the sheep from wild animals, even as they pass through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Nowadays, it seems the shepherds have chosen not to acknowledge the existence of wolves. Worse yet, the failed shepherds vilify the watchmen as haters. Theology has joined cancel culture. That leaves the vulnerable sheep with no place to seek shelter, or safety, or counsel. They can see how easily, and unjustifiably, the hate label attaches.

Yet, there are churches where this is the gospel:

“Not God bless America. God damn America.”

“America must repent for its worship of whiteness.”

“America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”

The failure of shepherds to acknowledge wolves not only leaves the flock unprotected, it attracts other wolves. The CPC proclamation gives coattails to groups such as the Black Panthers and Antifa, which are known to arrive at protests masked and heavily armed. They always come to the AmRen conference, and must be kept at bay by the police. What does the CPC think about that?

The petition uses the word “we” repeatedly. Nowhere do the authors entreat God for guidance or pray in Jesus’ name. Instead, “we” assume the authority to Render Unto Caesar, through political activism, despite the warning that rendering unto God is their designated province.

There are two scriptural justifications for this intrusion into political activism: Jesus’ invocation to “Love one another as I have loved you,” and “Love your enemies and pray for them.” However, the first was a group-cohesion message to the Disciples. The second acknowledges there are enemies, wolves that need taming by Biblical truths. Those nuances seem absent from politicized Christianity. Instead, the sheep that try to remain faithful are called haters while the wolves are pardoned and comforted. No wonder the flocks seem to be wandering away.