Wrong Think III

June 19, 2024 Study Guides

Sermon Study Guide

“Wrong Think III: Understanding and Responding to Critical Race Theory”

Main Passage: Leviticus 19:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Galatians 6:7; Romans 3:23; Acts 17:26

How to Use This Study Guide

This study guide is designed to help you engage deeply with the message on critical race theory from a biblical perspective. You can use it for:

Personal Bible Study: Reflect thoughtfully on the Scripture passages and teaching points to grow in understanding and faith.
Small Group Discussion: Share insights and questions with others to encourage meaningful dialogue and mutual learning.
Sabbath School Classes: Use this guide to lead or participate in focused conversations about complex social issues in light of God’s Word.
Family Worship: Facilitate family conversations about race, justice, and faith, helping children and adults alike grasp biblical truths.

Throughout this guide, you will find icons to help you navigate the sections:

📖 Scripture Focus: Key Bible verses to anchor your study in God’s Word.
💭 Teaching Points: Clear explanations to help you grasp the sermon’s main messages.
❓ Discussion Questions: Thought-provoking questions to deepen your reflection and group conversations.
✍️ Personal Application: Practical steps to apply the truths learned in everyday life.

Session 1: What Is Critical Race Theory? (Introduction and Definitions)

📖 Opening Scripture: Leviticus 19:15 – “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”

💭 Teaching Summary:

Critical Race Theory (CRT) originated with Professor Derek Bell Jr., the first tenured African-American law professor at Harvard, and has developed over 30 years into a significant ideological movement. It is widely popularized by authors like Robin DiAngelo (“White Fragility”) and Ibram X. Kendi (“How to Be an Antiracist”). Understanding CRT is crucial because its ideas are increasingly influencing education and social institutions, including those that affect our children.
CRT asserts that race is not a biological reality but a social construct used by white people to maintain economic and political dominance. It contends that systemic racism is permanent and embedded in all social systems, making racism an ongoing, relentless fact of life in societies such as the United States.
One of CRT’s key concepts is “whiteness as property,” which means whiteness is treated like a form of social capital that grants unearned advantages. According to this view, all white people are complicit in racism because they benefit from systemic advantages.
CRT promotes “counter storytelling,” encouraging oppressed minorities to share their experiences to challenge dominant white narratives. It further rejects foundational Western ideas such as equality before the law, meritocracy, and color blindness, labeling them as tools of white supremacy.
Other core tenets include the “interest convergence” hypothesis, which claims that racial progress only happens when it benefits white interests, and “intersectionality,” the idea that various social identities overlap to create complex layers of oppression.

❓ Discussion Questions:

What surprised you most about the basic beliefs of critical race theory?
How does the concept of “whiteness as property” challenge or affirm your understanding of race and privilege?
Why might CRT reject ideas like equality before the law or meritocracy?
How do you think “interest convergence” affects our ability to work together across racial lines?
What role does storytelling play in CRT, and how does it compare to biblical truth-telling?

✍️ Personal Application:

Reflect on your own understanding of race—how much is shaped by cultural narratives versus biblical truth?
Commit to learning more about the social and historical context of racial issues to discern truth from ideology.
Pray for God’s guidance to respond to complex social issues with both compassion and wisdom.

Session 2: Critiques of Critical Race Theory (Challenges and Concerns)

📖 Opening Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’”

💭 Teaching Summary:

CRT’s claim that racism is present in every aspect of society is historically accurate, but it also shifts goalposts continually, making it difficult to define or resolve racism. This approach can lead to bitter division as activists seek to root out racism in all institutions and relationships, sometimes even within families.
The “interest convergence” hypothesis is especially problematic because it suggests that white people can never genuinely support racial justice—they only do so to maintain their own privilege. This cynical view undermines trust and cooperation across racial groups.
CRT rejects traditional values such as the nuclear family, scientific objectivity, and the rule of law, labeling them as white supremacist constructs. For example, movements like Black Lives Matter have called for the dissolution of the nuclear family, which conflicts with biblical teachings on family and authority.
CRT’s rejection of objective truth and scientific methods in favor of subjective storytelling undermines the foundations of knowledge and reason. This leads to a worldview where “your truth” and “my truth” replace absolute truth, a concept clearly opposed to biblical revelation.
The totalizing nature of CRT demands ideological conformity and labels dissenters as racists. This suppresses honest dialogue and fuels cancel culture, where even members of marginalized groups who disagree with CRT—like Kanye West—are ostracized.

❓ Discussion Questions:

Why is it important to recognize that racism exists but also to critically examine how it is defined?
How does the “interest convergence” hypothesis affect relationships between different racial groups?
What are the dangers of rejecting scientific and objective truth in favor of personal narratives?
In what ways does CRT’s approach to race and identity conflict with biblical teachings?
How can Christians engage with those who hold CRT views while maintaining biblical convictions?

✍️ Personal Application:

Examine your own views—are you tempted to judge people solely by their racial identity or by their character?
Seek to uphold the biblical principles of truth and justice in conversations about race and social issues.
Pray for opportunities to lovingly engage with those influenced by CRT, sharing Christ’s message of unity and grace.

Session 3: Biblical Principles in Contrast to Critical Race Theory

📖 Opening Scripture: Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

💭 Teaching Summary:

The Bible teaches that all humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), making every person equally valuable regardless of race or ethnicity. This foundational truth stands in direct opposition to any ideology that ranks or divides people based on skin color or social group.
Scripture calls for impartial justice, as seen in Leviticus 19:15, which commands fair judgment without partiality to rich or poor. This contrasts sharply with CRT’s focus on equity (equal outcomes) rather than equality before the law or equality of opportunity.
The gospel unites all races through one blood, as stated in Acts 17:26, and salvation is offered to everyone without distinction. At Calvary, representatives from every branch of humanity stood together, symbolizing unity in Christ beyond racial division.
Biblical justice requires personal responsibility and recognition of individual effort as shown in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 and Galatians 6:7. CRT’s rejection of meritocracy and personal accountability undermines these biblical values.
The biblical ideal of truth as absolute and universal is foundational to faith and reason. Rejecting truth as a “white construct” contradicts the nature of God as the source of all truth (John 14:6) and threatens the coherence of Christian belief.

❓ Discussion Questions:

How does the biblical teaching of imago Dei shape our view of racial equality?
What does impartial justice mean in everyday life, and how does it differ from equity?
Why is the unity of all people in Christ a powerful rebuttal to divisive ideologies?
How can Christians balance the call for justice with personal responsibility?
Why is the belief in objective truth essential for the Christian faith?

✍️ Personal Application:

Commit to treating all people with dignity and fairness, reflecting God’s impartial justice.
Encourage and model personal responsibility in your family and community.
Stand firm on the truth of God’s Word as your foundation when confronting societal ideologies.

Session 4: The Impact of Critical Race Theory on Adventist Education and Institutions

📖 Opening Scripture: Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

💭 Teaching Summary:

Adventist education is not immune to the influence of CRT and related ideologies. Institutions that declare themselves “safe spaces” or “inclusive environments” may be adopting Marxist-based ideas that affirm any student identity or lifestyle, even when these contradict biblical teachings.
The promotion of concepts like unconscious bias and implicit association tests, rooted in CRT, can cause division and suspicion among employees and students by categorizing people into ingroups and outgroups based on shifting identity markers.
Parents must carefully evaluate the ideologies being taught in schools their children attend. The presence of CRT-influenced reading lists and curricula can profoundly shape young minds in ways that conflict with Christian values.
Board members and leaders within Adventist institutions have a sacred responsibility to guard against drifting into atheist or Marxist ideologies. They must ensure that their institutions remain faithful to Scripture and the mission of the church.
Christians must be vigilant and discerning, recognizing that good intentions are not enough to protect the faith of future generations if underlying ideologies contradict the gospel.

❓ Discussion Questions:

How can parents discern if an educational institution aligns with biblical values?
What are the dangers of adopting “safe space” policies that affirm all identities without biblical discernment?
Why is it important for church boards and leaders to actively oversee institutional direction and teachings?
How can Adventist institutions resist cultural pressures while engaging effectively with society?
What role can the local church play in supporting biblical education and values?

✍️ Personal Application:

Investigate the curriculum and policies of your children’s schools or institutions you support.
Pray for wisdom for church and school leaders to uphold biblical truth in their decisions.
Encourage open conversations with educators about the spiritual and ideological environment of the institutions.

Session 5: Christian Response and Hope in Christ

📖 Opening Scripture: Acts 17:26 – “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth.”

💭 Teaching Summary:

Christians are called not only to critique ideologies like CRT but to affirm the good news of the gospel that unites all people. The salvation offered through Jesus transcends race, ethnicity, and social status and calls us to love and serve all.
Racism is a sin rooted in the human heart, and no social or political movement can eradicate it fully. True transformation requires the cleansing and renewing power of God through repentance and the Holy Spirit.
We must examine ourselves honestly, asking God to reveal any hidden prejudice or injustice in our hearts, and seek His help to love others as He does. This personal work is the foundation for broader social healing.
As followers of Christ, we are called to work for the well-being of all parts of our community, reflecting God’s image in every person. This does not require adopting CRT’s worldview but living out biblical justice and mercy.
The ultimate hope lies in the promise of a new earth where people from every nation, tribe, and language will worship God together in unity and peace. Until then, we bear witness to that hope by living the life of Jesus here and now.

❓ Discussion Questions:

How does the gospel provide a foundation for racial reconciliation and justice?
Why is it important to address personal sin and prejudice before seeking social change?
In what practical ways can we reflect God’s image in how we treat others in our communities?
How can Christians maintain hope and unity amid cultural divisions?
What does it mean to be “salt and light” in a world shaped by conflicting ideologies?

✍️ Personal Application:

Pray daily for God to create a clean heart and right spirit within you, free from prejudice and division.
Look for opportunities to serve and uplift people from all backgrounds in your community.
Commit to sharing the gospel message of unity and salvation with those around you.

Closing Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for creating every person in Your image and for the gift of salvation that unites us all. Help us to see beyond skin color and social categories, and to love our neighbors as You love them. Cleanse our hearts from prejudice and fill us with Your Spirit, so we may act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You. Guide us in wisdom to discern truth from error, and give us courage to stand firm in Your Word. May Your love shine through us as salt and light in a divided world. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.