So who are you speaking for exactly?

by

by David Safier

Bob Jones University has taken the bold step of apologizing for its past racism.

Bob Jones University is apologizing for racist policies that included a one-time ban on interracial dating and its unwillingness to admit black students until 1971. 

In a statement posted Thursday on its Web site, the fundamentalist Christian school founded in 1927 in northwestern South Carolina says its rules on race were shaped by culture instead of the Bible. 

[snip]

"[In our policies regarding race] we failed to accurately represent the Lord and to fulfill the commandment to love others as ourselves. For these failures we are profoundly sorry."

This brings up a question I've often wondered about. Churches sometimes change their stances on issues. At one time, Southern Baptist preachers told their followers, "God wants the races should be kept separate. It's right here in the Bible." Later they said, "Oops, our bad. God's OK with integration, interracial dating and marriage." (By the way, BJU, you're a little late to the party.)

It's good churches are willing to admit when they're wrong, but doesn't that put everything they say in God's name in question? "God wants marriage to be between a man and a woman." "God teaches abortion is murder." Are churches who tell that to their followers going to apologize for those statements somewhere down the line as well?

If I make a statement about gay marriage or abortion in my name and change my mind, that's just me. I'm fallible, I'm the first to admit it. When a church issues a pronouncement in God's name, then apologizes for its error, that's a whole different order of magnitude.

Whenever a weak, frail vessel — as are we all — claims to speak for an omniscient, infallible creator, somethings bound to get lost in translation.

Remind me, don't most religions teach humility?

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