Roots Of Calvinism: Dehumanization, Slavery, And Racism In America! (Part 2)

Native American. Photo Copyright 2015 Robert Keller. Used with Permission.

On June 18, 1452 Pope Nicholas IV authorized King Alfonso V Of Portugal to begin a venture into “dispossessing pagan, heathen and unchristian people groups of their land and to bring them into perpetual slavery”. Immediately King Alfonso sent ships to the West Africa and began engaging in the African Slave Trade. This act was the foundation and origin of the Church's role in dehumanization, racism, and slavery.  Why on earth would a church called to do Luke 4:18 begin to engage itself in such a diabolical work that is opposite to the proclamation of Jesus? The Church is called to "proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and bring recovery of sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free. It was not to be engaged in theft and slave trading.  Four centuries later, In 1823, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, would use this little known "Doctrine of The Western Church" (both Roman Catholic and Protestant) to justify the way for our government to seize land from Native American communities and establish a permanent slave class in the United States through landmark case Johnson vs. McIntosh.  Much time could be spent on what this ruling has done to our nation, but its important to note that it was this case that provided the foundation for the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Later this "Church Doctrine" would also provide foundation for Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney's decision on the famous Dred-Scott Decision which denied rights to African American slaves for freedom. In fact, it is important to point out, that the Constitution of the United states, in the fifth amendment, proclaims "no person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Our own Constitution, (which states that slaves were only 3/5^th of a human being therefore not really a “person”), made it possible for African slaves and their descendants to be denied these rights because of the underlying principles established by the “Doctrine of Discovery."  Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney wrote in his famous Dred-Scott Decision; "Blacks have no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justify and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was bought and sold and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic, whenever, profit could be made by it."  This is the gift that the Western European Church gave as its contribution to the founding of our nation beginning in 1611 in Jamestown, Virginia. Now here we are almost 200 years later and what is even more disturbing is that most Christians are not aware that this "Western Church Doctrine” also provided the foundation for America's War On Terrorism in the Middle East today; and people wonder why Jihadist Muslims are upset.

-President Abraham Lincoln

What on earth would give the Vatican and it's protestant counterparts the thought that "pagans, heathens, and unchristian" people groups needed to be dispossessed and enslaved? How did the theological views of Western Christianity provide the foundation for dehumanization, racism, slavery, and even abortion?  I would like to suggest that it all began with the theological heresy of Augustine of Hippo's "Doctrine Of Original Sin" and his well known book, "City Of God Against The Pagans."  Augustine Of Hippo was a "Roman Catholic" theologian and philosopher who presided as Bishop over a north African city, which is known today as Annaba, Algeria. He is viewed by  many Western Christians as an important Church Father, whose writings influenced Western Christianity and Western Philosophy.  Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due to his teachings on “Original Sin”, “Doctrine Of Grace” and “Predestination”. The origins, roots and foundation of Augustine's claims are important to understanding how the Church engaged itself in conquering land that did not belong to them, and enslaving the indigenous "First Nations" people internationally. It even provided the foundation for the Supreme Court decision "Roe vs Wade" in 1973 which has been used to commit the largest Black Genocide in modern American History.  Augustine's Theological views dehumanized people and reduced them to NOT BEING “fully human” which justified land grabbing, slavery, and eugenics.  After all, (according this theology), what do you do with all those "free laborers" when you have no more use for them?

Interment Camps (Reservations) owned by The US Government!

Our modern prison populations, our concentration camps of dispossessed Native people, and all abortion practices advanced by our government today have a sure foundation in Augustine of Hippo’s written positions. These positions were brought into our nation's founding by the Puritans of New England, Anglican and Baptist Calvinists of Virginia, and The Ulster Scott Presbyterians of New Jersey. All Euro-Centrists, whether religious refugees or colonial planters, came with the belief that God had predestined them to a "Promised Land" complete with free land and free labor. This land of opportunity had a sure foundation for Augustine's vision in his classic work, "City Of God Against The Pagans", to be built on the shores of America by European Calvinists. Funny how history, theology, and philosophy provides the basis for our established customs and practices as a people group. WHAT WE BELIEVE DOES MATTER! As we look at Augustine's views and how it impacted the Calvinists of Northern Europe in their colonization of America, we need to remind ourselves that just as the German people need to keep the history of the Jewish Holocaust ever before their eyes; we the "Body Of Christ" need to remember, lament, acknowledge and repent for the role of the Church's involvement in land grabbing, colonization, establishing residential schools, and racial segregation!  Lamentations 5:7 says, "Our fathers sinned, and are not; And we have borne their iniquities."  In other words, what ran in our forefathers, still runs in us. We carry within ourselves attitudes and cultural assumptions that began in the theology of the Western Church and if these views are left unchallenged, we will only perpetuate the influences and wounds of the past. “RACIAL RECONCILIATION” is the defining moral issue of our time!

Please Read The Third Verse Of The Star Spangled Banner!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country, should leave us no more?

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Rob Corcoran, author of "TrustBuilding: An Honest Conversation On Race, Reconciliation, and Responsibility" states, "We can all think of people whom we regard as being "inside" our circle and others who are "outside." As we begin, we need to remember that in the early colonial period of our nation, African Americans were made to sit separated from the whites in most congregations.  White's today love the idea of breaking down racial barriers in the life of the church as long as the African American people come over to their Euro-centric churches. But how many whites would leave their white safe houses and join the membership of a predominately African American church? Remember, African Americans have tried to be part of white congregations for generations already. Would we find white flight in churches if they came over in vast numbers today? This ought to give us insight into how we really value racial integration. Understanding our racial discomforts ought to focus on questions like:  How do we begin a "sacred conversation" in the Body Of Christ that doesn't allow people to duck the issue?  What deliberate prophetic actions can we take as God's people to force people to become accountable and steward our relationships with one another well? 

A number of years ago, I was ministering in a church with a mutual well known ministry friend.  We were both speakers at a major youth conference with some 2000 kids from all over the Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota region.  During the conference the host pastor pulled me aside to explain that he objected to my ministry friend teaching with me in the conference.  I asked him "why" since my friend was one of the best youth communicators in the world.  He replied, "Because your friend doesn't believe in the 'Doctrine Of Original Sin!" I couldn't believe it.  So I sat down with my friend and asked him to explain why someone would make such a claim against him.  This is where I first learned that what I had been taught in both my own Christian upbringing and in seminary was based in Augustinianism. I had never heard the views my friend had shared with me that day.  However, after studying and learning about it for myself - I've concluded it is the most deceptive doctrine ever embraced in the church today.  I was raised in it and never once ever questioned Augustinianism.  What did Augustine believe and why is this so important in our discussion on race today? Most Christians know nothing about this former church theologian who had a very difficult time with his sexual addiction.  It's no wonder Roman Catholic priest and other denominations have sexual problems to deal with among their clergy.

Without spending a lot of in-depth time in documenting my research for this blog, let me just share the fact that Augustine of Hippo believed that the original sin committed in the Garden of Eden had to do with Adam and Eve's sexual engagement with one another before they were mature enough. He, along with his friend St. Ambrose, held to a view that sexual pleasure was a sin and that all sex was for pro-creation only. They believed and taught that sex should not be pursued for sexual pleasure.  Augustine described sexual pleasure as bondage to lust (or concupiscence) Concupiscence is a term referring to  a strong, compelling desire,especially like sexual lust which he struggled with throughout his priestly duties within the Roman Catholic Church.  With his interactions with St. Ambrose who held similar understanding, As a result, Augustine came to believe that if a man and woman experienced sexual pleasure (orgasm) and a child was conceived during this moment that child was born in sin.  From this Augustine formed his theological doctrine which later became known by Calvinist as the "Total Depravity of man."  According to Augustine, when we are lusting (be it a sexual lust or lust for things), we are in bondage and held captive to that lust.

He believed that because we were Totally depraved that no human effort or agency could free us from that "lust" except through God's gracious work of salvation.  Later John Calvin (A former Augustinian Roman Catholic priest) became a father of the European protestant movement.  As he engaged with European protestants, who were homeless throughout Europe due to the Roman Catholic counter-reformation movement, he taught them that God had predestined, a place, for those displaced to live.  As they began to resettle their lives in other northern European countries, they concluded that Calvin was right and they were the "predestinated" ones.  They went from being taught that God had a place for them to believing they were God's chosen people who had been brought to a promise land.  So, what does this have to do with our discussion on race?  Simply put, Augustinianism had found a place in which the City Of God Against A Pagan world could now be established.  Geneva, Switzerland would become that place where European Christian Empire building would begin for protestants.  New England's puritans would later set out from Holland to finish what Calvin's Geneva didn't get done.  Boston was to become that "City On A Hill" or beacon to the pagan nations. Of course to undermine, disagree, or fight against it meant lynching, being burned at the stake, whipping, your tongue being cut out, or genocide.  There was no way an unrighteous person would be left in charge of this new God-given nation! This is the history of John Winthrop's Augustinian dream for New England. Sound cynical?  No it's diabolical and true.  Early, New England and Virginian Calvinist believed that they had been predestinated, chosen by God and given a new land to begin again.  Of course, they preached the Gospel to the heathen, pagans, and unchristian in the land but for those who did not respond to this good news only served as evidence that they had been predestined for hell and needed to be ruled over to control their evil impulses since their was nothing of God within them (Total Depravity of Man).  The Doctrine of The Total Depravity of Man means there is nothing good within us.  Humanity is completely separated from God and not fully human (since God withdrew himself from their sinful nature).  This is called dehumanization.  If you are dehumanized and predestinated to be nothing more than a pagan or heathen you have no appeal for salvation or rights or privileges to those who have been chosen by God.  This became the basis for dispossessing the land.  After all, didn't Joshua dispossess the land of Canaan? 

Let me be clear, what has been called the righteous roots of America have led many Church leaders and members down through our history, into believing that African and Native American people (non-whites ) were to be subjugated to the “godly rule of the elect.”  Since they were predestinated for hell and Euro-centric leaders were predestinated by God (like ancient Israel) - they felt justified in their slave-holding and land grabbing “European Exceptionalism”, which later would become our “American Exceptionalism.” So, in effect, according to this mindset, “Black Lives Don't Matter” and “Native American Lives Don't Matter” either.  They remain on unequal legal footing in most “Eurocentric Entitlement” minds.  May I simply ask, when did God ever promise our Founding Fathers a new Promised Land?  Where is the National Covenant that our Christian leaders claim we have recorded?  What right did our European forefathers have in dispossessing the land of it's inhabitants and enslaving people to enrich themselves?  It’s all embodied in an “Augustinian Document” known as the “Doctrine of Discovery.”  The planting of the flag at Cape Henry was an English declaration to the Spanish and Portuguese that the King of England and his Church would do that dirty work of converting or killing the inhabitants of the land. It meant that this was their new land under the charter they had been issued and they were depending on their cooperation (and all other nations), to honor their claim and go elsewhere. It is amazing when the Native Americans or descendants of the slaves get worked up about their rights, how quickly the Church wants to pray II Chronicles 7:14 as a basis for the "Healing of Their Land."  How on earth can a land stolen from it's pagan inhabitants and justified by a story of the Hebrew people and their covenant with God (as though we are one and the same people), BE HEALED; by just quoting and praying that scripture?  We certainly, have a lot to do with the ignorance and claim that “All Lives Matter.”

Birmingham 1963

Here is some food for thought:  

Ferguson, Missouri 2015

The same police Actions taken during the non-violent march in Birmingham in 1963 were taken in Ferguson, Missouri in 2015. What is different about either of these events?  How has the training of police improved since the Rodney King beatings in 1992?

The American Church has a history in supporting dehumanization, slavery and racism. What has it done in acknowledging and repenting of it's sin?  Why is it still teaching Augustinianism?  Why does it think God is calling for a "City Of God" to be built here on earth?  

Here's a very unique thought. William Penn and the early Quakers of Pennsylvania believed that "There is that of God in every person."  Is it possible that God created humanity and pronounced it good!  Is it possible that the Bible teaches that God breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul - means as long as we keep breathing there is something of God in all of us?  What kind of theology would that reproduce in the American Church?  Maybe we need to explore the merits of Quaker theology - explore its work in peace-making and reconciliation, honoring dissent, and believing that God is already at work in every human heart.  Maybe we should call the entire "Body of Christ" to renounce Augustinianism and Calvinism since it seems to be the foundational problem to all dehumanization, slavery and racism in America today!