Rev. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Jesus Christ's resurrection

[lpetrich]

Senator/Reverend Warnock Faces Resurrection | Linda LaScola
noting
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s deleted tweet about Easter reflects religious and political chasms about Christianity - The Washington Post

His Easter Sunday sermon: Sunday, April 4, 2021 on Livestream

U.S. Sen. Raphael G. Warnock, as pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, gave a sermon Sunday for Easter. But it was a tweet from the Georgia Democrat’s account that day that has triggered far more discussion about theology and politics and what it means to be Christian.

The now-deleted tweet from Warnock’s account came early Sunday and said: “The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves.”

What happened to it?

The tweet from the account of Warnock, a progressive Christian who received two master’s degrees and a PhD from the liberal Union Theological Seminary, was taken down later Sunday. A member of his office said “the tweet was posted by staff and was not approved” but would not say more about whether it reflected Warnock’s beliefs, who wrote it or why it was removed.

That tweet provoked a lot of controversy.

For many conservative Christians, the tweet challenged the core belief of their faith: Jesus’ literal resurrection is the way to salvation. To many progressive and moderate Christians, Warnock seemed to be suggesting closeness to God is more about their actions, what they do to relieve suffering and create justice. The seeking of social justice is emphasized in particular in the Black church.

 

[lpetrich]

Allie Beth Stuckey on Twitter: "I logged on here specifically to respond to this absolutely inane—albeit unsurprising—tweet from narcissistic heretic Raphael Warnock. ..." / Twitter
Narcissistic heretic? Heresy, maybe, but narcissism?

I logged on here specifically to respond to this absolutely inane—albeit unsurprising—tweet from narcissistic heretic Raphael Warnock.

FIRST OF ALL, there is nothing more transcendent than the resurrection of the God-man, Jesus. Literally: his resurrection transcends our finite conceptions of science & rationality. That the Word became flesh, dwelt among us, then was slain for our sins only to conquer death 3 days later? The irreverent "reverend" thinks Easter is 'bigger' than Jesus's resurrection because he doesn't care about nor believe in its significance. As an advocate of Liberation Theology, he views Jesus as an example in political activism, not as King & Conqueror of sin & death.

Second, he fails to support his claims that the "meaning of Easter" is about "helping others" or that that idea is somehow more transcendent than the Creator & Sustainer of the universe bearing our sins & obliterating them + their consequence (death) forever and ever. But people who know a bit about his theology understand that this is "progressive Christianity:" Jesus/Christianity is a means to their political and social activist ends, which they like to categorize as "helping others" (what they typically mean is government programs).

Warnock's "Christianity" is that of social justice moralism, wherein Jesus is a mascot for his left-wing causes and beliefs & righteousness is earned via wokeness. It's the same view as Ibram X Kendi: Jesus is not a savior but a "liberator"–and not from sin, but from "systems." Kendi said in a recorded talk posted on Twitter recently that while Jesus is not a savior, but "antiracism" is. "It can literally save humanity," he said. Here, Warnock says we can "save ourselves." Same concept by these 2 Liberation Theology advocates: we are our own gods. Like every false teaching—from the prosperity gospel to the social gospel—they exchange the God of Scripture for the god of self. This is not new. Humans have indulged in self-idolatry since the beginning of time. It always ends in destruction both here & eternity.

Run hard and fast from any semblance of this kind of heresy. You cannot save yourself. No amount of good work (and certainly no government program) will do it. That God sent His own Son to die on our behalf shows us just how utterly incapable we were and are to save ourselves.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Eph 2:8-10

GOOD NEWS! God draws you near through Christ, by grace, through faith. He gets all the glory. He alone can save.

 

[lpetrich]

One of Trump's lawyers, who tried to argue that he won the 2020 election:
Jenna Ellis on Twitter: "This is a false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves.

The absolute truth and only meaning of Easter that matters is the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Read Romans, “Reverend” Warnock. You are a false teacher." / Twitter

But Phillips and other experts on the Baptist faith and the Black church noted the wide range of Christian beliefs about the resurrection, the core biblical event marked on Easter. Some may see it as literal, others do not. Some may see belief in it as mandatory to be a Christian; others do not.

“The reality is that not all Christian traditions have the same interpretation and understanding of Christ’s sacrifice or resurrection,” she said. “All Christian traditions don’t necessarily celebrate or recognize Jesus’ sacrifice or martyrdom as a precursor to their own rebirth.”

Some people grumble about many people believing in "moralistic therapeutic deism", but that's what a lot of liberal religion seems like.

Responding to Sean Carroll: What If There Had Been a Camera at the Resurrection? | Discover Magazine - theologian John Haught responded to "So if a camera was at the Resurrection, it would have recorded nothing?" with "If you had a camera in the upper room when the disciples came together after the death and Resurrection of Jesus, we would not see it. I'm not the only one to say this. Even conservative Catholic theologians say that."

That's weird, because if JC wouldn't show up on film or on a camera chip, he wouldn't show up on a retina.

 

[lpetrich]

Back to the NYT Rev. Sen. Warnock article.

The Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, president of Union — which Warnock attended — said criticism of him was part of an ongoing political smear campaign.

“For months prior to his election, critics took Sen. Warnock’s sermons out of context and framed them as outside the mainstream. But in reality, his beliefs lie squarely within the Black prophetic tradition embodied most prominently by Dr. Martin Luther King,” Jones wrote in a statement to The Post. “Sen. Warnock’s Easter tweet highlights the central tenet of the Christian faith — caring for the ‘least of these’ of God’s creation. The resurrection of Jesus Christ shows that God’s love for us is stronger than death. Christians must avoid the temptation of narrowly defining the meaning of salvation, which stops us from advancing the goal of universal love.”

Opinion | Reverend, You Say the Virgin Birth Is ‘a Bizarre Claim’? - The New York Times - an interview with Rev. Jones where she claims that.

She called Jesus Christ's crucifixion a "first-century lynching". She continues with

Crucifixion is not something that God is orchestrating from upstairs. The pervasive idea of an abusive God-father who sends his own kid to the cross so God could forgive people is nuts. For me, the cross is an enactment of our human hatred. But what happens on Easter is the triumph of love in the midst of suffering. Isn’t that reason for hope?

She then describes the kind of "God" that she believes in.

At the heart of faith is mystery. God is beyond our knowing, not a being or an essence or an object. But I don’t worship an all-powerful, all-controlling omnipotent, omniscient being. That is a fabrication of Roman juridical theory and Greek mythology. That’s not the God of Easter. The God of Easter is vulnerable and is connected to the world in profound ways that don’t involve manipulating the world but constantly inviting us into love, justice, mercy.

...
For me, the message of Easter is that love is stronger than life or death. That’s a much more awesome claim than that they put Jesus in the tomb and three days later he wasn’t there

"I don’t believe in a God who, because of prayer, would decide to cure your mother’s cancer but not cure the mother of your nonpraying neighbor. We can’t manipulate God like that."

About an afterlife, she doesn't know, though she's sure that there is no such thing as eternal damnation.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Jenna Ellis on Twitter: "This is a false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves.

The absolute truth and only meaning of Easter that matters is the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Read Romans, “Reverend” Warnock. You are a false teacher." /

Does she realize the nowadays the word “literal” no longer means “literal”?

 

[lpetrich]

Back to Senator/Reverend Warnock Faces Resurrection | Linda LaScola
"Andy":

I’ve hated the Ash Wednesday-to-Easter routine for decades. A liberal pastor quickly tires of the average lay person’s take on Easter—a miracle, a suspension of natural law, a resuscitation of life on the cellular level.

Of course, there is no verifiable evidence for the resurrection of Jesus as a ‘photographable’, physical event.

He also notes that

What we do know is that the victims of Roman crucifixion were routinely left hanging on the cross, where their decomposing bodies were fed on by birds and wild animals. ... Out of the vast multitudes of crucified people, only one skeleton of a crucified victim has ever been unearthed by archaeologists, so, if the literal resurrection be true, at least that skeleton couldn’t have been Jesus!

Liberal pastors know these facts, but most of their congregants don’t. So, what’s a person to do?!

Then RW's now-deleted tweet: "The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others, we are able to save ourselves."

This is the standard go-to explanation of Easter for liberal clerics. Interpreting the resurrection of Jesus metaphorically avoids the literal claim made by conservatives. Mainline seminaries and denominations offer more palatable Christian themes as the interpretive lens through which to interpret the resurrection. Warnock does this by importing the theme of service to others. Others may speak of resurrection as a metaphor for new life, fresh starts, existential awakening, liberation, and unfettered hope, et al.

...
More sophisticated evangelicals ‘caught’ Warnock in the act, saw his subterfuge, and pressed for more of a commitment to the physical resurrection as one of the foundations of Christianity.

Presumably something that someone could photograph.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Jenna Ellis on Twitter: "This is a false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves.

The absolute truth and only meaning of Easter that matters is the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Read Romans, “Reverend” Warnock. You are a false teacher." /

Does she realize the nowadays the word “literal” no longer means “literal”?

She's just reinforcing her belief that Superheroes like Jesus are real. Mercy.

Warnock's message was pretty good I thought.

 

[Politesse]

Toxic-evangelicals have no interest in following Jesus' teachings, they just want him for his body.

 

[BH]

Even Pail said his religion was foolishness....

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Jenna Ellis on Twitter: "This is a false gospel and heresy. We cannot save ourselves.

The absolute truth and only meaning of Easter that matters is the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we must accept Him as Lord and Savior.

Read Romans, “Reverend” Warnock. You are a false teacher." /

Does she realize the nowadays the word “literal” no longer means “literal”?

She's just reinforcing her belief that Superheroes like Jesus are real. Mercy.

Warnock's message was pretty good I thought.

Except I see nothing in Easter that talks about anyone but Jesus. Easter is the starting clock on when the Messiah comes back (...again) and makes a difference for realz. Easter is about the validation that Jesus isn't just some other guy. Easter is about nothing but Jesus.

If anything is to be read from that, it is that if Jesus sacrificed himself for his people, what are you willing to sacrifice for yours, but that is a stretch on the "meaning" of Easter.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Toxic-evangelicals have no interest in following Jesus' teachings, they just want him for his body.

In their defense, their holy book only has four books about Jesus, and they are pretty much repeating each other. So really, there is only one book in their holy book about Jesus's teachings, and there isn't even that much of that.

 

[Politesse]

Toxic-evangelicals have no interest in following Jesus' teachings, they just want him for his body.

In their defense, their holy book only has four books about Jesus, and they are pretty much repeating each other. So really, there is only one book in their holy book about Jesus's teachings, and there isn't even that much of that.

There's a bit more to it than you're implying. John is very different from the Synoptics, and for an open-minded Christian, there are also other ancient gospels to consider. To say nothing of the all the other phillosophers and theologians who built on Christian themes over the centuries.

We don't have much from Socrates either, and like Jesus he allegedly died a martyr's death, betrayed by friends and destroyed by religious conservatives. But he is nonetheless primarily valued for the thoughts he contributed, not for the sating of bloodlust his passing allowed. I wish more Christians saw their central personal figure - who borrowed a lot from Socratic thinking as it happens - in a similar light. As a counselor, rather than as a magical substance.

 

[Worldtraveller]

Toxic-evangelicals have no interest in following Jesus' teachings, they just want him for his body.

This may be the most apt, and disturbing, summary of US evangelicals I've seen.

Well done!

I thought the message was rather bland and mild, but leave it to the religious wrong to get up in arms about it.

 

[Elixir]

Toxic-evangelicals have no interest in following Jesus' teachings, they just want him for his body.

This may be the most apt, and disturbing, summary of US evangelicals I've seen.

Well done!

I thought the message was rather bland and mild, but leave it to the religious wrong to get up in arms about it.

Yeah, props to Poli.
Personally I am concerned that today's chocolate rabbits are usually hollow.

 

[lpetrich]

Rev. Sen. Warnock is much like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., it seems.

Writings show King as liberal Christian, rejecting literalism

"King used to say, 'People think of me as a civil rights leader, but fundamentally, I'm a Baptist preacher,' " said Carson, editor of "Advocate of the Social Gospel," which is based on the newly disclosed writings and is the sixth book produced by the King Papers Project.

...
King was not a conformist Christian. He not only eschewed literalism, he was a strident critic of how the Christian church perpetuated injustices such as slavery and segregation.

"Too often has the church talked about a future good 'over yonder,' totally forgetting the present evil over here," King wrote in 1952 to Coretta Scott, his future wife.

In short, "You'll get pie in the sky when you die, that's a lie" - from "The Preacher and the Slave"

Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and not concerned about the city government that damns the soul, the economic conditions that corrupt the soul, the slum conditions, the social evils that cripple the soul, is a dry, dead, do-nothing religion in need of new blood," King preached in 1962 to his congregation at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

...
King didn't believe the story of Jonah being swallowed by a whale was true, for example, or that John the Baptist actually met Jesus, according to texts detailed in the King papers book. King once referred to the Bible as "mythological" and also doubted whether Jesus was born to a virgin, Carson said.

...
King "wanted to develop an intellectually respectable form of Christianity that did not require people to simply abandon their rational, critical abilities," Carson said. The essential truth King saw, according to Carson, was the social gospel -- "to see the Bible as a message of spiritual redemption and global social justice."

...
Carson also said King criticized the other extreme -- the belief that the Bible is purely a political text, devoid of faith.

...
King went to seminary and received a doctorate from two bastions of liberal theology, Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University, respectively. A professor told him that neither Moses nor the exodus were real -- an irony, given that King was called "new Moses" for his role during the civil rights era.

...
"He saw all these theological discussions and hairsplitting about the factual discussion of the miracles as a huge distraction from the real business of Christians on Earth," said Lischer, who is not associated with the King Papers Project.

MLK wrote the likes of
"What Experiences of Christians Living in the Early Christian Century Led to the Christian Doctrines of the Divine Sonship of Jesus, the Virgin Birth, and the Bodily Resurrection" | The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute

 

[lpetrich]

Was Martin Luther King Jr. a Christian? – Discerning History says about him

Unorthodox Theology

Martin Luther King Jr’s theology was very liberal. In papers he wrote during his time at Crozer Theological Seminary he made his views clear. He said that the evidence for the Virgin Birth is “is too shallow to convince any objective thinker.” He stripped the doctrines of the divine sonship of Christ, the virgin birth and bodily resurrection of all literal meaning, saying, “we [could] argue with all degrees of logic that these doctrines are historically and [philosophically] untenable.” In another paper he wrote:

[A] supernatural plan of salvation, the Trinity, the substitutionary theory of the atonement, and the second coming of Christ are all quite prominent in fundamentalist thinking. Such are the views of the fundamentalist and they reveal that he is oppose[d] to theological adaption to social and cultural change. … Amid change all around he is willing to preserve certain ancient ideas even though they are contrary to science.

He did not believe these doctrines even though the Bible taught them. Instead he rejected them as superstition because they did not fit his notions of modern science. The doctrines he was rejecting are fundamental to Biblical Christianity.

Quoting from
"The Sources of Fundamentalism and Liberalism Considered Historically and Psychologically" | The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute
The author then grumbled that

His message would fall under the banner of black liberation theology – he preached a form of Christianity that was reworked to apply to physical freedom of the slaves. The central theme of his Christianity was not Jesus Christ, the son of God coming to earth, it was the deliverance of the Israel from their slavery in Egypt. In his famous “mountaintop” speech, when he was listing the seminal events of history, he mentioned the Exodus, not Christ’s death and resurrection.

Susan Jacoby in "Freethinkers" claims that the Exodus is a prominent theme in the black church, and I concede that the analogy is good in a surprising way: American blacks' enslavers were overpowered by a force much more powerful than them: the Union Army.

So RW faithfully follows MLK in that respect.

 

[Politesse]

Evangelical theology is usually race-baiting trash from the word go, so I'm not surprised they would try to emphasize King's "unorthodoxy" (As though they themselves were somehow paragons of traditional church doctrine!). At the end of the day, they interpret the Bible so as to support white supremacy, not the other way around. The Biblical authors, most of them non-Europeans themselves, would have had no reaosn to try to fascist eurocentric ideologies in their compositions. Literalism is always a foil - what a person thinks a mystical text "obviously just says" usually speaks more to their prerogatives than any kind of study or contemplation.

Funny how they feign horror at the "immorality" of King's adultery, at the same time as they laud Trump for his "masculinity" and "honesty" in the public press!

 

[Politesse]

Susan Jacoby in "Freethinkers" claims that the Exodus is a prominent theme in the black church, and I concede that the analogy is good in a surprising way: American blacks' enslavers were overpowered by a force much more powerful than them: the Union Army

Be careful to not to distance both the Hebrews and the Blacks from agency in their own liberation stories.

 

[southernhybrid]

I don't have a problem with Warnock's version of Christianity. I just wish he would have stepped down from his lead pastor role if he wants to remain a Senator. It's bad enough that the Republicans use religion as a way to gain votes and manipulate people. The Democrats don't need to compete with that. That's all I'll say since we aren't in the political forum.

 

[lpetrich]

Susan Jacoby in "Freethinkers" claims that the Exodus is a prominent theme in the black church, and I concede that the analogy is good in a surprising way: American blacks' enslavers were overpowered by a force much more powerful than them: the Union Army

Be careful to not to distance both the Hebrews and the Blacks from agency in their own liberation stories.

Fair enough. Both of them liberated themselves when their enslavers were weak enough.