How Do We REALLY Fight Oppression?

White Supremacy, Burden-Sharing, and the Question of Oppression

The second purpose for this guide given to us in the introduction is to call white people to join in the fight against America's, and I would even say all of Western culture or Europe, to fight against their original sin of white supremacy and its oppression of people of color.

Historically, the burden of dismantling white supremacy in our country has disproportionately fallen on the shoulders of people of color. As white people, it's past time for us to begin sharing this burden.

More importantly, as white people, we must begin to understand that we are part of an interrelated network of mutality. When one group benefits from oppressing another, everyone suffers. End quote, page three, the guide.

Are we whites really oppressing people of color? Or do they mean that whites receive certain advantages in our society? And because of this, we are oppressing or being complicit in oppressing people of color.

Biblical Oppression as Harsh Control and the Misuse of Power

So this got me thinking about what is oppression? What is oppression? More importantly, according to the Bible, in James two, six, oppress is the rendering of, excuse me, if I butcher this, katadunastio, probably completely butchered that word, but it means to exercise harsh control over one or to use one's power against one.

Now this can include one group or individual exercising power over another group or individual, but there is an actual exercising of power and authority to subjugate and control the group or individual.

One exercising one's privilege is not equal to one exercising power over another. It might be a privilege to walk into a convenience store and not be judged by another as a possible threat or a thief, because I'm white or of a certain color, but that is in no way, shape or form oppression on my part, because someone else may show partiality towards me because of my race.

Oppression, Injustice, and God's Law

Biblical oppression is in essence, the outcome of injustice and unrighteousness, but not just anyone's idea or definition of injustice, right or wrong or unrighteousness, but oppression is the outcome of rejecting God's law and standard for righteousness.

And Jeremiah 29 11 states, where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. Now people like to twist this verse to teach Christians to cast a vision for their life or to create a vision board or use it even to give credence to a seeker sensitive pastor's vision for his church and justify the rejecting of Christ's purpose for the church.

But the verse is talking about how the law is a blessing to the people by restraining them. The law restrains oppression. So to fight oppression, one must go to God's law to understand what righteousness looks like and to see how justice should be executed when the law is transgressed.

In scripture, we see often this connection between the law of God, righteousness, justice, and the result of injustice or oppression. Ecclesiastes 5 8. If you see the oppression of the poor and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don't marvel at the matter for one official is eyed by a higher one and there are officials over them.

The oppression of the poor is directly tied here to taking away justice and righteousness, not the exercising of privilege or the fact that one may have some sort of advantage while another does not. Isaiah 5 7.

For the vineyard of Yahweh of armies is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. And he looked for justice, but behold oppression for righteousness, but behold a cry of distress. Again, oppression is tied to the lack of justice and righteousness.

Isaiah 10 1. Woe unto them that decree iniquitous decrees and to the writers that prescribe oppression. Here we see oppression tied to iniquitous decrees, meaning grossly unfair and immoral laws. Isaiah 30 12.

Therefore, thus says the holy one of Israel, because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on it. Now in this context of the passage, the word is the word of the Lord, the instruction of the Lord.

Verse 9. Given by his prophets who prophesy what is right in verse 10. Rejecting God himself proclaiming, let us hear no more about this holy one of Israel. So see what is trusted in when people reject the knowledge and words of the Lord, they trust in oppression and perverseness.

Isaiah 54 14. In righteousness you shall be established, you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not be afraid, and from terror for it shall not come near you. So according to God's word, it's not racial reconciliation that will defeat any form of oppression, but righteousness.

And not a racial righteousness as Be the Bridge wants people to work on, but righteousness as laid out for us in God's word. The righteousness of God, not of race.