The Black Lives Matter movement has presented a new facet. In the city of Portland, where the fight for black rights is particularly militant, activists burned the American flag and dozens of Bibles.
The burning of the Stars and Stripes flag has long been a surprise - this thing became fashionable half a century ago, during the Vietnam War and the struggle for civil rights. Dissatisfaction with the American state was carried over to its symbol.
But burning the Bible is something new. Rejection of Christianity as such. And since those professing monotheistic religions, that is, (along with Christians) also Jews and Muslims, are generalized "people of the Book", this form of struggle strikes both Islam and Judaism. BLM heroes have finally lost the brakes.
The speed here is impressive. At the beginning of summer, there were already protests and blasphemous actions against images of Christ (as well as the Mother of God, the apostles) with a light skin color. Activists pointed out that this was a racist lie, since in reality all the characters in Sacred History were pleasantly dark-skinned, and not at all white. It is part of the science of Egyptology taught at US universities, which claims that in reality all ancient heroes were blacks. Including Plato and Aristotle. Naturally, both Christ and the apostles.
This could be explained with half a sin. The portrayal of gospel stories in accordance with local beliefs has long been known. In the paintings of the early Renaissance, people from the time of Caesar Tiberius appear in costumes of the XIV century and against the background of the architecture of the same century. The naive Yakut icon depicts the Mongoloid Christ riding into Jerusalem on a deer. In Latin America, in Africa - roughly similar art. Quite sincerely believing people see Sacred history this way.
True, when people sincerely believe in the teachings of the Savior, they do not consider it necessary to prescribe to all the languages of the earth that He must necessarily be slanting and riding on a deer. They just have different ideas about what is essential.
Nevertheless, even the requirement that Christ be necessarily black, at least presupposes his veneration. In Portland they went further: they burned the Holy Scriptures, because in it Christ was white. And if so, then why stand on ceremony with Him and with the Scripture. Black Lives Matter is our ark of the covenant, not some kind of Christ.
It is not clear, however, where the activists generally got that, even in the Old Testament, even in the New Testament, skin color is given not so much, but even at least some importance.
The only verse on this subject is from the Song of Songs: "Daughters of Jerusalem, I am black, but beautiful." But to build on this new theology and doctrine is not given to everyone.
In biblical times, skin color was not a defining characteristic. When the evangelists cited the Savior's broad outlook as an example, they talked about His conversation with the Samaritan wife - because the Samaritans held a different faith than the Jews. And “there is neither Greek nor Jew” is not at all about skin color.
It's just that the activists have a very heavy ignorance. As, however, and Egyptologists from American universities.
But in doing so, BLM activists are knocking out a long tradition of Negro piety from under their feet. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" portrays the protagonist not only as a virtuous person, but also as a deeply religious Christian. The tradition of Negro spirituals - spiritual chants - is inseparable from sincere and fervent faith. After all, the civil rights apostle Martin Luther King was a reverend, that is, a pastor, an elder. In this former context, it is impossible to imagine the public burning of the Bible. After all, the original meaning of the civil rights movement was deeply Christian: "I too am your brother."
But everything is changing. If before there was Uncle Tom, and now George Floyd, then the religious and moral foundations of the movement could not fail to show a deep metamorphosis.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.