Josh McDowell's folly in addition to racism: Claiming that the Bible only talks about individuals

In a recent speech author and apologist Josh McDowell caused a significant commotion by proclaiming the the primary cause of inequality for Black families in America is that Black households don't prioritize education and hard work.  That he was doing so in the midst of a speech lambasting Critical Race Theory as unbiblical because it sees oppression in systems and not just individuals made his statement ironic in addition to its casual racist stereotypes given that Josh McDowell is blaming the systems of Black families and culture rather than the individual young people he claims are growing up to not value education and hard work.  Here is the quote:

"I do not believe Blacks, African Americans, and many other minorities have equal opportunity. Why? Most of them grew up in families where there is not a big emphasis on education, security — you can do anything you want. You can change the world. If you work hard, you will make it. So many African Americans don't have those privileges like I was brought up with,"

After the uproar McDowell attempted to backtrack claiming that his statement didn't reflect his own beliefs, but much damage has already been done to his reputation.

Josh McDowell apologises for race comments, by Jennifer Lee of Christian Today

Josh McDowell steps back from ministry after controversial remarks on black families By Michael Gryboski, Christian Post Reporter

That racism is indeed a structural problem, and not just the actions of individuals is not a difficult proposition to establish, although it is anathema to a significant portion of Evangelicals in America today to say so.  I've already written against such rampant Individualism:

When the shameful past of Racism hits close to home {An analysis of The Color of Law, an incredible book}

The Prophet Amos: What provokes God's wrath? - Injustice and False Worship {Amos had no trouble seeing Israel's problems as being more than individual choices}

Especially this: Taking the name of the LORD in vain: PragerU's "Social Justice Isn't Justice"

And this: "What does the Bible say about systemic racism?" by WWUTT.com - an error filled and shameful tragedy that only makes things worse

Mitigating racism can't wait: Why Pastor Robert Jeffress is wrong

Systemic Racism: The casual racism of the phrase "Black on Black crime" {Also contains links to Phil Vischer's videos from the Holy Post, very helpful}

So yeah, I've written a lot in the last couple of years against the notion that systematic racism doesn't exist and against the over-dependence of Evangelicals today on Individualism.  It turns out that a false individualism is at the heart of Josh McDowell's theological error as well.  Also from that same speech is this fiasco that is being overshadowed by the racist stereotype that went with it:

During his talk, McDowell also criticized critical race theory (CRT) which he claimed "negates all the biblical teaching" on racism because it blames systems instead of individual sin.  "There's no comparison to what is known today as social justice with what the Bible speaks as justice," he said. "With CRT they speak structurally. The Bible speaks individually. Make sure you get that. That's a big difference." {quoted from the Christian Today article}

Wait, what??  The Bible speaks individually ONLY and NOT structurally?  The prophets don't excoriate Israelite society, its government and rulers because of their unjust laws and practices?  Jesus doesn't flip tables in the temple, upbraid the power structures in Jerusalem time and time again?  How Josh McDowell came to a place in his worldview that he would believe and teach this nonsense is itself a hard question, but there is no doubt that he is in deep error here, and that he is not alone.

My rebuttal (link above) of the PragerU video goes into much detail against this false individualistic version of the Gospel, this is a political gospel, one rooted in Ayn Rand style individualism, but antithetical to the traditional Judeo-Christian worldview.

"My body, my choice" is Individualism that spits in the face of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Lord - abortion and vaccine refusal

When is governmental action morally justified? The morality of COVID-19 responses to protect less than 1%.

2020 has taken the measure of the Church, and found us wanting

"You do you, I'll do me" - Quintessentially American, but incompatible with the Judeo-Christian worldview

Another example of rampant Individualism: A Moral Hierarchy: A refutation of William Barr's, "Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history."

The response of many Christians to the COVID-19 pandemic has put into plain view the paucity of Individualism, the utter failure of an ethic based on the needs/wants of the individual and neglecting community responsibility.  McDowell's dismissal of systematic racism (as part of his political assault on CRT) is equally foolish, and equally unbiblical.

Virtue run amok

G.K. Chesterton wrote his explanation of why he believed in Christianity, Orthodoxy, in 1908.  He wrote at the dawn of the Modern Age that we know live in, prior to WWI, when electricity, the automobile, and radio were on the horizon.  In the last one hundred and five years some things have changed a great deal, one observation of his in particular about virtue and vice has only grown more true with the passage of time.
"The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good.  It is full of wild and wasted virtues...The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad.  The virtues are mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone." (Orthodoxy, p. 22)  By this Chesterton meant that Truth, Justice, Mercy, Love, etc. are still valued in our society, but out of proportion with each other, and in grotesque ways that ultimately lead to evil instead of good precisely because they have become detached from their framework within the Christian faith.  Those who value Truth above all else think nothing of persecuting those with whom they disagree.  Those who trumpet Mercy do so by declaring and end to judgment; rather than learn what true mercy means, they simply deny any absolute sense of right and wrong.  The examples could go on and on, but the most disturbing of all virtues run amok is Love.  Our society is drunk on the idea of Love, but the love we now worship is a self-centered, pleasure seeking charlatan, it cares not for those who do not love it back and resembles not at all the Love of God shown at Calvary.
Chesterton's observation about the virtue of humility is particularly poignant, and worth quoting, "Humility was largely meant as a restraint upon the arrogance and infinity of the appetite of man...But what we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place.  Modesty has been removed from the organ of ambition.  Modesty has settled upon the organ of conviction; where it was never meant to be.  A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed." (p. 23-24)  This is the Post-Modern world we find ourselves living in.  Everyone is full to overflowing with self-confidence, but scared to death to say that one thing is right and another is wrong.  The result is an ever more pathetic arrogance about one's own place in this world, and an ever shrinking ability to define one's purpose in this world.  It is any wonder that people grow weary of the bluster and long for some sense of Truth to comfort their souls?  Is it any wonder that far too many young people around the world have embraced fanaticism in the vain hope that the brutal certainty of a violent claim to truth will make up for their own feelings of uncertainty?
The world may not look much like it did one hundred years ago, but the mind of man hasn't changed all that much.  Would that we might once again embrace the mind of Christ and put an end to all of this virtue run amok.

The Post-Christian West?

It has been popular in recent years to proclaim the end of the Christian era in the West and to speak of post-modernity as the "post-Christian era".  The assessment is that the saturation of our culture by Christian ideas and values is coming to and end.  There will be far more people in the future who have no real knowledge of Christianity so that when we encounter them (either as visitors to Church or in Outreach, or simply as neighbors or co-workers) we will have to work harder to establish basic Truths and prepare the ground for the Gospel to be heard.
The evidence in Europe of the "death" of Christianity is indeed stark; near empty Churches seem to be the norm, far more than vibrant ones.  But is this the case in America too?  We have witnessed dramatic growth in those who self-label themselves as Agnostics or Atheists, but have we also not witnessed a resurgence of those who have clung to the Church through its difficult days.  Yes, Church membership is down (almost across the board), but wasn't it bloated before with those for whom it was simply a status symbol and not really a serious commitment?
The future of the Church in America lies in the hands of the generations that will inherit the leadership and responsibility from the Baby Boomers (and this soon).  It will be up to us to raise high the banners that were handed down to us and proclaim our faith proudly despite the laughter of the sceptics.  It will be up to us to show that relationships still have value in a fragmented culture, and that love can transcend text messages.
Christianity has taken a severe blow as a cultural force in America over the last few decades, but it remains to be seen if the Church will once again rise to the occasion through acts of humility and charity.
Despair over the future of the Church is nothing new.  In generations past the Lord sent revival throughout our nation, a Great Awakening ensued; later on, a Second Great Awakening followed. 
Lord, it is time, send your Third Great Awakening to a dry and thirsty land; it is not the culture of this great Nation for whom we fear, but the lost souls yearning to find hope and peace.