On July 7, retired Southern Adventist University professor Carlos Martin put a post on his Facebook page regarding Liberation Theology and Black Lives Matter. In the post, professor Martin shared some of his research on the BLM organization and its connection to Marxism.
Some comments following the post were:
“Very interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing.”
“At one point I wanted to support BLM but I felt the Spirit say no. I held on and now I see why.”
The professor’s post was generally well received.
July 8
The Professor posted part 2 on his Facebook page, warning Adventists against joining BLM, due to their strange unbiblical agenda. Again the responses were mostly positive, except for a few negative reactions.
“Very thought-provoking, Dr. Martín! Thank you for sharing.”
“Beautifully written.”
“Amen Pastor Marten!!”
“Excelente comentario lo felicito profesor.”
By this time, Professor Martin’s Facebook discussion on the topic of BLM and its open avowal of Marxism had drawn the attention of some student supporters of BLM. They complained to SAU, that one of their retired professors was in opposition to BLM, therefore he was ‘racist’. And since he used to be employed at Southern, that makes Southern a ‘racist’ institution. Yes it is ludicrous, but that’s how outrage mobs operate on social media.
July 13
Southern Adventist University released a statement distancing themselves from Professor Martin. In the statement, they acknowledged that the BLM organization held certain ideologies that they could not biblically agree with. Good for them.
The statement was ferociously attacked by the outrage mob, a social justice equivalent of offended Imams crying for blood when someone suggests that Mohammed wrote things that support terrorism.
July 17
Southern Adventist University posted an apology on their Facebook page designed to appease the offended mob. The statement:
To date, this apology engendered over 200 responses on the SAU Facebook page, some of them so nasty they were deleted.
Our Summary
Universities were originally constructed around the proposition of the free exchange of ideas to facilitate learning. That works for mature people. We often hear opinions and research that we may not understand or agree with, and through discussion we are both enriched; each protecting the other person's right to free speech (or right to disagree).
However, nowadays, when a person shares a point of view that you don't agree with, the outrage mob goes into meltdown mode, crying for the 'blood' of the person who dared to disagree with them. This is at best, immaturity, and at worst, a modern foray into social spiritual ‘genocide’, where the offending person is marked for cancellation by the cancel culture mob.
Southern University is not inherently racist. There are many good people that work there. They are not perfect (like me) but I believe they often do the best they can in a confused and confusing world.
So how do you make it worse, if you are a University? Grovel to the mob. You can be the modern counterpart of Emperor Henry IV bowing in the snow before Pope Gregory VII. It doesn’t work, you are merely editing your soul for the next big failure.
How do you make it better? Stand up for what you know to be God’s truth, dear friends. The mob may come for you, but by speaking the truth in love and not caving to the mob, you will earn the admiration of a million onlookers, and most importantly, build maturity for that final test, just ahead.
The people outside the walls of the New Jerusalem will contain many erstwhile members of the ‘mob’, and just as many of those who caved to them (Revelation 21:8; 22:15).
Shun the mob (Luke 23:21).
Join the Great Multitude instead (Revelation 7:9).
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“Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4).