Where to go?

Alternative thoughts of an Asian American Christian youth

Translated by Lin Yu

▲Read the Bible, history, and novels to help the author develop unique intuition. (schematic diagram)

Reading shapes vision

Living in such a turbulent era, there are excessive crises that worry us. Even if the whole country is united, it will still be difficult. Unfortunately, we can't even talk about this. You may ask why? As an Asian American Christian youth, I would like to state the phenomena I have observed and the current trends.

I think I see things differently than a lot of young people, even those who come from the same background as me. According to the reasons I figured out, it has a lot to do with the books I read from childhood to high school. What I mainly read, in order of importance: the Bible; history books; novels.

I learned from the Bible the importance of faith and what people with and without faith can accomplish. I read history in such a broad range of genres and literature that it is almost impossible to be pigeonholed into a single argument carved out by historians with a certain bias. As for novels, whether fantasy or science fiction, they can unlock my imagination. After reading various novels and real-life situations, even though I was still shocked, no real-life events could surprise me anymore. I understand the many motivations behind things: people who think they have good goals but cause harm; psychopaths who destroy for the sole purpose of having fun; heroes who are always fighting; people who do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, even at the expense of their principles; People who tell the truth directly do not appear in fairy tales; cunning manipulators are not so easy to find out...

Combining what I have learned from personal relationships and years of reading has helped me develop a unique intuition, and I will not blindly follow the philosophies and opinions promoted by culture or so-called "political correctness". Of course, reading books cannot replace seeing the world. I still have a lot to learn and experience. However, what I learn from reading can indeed prepare me to face all aspects of the world.

▲Are the innovative achievements of the founding fathers of the United States and their unique contribution in creating the republican constitution at the beginning of the founding of the country eclipsed by racism?

Don't know why

Perhaps some Christian parents think that sending their children to a Christian college is enough to help them maintain their faith in life. This is not to protect them by keeping them ignorant of the world, but to ensure that children grow up in an environment that strengthens their confidence. However this may not be enough. I attended a Christian college, and America’s plague-like divisions were just as raging on campus. These conflicts do not come from Christianity per se, but from the secular world.

I can say that the campus is very popular and I can get along with many people from different backgrounds. Now that 2020 is an election year, I find more and more of my friends talking about politics. In the past, as long as my friends were nice and got along, I didn't care about their political views. This year it has developed rapidly to a point that cannot be ignored. Once I scrutinized what these people said in person and on social media, what I found really shocked me.

Generally speaking, I have always been a "Conservative", but I don't care if someone is a "Liberal" as long as they know why they support such ideas. Unfortunately this is not always the case. There are many people on campus who not only have extreme, progressive views, but also have little understanding of what their views mean. From their words, I realized that the progressive thinking framed the United States in a malicious and wrong light.

The "Progressives" I know generally believe that America's worst and most obvious founding principle is racism. Any positive credit for innovation that the Founding Fathers deserve is eclipsed by slavery; even if the Constitution of the Republic was so unique in the world in which it was founded, even if the country maintains its freedom and helps other countries maintain their freedom, the United States of America not only cannot respond to the racist Dark history cannot be avoided and must be constantly made up for.

Some friends do not believe that capitalism is a good economic system and believe that it is just to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. I now understand that because they see the world this way, they support certain policies. If someone sees their country as such an evil institution, of course they will want to radically restructure the way it operates. They demand higher taxes on high-income earners and a mandatory minimum wage increase for low-income earners. Generally speaking, they want the government to decide who can get the benefits, regardless of who has worked hard to earn them.

My progressive friends claim that implementing these policies will solve economic inequality. They argue that the best way to correct the polarization and inequity of the national economy is simply to let the government, and those who demand it be governed in this way, decide how to allocate resources. In fact, as far as I know, the economic situation is not the same in all states. The business models are different, as are the distribution of the labor force and the cost of living. Although I am not an economist, I can see how complex economics is using just common sense. These seemingly ideal trimming solutions do not consider the knock-on effect; they adopt the mentality of "one size shoe fits all feet" and believe that one method can be suitable for all regions.

Interestingly, Americans, especially those who want the government to implement a forward policy, do not have the same wariness about "government" that they have since the founding fathers. They seemed indifferent to state or federal expansion of the boundaries of authority. Take the coronavirus lockdown as an example: I am not opposed to defensive measures being taken to protect public health, but I do think the penalties imposed on those who break the rules are unduly harsh. In some states, criminals, both violent and non-violent, are being released on the grounds that continued incarceration during the pandemic is "inhumane." Instead, shops, private houses, or houses of God were arrested, prosecuted, and fined because too many people gathered, and the media vilified these people as vicious spreaders of the disease. People are forcibly prevented from visiting their dying relatives or attending funerals. However, hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of people participated in the funerals or demonstrations of specific people, but they were tacitly allowed and widely reported, just because the officials believed that they were "politically correct" and could be treated with special exceptions.

Even if progressives claim to hate American history, paradoxically what they stand for is that they still follow the intuition inherited by most Americans for generations, which is that "since the United States has always opposed authoritarian regimes in the past, it is necessary for our own government to There is nothing to be afraid of.” This may be why they want government to dictate how more and more people live their lives. I think this view of government is unwise. Because no matter how altruistic the original intention of the advocate is, once the government is allowed to have more control, it is likely that many people will lose the right to entrust public opinion representatives to supervise the government, and usher in a dictatorship and oligarchic regime.

▲Where will social trends take us forward? As a follower of Christ, are you willing to seek the guidance of the truth?

Who has the authority to forgive

The issue of race is the main point of disagreement between me and my progressive friends. Growing up in an Asian family and hanging out with other Asian families, we were not taught to care too much about our racial identity. On the contrary, we are taught to work hard and pursue progress. Coupled with Christian family upbringing, it means focusing less on one’s ethnic group and more on Jesus and the talents given by God. As John 1:12 says: “Whoever receives Him is the one who believes in His name. people, and He gave them the authority to become children of God.” However, many people do not view ethnic issues this way.

Progressives currently generally believe that the 21st century is an era of racial reckoning; regardless of whether an individual has actually done so, or has any connection with the person who did so, white people "repent" for racial discrimination and for the evil deeds of their ancestors The time has come to take responsibility. In 2020, several fatal conflicts between white police officers and black people triggered large-scale anti-racial discrimination riots and protests, which further highlighted this sentiment.

Of course these incidents are tragic and unfortunate, but is it really reasonable for them to be held up to prove that the United States and Americans are still hopelessly racist? Such assumptions and accusations have led to movements calling for police defunding and the complete abolition of the force. Today, there are so many students on my college campus, like so many across the country, who embrace racial progressiveness, the belief that white people need to repent of the mistakes of white racists in the past, just because They have the same skin color.

I'm absolutely against racism, but I don't think it should be done. From a non-religious historical perspective, such measures are actually similar to the abstract definition of specific ethnic groups as threats in history. And from a Christian perspective, it disturbs me even more. Many Christians who accepted this theory now apply spiritual principles. They believe that white people bear the original sin of racial discrimination and need to seek forgiveness from minorities or invest their lives to support all the demands of the black community. They quote, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) This sounds like it is encouraging The spirit is converted, but the authority of forgiveness is mistakenly given to those who are also sinners in God's eyes. Those who seek atonement cannot be freed from such burdens because those to whom they submit do not have the spiritual authority to impart or remove burdens.

Return to the Bible to see the problem

I believe that the current divisions in the United States are primarily due to spiritual factors and secondarily to economic factors. All my friends are good people, otherwise I wouldn't associate with them in the first place. Once they realize that empathy and anger are not enough solutions, I encourage them to return to God’s Word for guidance rather than putting their faith aside in the hope of finding solutions from society and worldly beliefs.

Is there any scriptural basis in the New Testament to support that as long as racial issues are involved, do certain ethnic groups not need God’s forgiveness just like all other human beings? Or, conversely, do certain ethnic groups have to be particularly guilty of the sins of their ancestors and seek forgiveness? (Refer to 1 Corinthians 12:13) From my understanding, what Paul and the apostles preached is not that because others receive less reward, we should not receive the fruits of our own labor. The Bible says that "giving" is blessed, but it does not teach that "forcing others to give" is a righteous act. (Refer to 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

I challenge progressive Christians who accuse others simply of their personal preferences: Are you willing to accept others to hold you to the same standards and attitudes? (Refer to Luke 6:37; Matthew 6:15) I would also like to ask them to think: Is this way of following the so-called "mainstream" to resolve faults and define justice consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ? Or is that just a value promoted by a world that doesn’t believe in Him?

I am fully aware that my views appear conservative and closed-minded to many young American Christians. However, every word in this article is my heartfelt words expressed with a sincere and eager heart after a long period of reading, thinking, organizing, and personal experience.

My prayer is: May the Lord allow more "alternative voices" like this to be heard by more young American Christians, and cause them to think: As they move forward with the social trend, why not stop for a moment and see where they should go? Where to go.