‘Black Lives Matter’ has been at the forefront of the news in recent times, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May of this year. To many people, it seems to be an organization that is simply concerned with police brutality and racism. As such, Black Lives Matter has gained wide support, including “pledges for more than 100 million dollars from various liberal groups, including $33 million from George Soros”(larrytomzcak.com). But is that what Black Lives Matter is really all about?
BLACK LIVES MATTER – HISTORY
It all started in 2013, in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who was charged in relation to the death of Trayvon Martine. BLM was formed, by three radical black organizers – Alicia Garza, Patrisee Cullors and Opal Tometi, as a black-centered political movement. It is now a “member-led organization ‘whose mission was to build local power and to intervene when violence was inflicted on black communities by the state and vigilantes'” (blacklivesmatter.com)
“Two of the three women, Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors, identified as queer, that’s the word that they used. In other words, they were intending to identify as resisting the heteronormativity of the larger culture”(albertmohler.com). “The overall Black Live movement is a decentralized network that has no formal hierarchy.”(politifact.com) But none the less, it is built on certain principles.
BLACK LIVES MATTER – WORLDVIEW
To understand a movement, you have to discover what their world view is. Dr. Albert Mohler, an American historical theologian and President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has written an excellent article on Black Lives Matter. Mohler points out that the movement has “comprehensive and global ambitions” (albertmohler.com). In other words, it is not limited to the issue of police brutality or systemic racism. Rather, it has the goal of changing society as a whole. Let us take a look at how this could relate to various aspects of society.
Although I have read and researched this among secular writers, I particularly want to draw from the article by Albert Mohler, who looks at the issue from a Christian worldview. Some of the emphasis is mine.
BLACK LIVES MATTER – NUCLEAR FAMILY
On their website, Black Lives Matter states, “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable”(blacklivesmatter.com). Black Lives Matter sees the nuclear family, as we know it, as a ‘western patriarchal oppressive invention’ (albertmohler.com).
This is totally at odds with Biblical teachings regarding male and female components of a family unit, with sexual union being related to marriage in the context of a nuclear family unit.
BLACK LIVES MATTER – SCHOOLS
Their goal is “An end to the privatization of education and real community control by parents, students and community members of schools including democratic school boards and community control of curriculum, hiring, firing and discipline policies” (ia800607.us.archive.org).
What all this would mean is anyone’s guess, but it is not schools as we know them today and certainly not private or church-based schools, let alone homeschooling.
BLACK LIVES MATTER – CAPITALISM
The underlying philosophy is Marxism, particularly as it relates to economic matters. The Black Lives Matter movements demands “democratic control over how resources are preserved, used and distributed and do so while honoring and respecting the rights of our Indigenous family”(ia800607.us.archive.org).
What does this all lead to? Very simply, it is the road that leads to socialism and communism. Remember that this was all started by Marxist believers. As Mohler notes, “It’s not an accident then that there is here an open rejection of capitalism. It’s very straight forward. And as you look at the documents, it’s not a surprise then that the platforms call for a deconstruction or a destruction of global capitalism and capitalism as the economic system in the United States. And as you look at the documents, it is not a misreading to understand that they know what capitalism is and that is exactly what they are rejecting, this is not just a slogan”(albertmohler.com).
BLACK LIVES MATTER – INTERSECTION
In the case of Black Lives Matter, this is the intersection of the sexual and gender revolution and the Black Lives Matter movement referring to aspects of liberation. The LGBTQ has, to some degree, linked up with Black Lives Matter. “And so you have newspapers such as USA Today that have been running a series of articles about the intersection of black identity or black identity politics and LGBTQ identity”(albertmohler.com).
BLACK LIVES MATTER – THE END GOAL
Certainly more than protesting police brutality or racism, what is the ultimate goal of Black Lives Matter? As Mohler points out, “the big issue really does come down to the fact that the movement is demanding a total, a comprehensive revolution. The argument here is that Western civilization, Western societies in general, and the United States of America in particular are a broken experiment that must be replaced. And not just replaced in and of themselves but replaced as part of a global revolution, reshaping all of human society”(albertmohler.com).
Whereas many people identify with the call to deal with racism, very few realize the world view that is behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
BLACK LIVES MATTER – PUBLIC OPINION
The sad thing is how people and the media have bought into Black Lives Matter. “Recently, the New York Times ran an article with the headline, ‘On Black Lives Matter, the Public Has Quickly Moved to the Left,’ indicating that polls and surveys, not to mention a look at American corporate and political life indicate an open embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement and message by a rapidly increasing percentage of Americans”(albertmohler.com). So much so that the Boy Scouts of America now officially support Black Lives Matter (dailywire.com). Remember, the BSA already capitulated to the LGBTQ revolution.
I suspect that it is because most people and corporations do not really know what Black Lives Matter really stands for.
FINAL WARNINGS
Albert Mohler concludes his article with a section entitled ‘Black Lives and Black Lives Matter: Thinking Carefully and Prayerfully.’ He states that “the movement known as Black Lives Matter includes several distinctions that are very different than any kind of civil rights movement coming before, and by the mainstream civil rights movement in the United States in particular”(Albertmohler.com). He goes on to identify four main issues. The first is theological issues that deal with the question of moral authority. “The authority claimed in the civil rights movement was a Christian authority. Whereas the authority for Black Lives Matter ‘is a form of human solidarity.’ The second is economic, with the embrace of Marxism. The third has to do with the intersectionality with the issues of the LGBTQ revolution. But the fourth big issue really does come down to the fact that the movement is demanding a total, a comprehensive revolution” (albertmohler.com).
As stated before, “The argument here is that Western civilization, Western societies in general, and the United States of America in particular are a broken experiment that must be replaced. And not just replaced in and of themselves but replaced as part of a global revolution, reshaping all of human society”(albertmohler.com).
Then he goes on to point out, “As Christians, we’re called upon to evaluate everything by God’s Word in Scripture and by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And thus, to try to speak as candidly and as urgently”as possible (albertmohler.com). As such, we as believers can affirm that Black Lives Matter – in as much as each and every person is created by God and is of value. In this case, we are affirming the value of black people (or any other race).
But at the same time, we can reject Black Lives Matter as a movement, believing that its origins, goals, and vision do not measure up with Scripture and, in many ways, oppose the teaching of the Word of God.
Mohler finishes by adding these words, “We have many African American brothers and sisters in Christ, also neighbors and people who are in our community who are hurting and fearful and we need to be very careful and attentive that we hear what they are saying, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be careful how we are speaking. And that means that we have to confess together that we will need the Spirit of Christ because mere words clearly will not do”(albertmohler.com).
We may support the message of opposing racism, but we can not embrace Black Lives Matter as a movement. So let us pray for righteousness to prevail in our land and beyond!
RESOURCES
https://www.larrytomczak.com/cindy-jacobs-talks-prophecy-prayer-and-protests-with-larry-tomczak/
https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
https://albertmohler.com/2020/06/18/briefing-6-18-20
https://ia800607.us.archive.org (The Vision for BLM)
The Vision for Black Lives Matter (PDF file)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/10/upshot/black-lives-matter-attitudes.html
Kairos Ministries 
How can this get out to a MUCH bigger audience? I was aware of these things about BLM. But I think the vast majority of Americans/Christians are not aware of the origins and goals of BLM.
Thank you, Alan. It takes courage to speak up these days. When George Floyd was killed for all the world to see, this BLM jumped on the horse of injustice and rode it for whatever it could. May the Lord give us horses to ride.
Blessings to you and Dorothy.
Helmar