Black Hebrew Israelites

7/5/18          Joseph    (video)                       21

Have you heard of the “Black Hebrew Israelites”?  They would be the religious version of today’s race-based identity politics.  They and various splinter groups have been around for a century or so, with the general belief that African-Americans not only relate spiritually to the Israelites who came out of 400 years of Egyptian slavery, but also that they are actually their physical descendants and of a purer racial stock than European Jews.I encounter them every so often during outreach in Chicago, and so far one thing they have all had in common has been a fiery rhetoric about God’s racial preferences based on historical misinformation, conspiracy theories, and misinterpretations of Scripture.

 

My latest encounter with the Black Hebrew Israelites would be Joseph, who at first jumped at the chance to have our conversation recorded because he is an aspiring actor and model, but also used the opportunity to get on a soapbox about his religious beliefs, starting out slow, but building momentum as we went on.  Some more outrageous claims include speaking favorably of Hitler’s race-based policies, and that Hitler was opposed and defeated by the Allies because he favored black Africans over Jews.  Joseph disparaged Catholicism, primarily because priests must vow abstinence and he sees it as a God-given duty to “spread his seed”.

I rarely argue against erroneous or outrageous claims people make, especially earlier in a conversation, because I view them as rabbit trails or smokescreens that will inhibit eventually sharing the Gospel, given the limited duration of a street outreach conversation.  Instead, I might eventually question some earlier statements to show inconsistencies in the person’s beliefs and/or how they might be incompatible with the Bible. 

Most people slow down after stating their basic beliefs and often directly ask about mine, giving me an opportunity to share all or part of the Gospel.  Not so with every Black Hebrew Israelite I have met.  They have been so well versed in their talking points and convinced of their message that they have no time or interest in hearing mine.  It makes me think they get their information in the same heavy-handed way, possible even being brainwashed.  Joseph was first exposed to the teachings while incarcerated, which gave him a lot of time to be immersed in them.  I see their interest in conspiracy theories and historical revisionism as being very similar to the attraction of first-century Gnosticism, which gave their followers a sense of having insider information not available to the general masses and the sense of rising above their circumstances in life.

Paul warned young Timothy about this attraction to alternative teachings, and to “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales”.  He explained that “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”  (1 Tim. 4)

One unusual belief Joseph had was that he would go to hell were he to die today, because his sins are so serious.  This is unusual because the overwhelming majority of people believe that despite their many sins, they are still good enough to go to heaven when they die.  When he said he thought he would go to hell I tried to convince Joseph of God’s love and the value of his soul, that it is not too late for salvation through faith in Christ.  But I eventually figured out that although he does say he would go to hell were he to die today, God won’t let that happen until he becomes good enough for salvation.  This belief had the effect of giving him license to sin as a young man while remaining religious and having hope for salvation eventually when he is older.

I share this about the Black Hebrew Israelites as just one example of the many false teachers out there, just as Paul warned that “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  (2 Tim. 4)   

Instead, let us be , “nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed”  and encourage young people like Joseph to do the same!

(View my conversation with Joseph HERE)