One of the unfortunate things about working in digital communications is having social media be a part of your job.

It helps, however, to have a few solid theological groups to follow. I still remember when a certain Christian webcomic by this guy named "Adam4d" came onto my feed. It was an instant hit with my seminary friends. Today, with Adam Ford working on bigger and more ambitious projects, I've had to fill that Christian-comic-sized hole in my heart with as many theological comic/meme groups as possible.

Today, a fortuitous comic popped into my feed from the 1689 Gang (a group named after a the 1689 Baptist Confession) that perfectly sums up what's been happening in the American Church in recent months. I'm talking about the adoption of Critical Theory – a philosophical framework rooted in postmodernism and Marxist thought. Critical Theory was an attempt to realize Karl Marx's vision for how a classless, socialistic society would work. If Marxism is the ends, Critical Theory is the means. After WWI failed to produce a working class uprising in the West, German philosophers in the Frankfort School in the 1920s developed Critical Theory as a framework for changing culture from its roots. The goal, in essence, was to change the culture by undermining history, religion, and traditional values, morals, and norms. Since pitting the poor against the rich didn't work well in a thriving America, they turned to other disparities to work in Marxist ideals – namely that of race.

Since the 1960s, this Critical Theory has been adapted into Critical Race Theory that has driven much of the redefining of history and language in the U.S. When you hear terms such as "white guilt," that's Critical Race Theory. When you hear talks of paying reparations, read the New York Times' revisionist 1619 Project, or hear words such as "privilege," "oppressors," "woke," "anti-racism," "intersectionality," "cultural appropriation," etc., you're speaking Marxist language.

It's no accident that the Black Lives Matter organization and movement are spearheaded by neo-Marxists. That's not a conspiracy theory: the founders openly admit this.

What's astonishing is to see the number of church leaders adopting this language and using it to inform their theology. It's a horrible, horrible thing to twist Scripture this way. Lest you think this is a fringe movement in the American Church, let me point out that June, Christianity Today – the premiere publication of the Evangelical Church, started by Billy Graham himself – shared in June that "repentance is not enough" when it comes to the "sin of racism."

There's a great piece on Disrn this week that dives into some more examples of this. Suffice to say, if you're like me, you've heard some of this language being used by teachers like JD Greer – pastors and leaders one wouldn't usually put in the heretical camp. This stuff is dangerous, folks. It's supremely unbiblical, and it fits into the category of false gospels we are called to address as believers. The consequences of not standing firm in our exposition of Scripture during this time would be catastrophic.

Now that I've suckered you into a small lesson on modern Marxism and its dangers (you're welcome), here's the comic I promised. Enjoy.