Everything Comes Down to Your Theology: Why Gaza, BLM or Climate Change don't Matter to Most Christians!

Posted by Roger Dickinson on 22 October 2024, 10:25 SAST

Have you ever wondered, like I do almost daily, why there is no mainstream Christian outcry over the ongoing Gaza genocide? Or why it does not make the sermon being preached on a Sunday? Or, for that matter, why there are never sermons on climate change, inequality, racism, sexism or pretty much any other social justice issue?

Turns out what you believe about God—whether you're Christian, Muslim, atheist, or something else—determines how you view the world, its people, and your responsibility toward both. Theology shapes not only religious practices but also societal attitudes, including views on justice, equality, and human rights. For many Christians, the teachings they hold regarding salvation, heaven, and God's will profoundly influence how they engage with issues like racism, povery and inequality and climate issues.  In fact, for most, these beliefs can serve as a reason why social justice issues seems secondary, if not irrelevant and "unspiritual". 

The are many strands to this and many nuances, but two key drives to consider are

1. Soteriology

2. Social Darwinism

I would wager that most Christians have never heard of these concepts yet they practice  and adhere to them often , if not all the time.

 Point 1: Soteriology and the Waiting Room for Heaven

One of the foundational doctrines of Christianity is soteriology, the study of salvation. For many Christians, salvation is understood in terms of personal reconciliation with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The ultimate reward of this salvation is not necessarily found in this life but in the next—specifically in heaven. Heaven, in Christian theology, is the final destination where believers will spend eternity in the presence of God, free from the suffering, pain, and injustices of this world.

Think angels on clouds playing harps in eternal bliss!

This belief has significant implications for how some Christians view earthly life and social responsibility. If the ultimate goal is heaven, then this world is merely a temporary stopover, a place where the most important thing is personal faith and securing eternal life. When salvation is understood as primarily a future reality in heaven, issues of social justice—racism, inequality, poverty—can seem unimportant. After all, if we’re simply waiting for a perfect heaven, what happens on a broken earth might not be the priority. 

This idea can lead to what has been called “escapist theology,” where the focus is on escaping this world rather than transforming it. If the primary goal is personal salvation and the hope of heaven, then working to change systems of injustice in this life can feel unnecessary or even futile. Why bother fixing what is, in the end, a temporary, fallen world?

Also, what we do to the earth – damage its biosphere, rape its resources, pollute its oceans – are largely irrelevant – because, well it is just a temporary holding space!

 Point 2: Social Darwinism and the Idea of Divine Favouritism

Another powerful influence on Christian attitudes toward social justice comes from a distorted reading of theology intertwined with history: the idea that God has favourites.

Think about the stuff that’s come from beliefs about the Sons of Noah, particularly the cursing of Ham; the treatment of the Canaanites by the returning Israelites from Egypt. “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated” ( Malachi 1:3) 

Based on these and many other scriptures (most extremely complex and nuanced),  many in the Christian world have believed that God’s blessing or favour is especially upon certain groups.

Over the last 700 years this has been primarily linked to people of European descent. Beginning with edicts by European Popes such as Dum Diversas (1452) and Romanus Pontifex (1455), this belief has been reinforced by centuries of colonialism, slavery, and racial hierarchy, where European nations expanded across the globe, often under the pretext that they were bringing “civilization” and “Christianity” to the so-called lesser races.

This belief system, actually built on a corruption of Greek philosophy, evolved over the last hundred years into principles of social Darwinism. Originally initiated by Herbert Spencer, a 19th-century English philosopher and sociologist,a pseudo-scientific theory applied Darwin’s theory of evolution to societies and races. Social Darwinism justified the domination of certain races over others, arguing that it was natural for the strong (read: Europeans) to rule over the weak (read: Africans, Asians, Indigenous peoples). 

This combined nicely with the passages scriptures we pointed out above to give a distorted theological belief that Europe and the West were chosen by God to lead the world, this mindset has had devastating effects on how Christians in the West view justice for non-European peoples.

For centuries, European colonial powers enslaved, exploited, and oppressed Black and Indigenous populations in Africa, the Americas, and Asia—all while maintaining that they were fulfilling a divine mission. In this worldview, Black lives and non-European lives were seen as less valuable, not just politically or economically, but spiritually. This legacy continues to shape the Western Christian psyche, even in subtle ways. While outright colonialism may be gone, the idea that some lives matter more than others persists in how the West responds—or fails to respond—to social injustices in regions like Africa.

Consider the difference in global responses to crises in Africa, the middle East, Asia or South America versus crises in Europe or the USA. 

The world’s response to COVID19 really only kicked off when elderly Italians were dying. Ebola, malaria and cholera rage unchecked for years across Africa without the same kind of response, 

A war in Kosovo or Ukraine gets immediate and dramatic intervention while the Sudan, DRC or Myanmar barely register. 

And the elephant in the room is of course the difference in how Palestine is treated versus Israel.

Now, for sure, all of these are highly complex political and economic issues. But the real test is found in who our churches are asked to pray for! Act on behalf of! Or, even simply acknowledge as issues!

Have any Christian groups stood up for Palestinians? Those who have, are up against a tidal wave of others, who don’t think its appropriate or spiritually relevant.

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Whether consciously or unconsciously, the belief that certain people are more “favoured” by God—and thus more valuable—has deep roots.

 Implications for Social Justice

When these two ideas—soteriology’s focus on heavenly rewards and the lingering legacy of divine favouritism—are combined, it creates a theology that mostly side-lines social justice. For many Christians, the emphasis is on saving individual souls for heaven, and the idea of working to create justice on earth feels either secondary or not their responsibility. Furthermore, the belief that certain groups of people, particularly Europeans or those of European descent, are more blessed or favoured has contributed to systemic racism and inequality that continues to plague regions like Africa, where Black lives don’t actually matter!

This theological framework presents a serious challenge for the Christian church in all its forms, particularly in a world grappling with racial injustice, economic inequality, and environmental degradation. If Christians truly believe that God created all people in His image and values justice and mercy, there must be a shift in focus—from waiting for heaven to working for justice here on earth. Understanding and dismantling these harmful theological beliefs is critical for Christians who want to live out the call to love their neighbors and seek justice for all. 

Maybe in trying to grapple with this, a central prayer to the Christian religion may be of assistance to my fellow believers:

Your Kingdom Come

On Earth, as it is in Heaven!