Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois is supposed to be a ‘Christian’ school; albeit new evangelical. However, in September 2017 Wheaton’s Philosophy Department sponsored a talk by Emory University’s Dr. George Yancy on the subject  “A Post-Racial America? White Gazes and Black Bodies.”

Photo by McKenzie Gallagher

There is a youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twoexLfmGSg&feature=youtu.be) that gives 16 minutes audio of Yancy’s lecture but it is such a gutter expletive-filled talk that it will not be included here. Honestly, any truly born again growing in the Christian faith person would have a hard time listening to more than two minutes at the most of Yancy’s lecture.

So, why mention Yancy’s foul-mouthed hate-filled reverse racist speech anyway? Well, Yancy’s talk reveals several points.

1. It reveals how much further Wheaton College has drifted from the Word of God.
2. It reveals that a person would not receive a solid Christian education from the Word of God at Wheaton.
3. It reveals the moral qualities (or lack thereof) distinctive to George Yancy.
4. It reveals what is taught in the philosophy departments at Wheaton and Emory.
5. It reveals that Dr. Yancy has an anger issue.
6. It reveals Dr. Yancy has a spiritual problem.
7. It reveals what reversed racism sounds like.
8. It reveals the low morals of the listeners when a professor from an ‘esteemed’ University uses words in a lecture that even a sailor would have blushed at fifty years ago. Here are some responses from those who went to this lecture.‘September 21, 2017

   On Sept. 14, George Yancy, professor of philosophy at Emory University spoke in Barrows Auditorium about the idea of a “post-racial America.” His lecture, entitled “White Gazes and Black Bodies” was the first event in the philosophy department’s 2017-18 speaker series. Yancy is widely known for his 2015 opinion piece published in the New York Times entitled “Dear White America,” in which he asserted that American whites — whether intentionally or not — engage in racist acts daily as part of an inherently racist society. In the letter, Yancy asks white Americans “to speak to, to admit to, the racist poison that is inside of you.” Yancy covered similar themes in his lecture and sparked a variety of reactions on campus. The Record collected a few responses to the lecture.

   Lillia Smith:

   I am still wrestling with everything Dr. George Yancy explained and the event itself, which I mean in an incredible way. I left feeling frustrated that I have not been this uncomfortable and frustrated all along. Dr. George Yancy drew a beautiful parallel when he described that we are constantly striving to be anti-racist, but we will never “arrive,” just as we are constantly striving to be Christ-like, but we will never “arrive” there on this earth. To use Dr. Yancy’s words, we should be in crisis and should constantly be practicing double consciousness, which is only attainable through empathy.

   Sadie Flora:

   It was very eye opening and something I think everyone needs to consider. It really made me think how every white person is racist by association and put a desire in me to want to learn more from my black brothers and sisters.

   Dr. Adam Wood:

   

   Dr. Adam Wood

   It’s obviously hard to be told that one is a racist. I’m a white American, so his message was partly aimed at me, and part of the message was, you’re a racist, Wood. It’s always hard to be told that you’re guilty of a sin … but as Christians, we’re told pretty constantly when we go to church and read our Bibles that we are guilty of all manner of different sins, so I think that’s a message that we should be open to.’ http://www.wheatonrecord.com/news/responses-dr-yancys-lecture/

   8. It reveals that the parents who pay for this ‘Christian’ education do not know or care what their child hears or is taught.

Dr. Yancy, Wheaton College and those who heard him may think they got away with it but God has something to say concerning Dr. Yancy’s lecture and those who listened. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt (bad, worthless) communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice

Then in Chapter 5 and verse 4 the Word tells the believer that one’s speech is not to be “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting”.

Now,  a few remarks about Yancy and the words he used in getting his point across.  First, his words were corrupt or as Strong’s Concordance says ‘rotten, i.e. worthless (literally or morally):–bad’. Secondly, they were words that displayed a bitterness and anger of heart. Thirdly, Yancy’s words were filthy and foolish.

As for those who listened to Yancy’s lecture God’s Word says to the believer in Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye (believers)  therefore partakers with them. (Listening to Yancy and not reproving him is being a partaker) 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (A believer once spoke foolishly and perhaps filthy words but not now due to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit).

So what ought to happen? George Yancy needs to repent and get saved and Wheaton College and those professors involved need to (1) repent and get saved or (2) if saved repent of allowing a man like Yancy speak on campus and (3) apologize to those who heard Yancy and explain Biblically why Yancy’s words were not those that a born again believer should use.  Enough said!