Dialogue
A Fourth Take on The BYU Racial Equity Report
Searching for Christianity in the latest BYU Equity Report. Eleven theses toward a more productive conversation on race.
Richard Williams
April 13, 2021
Searching for Christianity in the latest BYU Equity Report. Eleven theses toward a more productive conversation on race.
Like the accusations against its history, some have insisted the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ has racism “embedded” within it. Are those making this claim aware of what the Church actually teaches?
There’s more than enough animosity and division going around today, with plenty of people proposing “the answer.” What if Jesus taught the true solution all along?
Those who claim that Latter-day Saint history is uniquely racist pay insufficient attention to the larger context surrounding early Saints, as well as the meaningful examples of positive race relations in the life of Joseph Smith.
As black conservatives have become more vocal and popular, efforts to dismiss them have also increased. If we’re serious about diversity and inclusion we need to hear from all black voices, including those on the right.
How discussions are pre-loaded for failure.
A long report on racial equity was released by a BYU committee last week, eliciting widely disparate public responses. We summarize three competing interpretations being taken up here.
Rather than a source of continued fracture and division, could a deeper appreciation of religion’s place in U.S. history become a way to bring Americans of different perspectives together?
The Second Amendment to the US Constitution talks about the right to bear arms but also talks about a well-regulated militia. It’s time to talk about how compromise can enable the Second Amendment for the good of all.
An institutional lens is useful for thinking about Israel as the unfolding “Kingdom of God,” since it is a durable, multifaceted social structure that has been important for thousands of years.
While most Americans love to talk about the high value of “pluralism” and “free speech” when push comes to shove they usually have a red line—an issue on which it’s NOT okay to disagree openly. At least not publicly. What’s yours?
As increasing attention is paid to the fight against injustice, there seems to be far less interest in the quality of life that justice is ushering people towards – and its meaning and positive purpose. On those questions, Christmas lays before us some precious answers worth celebrating.