The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims by Rebecca McLaughlin

The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims Reviews

• 
  Matt

  It’s a good life rule to read everything Rebecca McLaughlin writes.
• 
  Brittany Shields

  We’ve all seen the multi-colored signs posted in people’s yards or hung in windows that proclaim (in some form):
  
  In this house we believe that:
  Black Lives Matter
  Love is Love
  Women’s Rights Are Human Rights
  We Are All Immigrants
  Diversity Makes Us Stronger
  
  Rebecca McLaughlin has written this short, concise book, not to hammer these signs in every yard and neither to smash them to pieces. She writes “wielding a marker instead of a mallet” to edit and explore these signs’ tenets and to hold them up to Scripture, correcting where we must and championing all that God commands to us in his Word.
  
  I appreciate this approach because we are so often subjected to or persuaded by the dichotomous thinking perpetuated by our respective political parties (or churches) that it’s an all or nothing acceptance. If we accept one or more tenets of this sign, we must affirm them all, or because we reject one or more tenet, we must therefore discard it altogether.
  
  It’s not that simple and McLaughlin walks us through these complicated but essential waters.
  
  At just over 100 pages, this is by no means all there is to know and learn regarding issues like race, sexuality, diversity, and equality, but she packs a lot into these pages, providing a sensitive, logical, and researched viewpoint, centered around loving and caring for all people.
  
  Her main premise is to emphasize that the very concept of “human rights” is derived from Christianity through its biblical teachings. With every chapter she links the concepts of worth, equality, diversity, family, love, and identity to Scripture and the words of Jesus and his apostles. She posits: “Without Christian beliefs about humanity, the yard sign’s claims aren’t worth the cardboard on which they are written.”
  
  I think one of her strongest and most critical—to the church—points is the church’s historical sin toward black people in the form of chattel slavery followed by years of segregation and inequality, all wrongly defended by the gross misuse of the Bible. Because the church continually failed in this regard, many have rejected the church’s beliefs about sexuality. How can we trust Christians’ beliefs about what the Bible says if they used it to enslave their fellow brothers and sisters?
  
  And so we have a movement, often under the umbrella of the organization Black Lives Matter, that tethers racial equality with the LGBTQ+ movement as well as a linking of women’s rights with abortion rights:
  
  “The frequent failure of Christians to meet biblical ideals of fellowship across racial difference, equal valuing of men and women, welcome for outcasts, love for those with unfulfilled desire, and care for the most marginalized has allowed this mixture of ideas to coalesce under the banner of diversity.”
  
  Though not a complete analysis of the secular creed posed on these signs (only a brief discussion on immigration), here is the breakdown of the tenets (and chapter titles) she presents and some noteworthy things:
  
  Black Lives Matter
  “Christianity is the most racially, culturally, and geographically diverse belief system in the world.”
  
  Jesus wasn’t white. Isn’t it illogical that we have to clarify that? I love how McLaughlin points out places throughout the Bible where we see the mixing of races: Joseph marries an Egyptian woman. Moses marries a woman from Saudi Arabia and after her death, a women from Ethiopia, just to name a few.
  
  “In Matthew’s retelling of Israel’s history, we see that non-Israelites weren’t just squeezed in at the fringes of God’s purposes. They were plumbed into the royal bloodline. Jesus’s DNA was shaped by Rahab (Canaanite) and by Ruth (Moabite). He had non-Israelite blood in his veins.”
  
  Countless times in Scripture we are reminded that God intends his family to be diverse: “from every tribe, tongue, and nation.” We already see that playing out in the world today. America does not have the monopoly on Christianity. McLaughlin gives predictive stats that show the church in China is expected to outgrow the church in America by 2030 and 30 years later could include half of China’s population. At the same time, 40% of Christians would live in Africa. I don’t know exactly how these numbers are determined, but I think it’s a pretty fair conclusion that it is inevitable that Christianity will continue to diversify across race and culture as God intended.
  
  I think the author makes a very good point when she says:
  
  “These facts don’t for a moment excuse the history of white Christians treating black people as if their lives don’t matter… But dismissing Christianity because of the failure of white Christians means silencing the voices of black believers and acting like only white voices matter in considering Christ.”
  
  I recently read Jemar Tisby’s book, The Color of Compromise, (review forthcoming) which fleshes out in far more excruciating detail the chronological racism our country must own up to, but one thing that struck me throughout the book was the faith of so many black people who endured slavery and everything after. It was their correct belief of Scripture— God’s intended equality— and the hope of God’s redemption that spurred them on, despite the violence wrongly done in God’s name. That truly is incredible faith. And just as much as Christianity is tainted by these racist sins, we can’t deny that the Bible was still the basis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil-rights movement and plea for equality.
  
  “The painful reality is that the founding fathers excluded enslaved Africans from their vision of human equality. But this problem isn’t fixed by erasing the basis for equality.”
  
  The Bible pretty clearly denounces slavery and violence and preaches human equality and diversity as we are all created in the image of God.
  
  The part of this chapter that I still wrestle with is using the wording ‘black lives matter.’ I fully understand and support the meaning of this phrase and the reality that for so long black lives were treated like they didn’t matter. My only hesitation is the association with the Black Lives Matter organization which espouses many other beliefs that I cannot agree with. Can I say these three words without an implication of other words?
  
  McLaughlin weighs in:
  
  “Given the history of white evangelical failure to recognize black people as their equals before God, I gladly affirm that black lives matter, despite the fact an organization with that name expresses other beliefs I cannot embrace. If there were a secular organization called Unborn Babies Matter, I would say those words, too, even if that organization also waved a rainbow flag, because unborn babies matter.”
  
  I am still wrestling with this but appreciate this perspective and the challenge to not be dismissive and reflexively reject anything to do with the words ‘black lives matter', because that does not reflect a soft heart that is turned toward people.
  
  “We must pursue love and fellowship across racial and cultural difference relentlessly—not because progressives tell us to, but because Jesus calls us to be one body with people of different races and cultures and languages.”
  
  Love is Love
  “I’ll argue instead that “God is love”and that he shows us what that statement means through different kinds of human relationships. This makes Christianity good news for same-sex-attracted people like me. But that doesn’t make Christianity safe. Whatever our attractions, following Jesus means denying ourselves and taking up our cross. But if Jesus’s people are truly living in his ways, there’s room and joy and love enough for all.”
  
  Jackie Hill Perry, author of Gay Girl, Good God, said, “Marriage isn’t heaven. Singleness isn’t hell.” The Bible talks more about agape (“sacrificial”) love than (“eros”) romantic love. The peak of human existence is not to be married. While marriage is a gift and a picture to us of Christ and the church, the Bible shows us the other spokes on the wheel of love that provide joy and fulfillment- whether it be our union with Christ, same-sex friendships, parental relationships, or the church family.
  
  She spends time addressing objections people have to places in Scripture that talk about homosexuality and marriage.
  
  She also defends the veracity of Paul’s teachings on the subject. Some have claimed that Paul condoned slavery as much as he prohibits homosexuality so his teaching is dismissable, but McLaughlin proves how that argument falls apart and points to Paul’s clear condemnation of slavery.
  
  Another important passage she speaks into is the “submission passage” in Ephesians that causes a lot of women to wrongly believe that Christianity is a proponent of male domination; she turns the common misconception on its head.
  
  The Gay-Rights Movement is the New Civil-Rights Movement
  In this chapter McLaughlin addresses the attempted link between these two movements.
  
  People recognize the complicity of white Christians in slavery and segregation and thus, “Today, when people see Christian opposition to gay marriage, they think it’s just the same song, second verse. The reasoning runs like this: just as Christians have oppressed and terrorized African Americans, so Christians have oppressed and terrorized gay and lesbian people.”
  
  She runs through six problems with this perspective that I won’t delve into here because I’m already long-winded. She also discusses the difference between ethnicity and sexual attractions and the difference between attributes and actions as well as the fact that attractions change but race does not—all of which I found very helpful in distinguishing the disconnect between these two movements.
  
  “The problem with Christians who supported segregation was not that they listened to the Bible too much, but too little. While the Bible cuts firmly against gay marriage for believers, it cuts equally firmly in favor of racial equality and integration. It takes as much careful editing to make the Bible seem like it supports segregation as to make it seem like it affirms gay marriage.”
  
  She also critiques the church in how they’ve mistreated LGBTQ members and fostered a culture of prejudice or mistrust against them. There is also important discussion of the familial role the church will need to play as people come to Christ and leave an LGBTQ lifestyle.
  
  Women’s Rights are Human Rights
  The goal of this chapter is to recognize that without the Bible “there is no basis for women’s rights and that Jesus’s treatment of women changed their status forever.”
  
  Part of this discussion is around an atheistic view of humanity and the idea that strong overpowers weak in nature.
  
  McLaughlin also exposes the stark contrast between how women are viewed and treated in all of Scripture, especially by Jesus, against the view and role of women in other ancient cultures— showing the gender gap in those cultures as well as modern day China and India- just in terms of population due to abandonment of female babies.
  
  We must also address what is most prominently associated with women’s rights: abortion. A sensitive subject that she writes about with care and covers far more than I can here. I’ll just include a few quotes:
  
  “There are many things that have been fought for under the banner of feminism that Christians can and should affirm: for example, women’s right to vote, hold property, and be paid the same as a man for doing the same job. Indeed, many early feminists advocated for women’s rights because they were Christians...But rather than see abortion rights as the central plank of the feminist structure, I believe its central plank should be the cross.”
  
  “God calls us to a world in which women are seen as equal to men, regardless of their marital status; in which pregnant women are supported; in which men are called either to be faithful husbands or faithful singles; and in which babies are valued and provided for—not just by their biological parents, but by their spiritual family writ large. To solve the problem of abortion, we don't need one law reversed. We need a loving revolution.”
  
  Transgender Women are Women
  In this chapter, “We’ll see that rather than being a hateful tool of oppression, the Bible truly offers hope to those who feel alienated from their bodies.”  
  
  “[To say ‘trans women are women] means that people who were born male, but now identify as female, should be treated as women in every respect...they should be allowed to use women’s bathrooms, enter women’s shelters, and compete in women’s sports. Anything less, so the logic runs, is transphobic and harmful. But... If it’s true that “Transgender women are women,” then we no longer know what “woman” means.”
  
  The discussion here is around what it means to be male and female. Is gender binary? Is it just a construct? What about gender dysphoria and intersex? What does the Bible say about gender and our bodies? Again, too much to cover here.
  
  One thing I found particularly compelling was the idea that transgenderism actually perpetuates the gender stereotypes that feminists have been working so hard to break. If women who don’t fit the woman stereotype are actually men then we are severely narrowing what women are capable of and all we have left are stereotypes.
  
  Another additional quote:
  
  “No follower of Jesus need hold to rigid gender stereotypes, in which men make skyscrapers and women decorate their walls. Instead, we must cling to our Savior. He is the one who knows us to our core and loves us to death and beyond. He made our bodies, and he holds our hearts. Our deepest identity lies in him." 
  
  A Call to Loving Arms
  This well-named last chapter is where the author lays out several ways to do this. Here she advocates for a strong repentance of sin we, as individuals & the church as a whole, have participated in in regards to racial inequality and the treatment of women and LGBTQ members.
  
  I also appreciate this statement: “To show where progressives are wrong, we must also freely acknowledge where they are right.”We have to push back against our political parties’ insistence of party platform adherence as if either side has the moral high ground in every way. We have to reject dichotomous distortions and instead think for ourselves by holding every tenet claimed up to the Word of God to evaluate its morality and truth, with humility and compassion, for no matter our race, gender, or worldview, we are all created in the image of God.
  
  I highly recommend this book for a concise look at how Christianity is actually the foundation for all human rights—with emphasis on caring and advocating for the oppressed— not a religion of oppression as many try to claim.
  
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• 
  Grace Wursthorn

  While this book was good in some aspects, it failed miserably in other ways.
  
  This book was only about 100 pages—these topics are not a “5 chapter” topic kind of books. I’ve read entire books on each of the subjects she approached. Most of her writing time is spent on the history of different topics, yet she fails to bring up current examples of “white Christian hate”. Honestly, I’m sick of reading books that tell us all the ways the people 3 generations ago failed, then try and make me feel guilty for it.
  
  There were a few inaccuracies when it came to mentioning some high profile cases (although this was just a minor irritation overall)
  
  My biggest complaints:
  1. I wish she’d brought more solutions to the table or spent more time on the one she mentioned. I still walk away from this book missing practical advice. How do I love those who are blatantly sinning against God and claim to be a Christian in the church? I did not receive an answer to that question while reading this book.
  2. She walks the line of “white guilt” in several chapters. She takes some stories of the Bible out of context to put white vs black theories. I think it’s absolutely misleading when we make stories of the Bible fit our narrative.
  3. She does not do a great job at separating “black lives matter” the organization vs the statement. Most people love those around us, no matter their race. Reading this book made me feel as though she expected me to hate my fellow black neighbors. This is simply not true for me or anyone I know.
  
  
  My ultimate problem: She fails to bring up root issues.
  - Fatherlessness
  - Humanistic values embraced by the church
  - A country who worship themselves and their desires not God’s.
  
  Some things I liked:
  - She does say that a gay/lesbian lifestyle is sin.
  - She says abortion is wrong.
  - I loved the chapter on feminism. This was a solid chapter with foundational truths.
  
  Overall, I walked away very disappointed by this book. I don’t think she makes good or strong arguments for her beliefs.
  
  Edit: I’d like to add that the worst part of this book was when she said that if an organization called “unborn babies lives matter” she would fly there flag in her yard—even if there were things the organization did that she did not like.
  
  This is incredibly disgusting to me.
  
  If “unborn babies lives matter” was a real organization that was actually making abortions WORSE, If they were taking money and buying mansions instead of helping the unborn babies, if they were inciting riots and burning good peoples businesses down—some that even help unborn babies… I would NEVER fly their flag.
  
  BLM has created created more pain, more trauma, and more hardship for the black community. They take peoples good, hard earned money, and use it for themselves. They actually do promote abortion.
  
  Frankly, I was a little abhorred that she didn’t bring any of these points up.
  
  Black lives DO matter. So why did she spend multiple chapters placing blame on current Americans, the church, and policy from 50 years ago, and saying “love all” without actually speaking truth and bringing real and helpful solutions to the table?
  
  The truth is, the church has done *the most* to help the fatherless, those in crisis pregnancy, those in poverty, the minorities, and much more.
  
  Politicians and celebrities can lie and “follow the science”, but the statistics and money trails don’t lie.
  
  All this to say, McLaughlin could have brought some real truth, clarity, and biblical solutions to the table, but instead she walked the line of neutrality.
  
  While it is good to always see both sides, this is not the place for that. We are talking about peoples lives, health, and prosperity—not apples and oranges.
  
  This is why she only got 1 star from me.
• 
  Kiara McClelland

  Woah. What a book. Written with unfaltering honesty, incredible tact and solid research.
  If you find yourself wondering how Jesus fits in to the issues you find yourself questioning in the 21st century this is the book for you (and even if you’re not questioning these things, please read it and be blessed). I will definitely be coming back to it again and again when I find myself needing wisdom into these things.
  
  Also proud to add my first non fiction read of 2022 to good reads - hoping @jono won’t be able to judge my list anymore now.
• 
  Olivia Ginther

  Wow! Super helpful content for starting conversations, asking good questions, and considering what it means to bear God’s image. Also a quick and easy read! Definitely recommend.
• 
  Jacqui

  Excellent book. Her metaphors were a little cloudy at times, and some of her catchphrases became repetitive, but the crux of what she's saying is written with grace and very important to hear.
• 
  Hannah McClellan

  I started this book expecting to be challenged by some of the claims I was sure I’d disagree with. While I ultimately did disagree with some of McLaughlin’s claims, my main complaint with this book is not that I disagree with it, but that I think it relies on lazy Christian arguments and talking points, makes large logical leaps and frequently seems to pull scientific conclusions out of thin air with no citation or data point.
  
  McLaughlin’s characterization of God and of the love ethic we as Christians should have for each other (and the world around us) was thoughtful and, in some places, particularly beautiful. However, I thought that her overall development of arguments pivoting from those foundational truths was weak.
• 
  Hiram

  4.5* well done, McLaughlin writes well and illustrates well. Enjoyed this book very much, looking forward to more of her writing in the future.
• 
  James Brixey

  God, but cursory.
  There are some solid arguments, and her overall point is excellent. As always, she manages to combine a knack for truth with gentleness
  
  The big problem is that the arguments are sometimes bare bones to the point of me not being fully happy.
  Her argument against abortion is fine from a moral standpoint but from a legal standpoint, if that were the whole argument, I would say it should be legal in most cases, or at least many.
  
  This is, of course, designed to be a brief, approachable book, so it does not cause me too much disappointment, but still. I'm left wanting more.
• 
  Rachel Robinson

  I was hopeful this would be a good resource to point others to, however, she was not firm enough on the biblical positions. She left some room for ambiguity.
• 
  Lachie Macdonald

  Punchy compassion, tender insistence.
  Rebecca expertly disrupts the hostility of disagreement and, with much grace and humility, presents the way of Jesus not merely as right and necessary, but as good, beautiful, and indeed ultimately satisfying.
  This is going straight into my ‘must read’ category of recommendations.
• 
  Jonathan Downing

  Quite possibly the best-written book of the year so far. Wow. McLaughlin is easy to read, succinct in what she wants to say, and ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT at affirming the good yet criticising the bad, all while pointing the reader (and secular advocates) to Jesus. Wow. Go McLaughlin. Here's one I can recommend to Christians and non-Christians alike, leaving intensity at the door while preserving depth of thought. Just awesome.
• 
  Jenny Hietbrink

  McLaughlin beautifully, compassionately, and directly confronts so many of the ideas on both sides of the spectrum in each of these “contemporary claims” that have frustrated and confused me for some time. And, she caused me to think differently about some of them. I’m grateful for her logic and wisdom, her knowledge of scripture, her use of history and context, her unique perspective, and her ability to utilize these things to communicate with such a palpably loving posture. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.
• 
  Izzy Wootonn

  Helpful, concise, steeped in history and statistics. Full of compassion and eye-opening points that make you realize your own sin and failures - but always points you back to the loving arms of Jesus ❤️ My only qualm is sometimes it's a little too concise and I couldn't quite follow - I felt the need for the dots to be connected and shaded in more.
• 
  J. Amill Santiago

  This is—hands down—one of the best critiques of secularism's underlying beliefs I've ever read. Don't be fooled by its short length. The book contains a succinct, respectful, and insightful philosophical critique of the core secular values of the West today. Dr. McLaughlin—a Cambridge educated gal—also provides us with an overabundance of footnotes from leading secular experts from different spheres to support many of her arguments. My copy is full of highlights, which doesn't happen very often. Just as I often try to read from experts outside my ideological tribe, I would recommend anyone who happens to be broadly secular and is interested in the claims of Christianity to read this book, regardless of whether or not you'd disagree with the author. The book is a true 5-star book, among the very best I've read in my lifetime.
• 
  Scott

  Super solid. I thought the chapter on race was the strongest of them all and I also thought the transgender chapter was especially strong. A good setup for the book is found in the introduction:
  
  “So when we pass these signs, I tell my children that in our house we believe that black lives matter because they matter to Jesus. We don’t believe that love is love but that God is love, and that he gives us glimpses of his love through different kinds of relationship. We believe women’s rights are human rights, because God made us – male and female – in his image…”
• 
  Elizabeth

  From the cover and subtitle, it’s clear this book is written in response to some very of-the-moment claims and concerns. But McLaughlin has things to say that allow this little book to do more than capitalize on a current trend.
  
  I was hoping for more practical suggestions about how to begin conversations with my neighbors whose statement what they believe differs from mine. But I was greatly encouraged by this book’s reminders that repentance may be the most Christian way forward, that we need to be more biblical, not less, and especially that Jesus’s work and the life He calls us to offer good news for every person.
  
  “We must fight hard with the weapon God has given us: self-sacrificing, unrelenting love. Rather than shout progressives who seek love and justice down, let’s call them in with a Jesus song: his song of good news for the historically oppressed, his song of love across racial and ethnic difference, his song that summons men and women, married and singe, young and old, weak and strong, joyful and hurting, rich and destitute, into eternal love with him.” (107)
• 
  Ali McNeely

  Hard to rate because I sat it down and picked it back up a few weeks later. I remember having a few questions at the beginning and feel some of the arguments aren’t fully formed at the end (Yes, married Christians report higher satisfaction in their sex lives than their secular peers, but being a Christian doesn’t guarantee a good sex life. Yes, Christians are less likely than their secular peers to commit suicide, but being a Christian doesn’t guarantee a life free of mental health struggles. And the most compelling arguments in chapter 5 were not the Biblical ones.). Still, Christianity is an upside down worldview marked by love: God’s love toward us, our love toward God, and our love toward each other, and this gives compelling arguments for this worldview and practical application for bringing heaven to earth.
• 
  Isaac Goodspeed Overton

  A wonderful book for what it is, an introduction to complex issues and topics for those who are unfamiliar, uneducated, or weary of the so-called “progressive agenda”.
  
  Rebecca McLaughlin is a wonderful and needed bridge in the Church between die hard conservatives and historic orthodoxy. This book isn’t for anyone already familiar with the complex issues of the “secular creed” but is for any Christian who may simply write off claims like “Women’s rights are human rights” or “Black Lives Matter” as leftist propaganda, rather than Biblical truths that have been hijacked by cultural and twisted.
  
  A good read to recommend to your conservative parents or unconcerned pastors, especially those who seem unfamiliar with the complexity of contemporary progressive claims.
  
  I would not recommend to anyone who’s already convinced that Black Lives Matter, Women’s rights are Human Right, or are aware of the oppression and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community.
  
  If anyone cares for recommendations there, I’d suggest
  
  Still Time To Care by Greg Johnson
  
  People to be Loved By Preston Sprinkle
  
  Embodied By Preston Sprinkle
  
  Color of Compromise by Jamar Tisbey
  
  Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by Aimee Byrd
• 
  Brad Peters

  A short read – it’s only 100 pages – but a succinct guide for Christians in this secular age. All around us the secular creed demands to be heard and accepted as truth. How do Christ followers live and respond in this time?
  
  McLaughlin writes, lovingly, and with conviction that there is a biblical response to the Spirit of This Age but more so a call to a greater love that all who follow Christ are called to. “We must fight hard,” she writes at the close, “with the weapon God has given us: self-sacrificing unrelenting love … calling (others) in with a Jesus song, his song of good news for the historically oppressed… into eternal love with him”
  
  
• 
  Tyler Frey

  This book offers a concise yet very thoughtful approach to the predominant secular ways of thinking on current social issues. Rebecca does well to consider each of these claims in a very authentic way that always demonstrates her love for the people on the other side of these beliefs. A very helpful read for any Christian wanting to better know how to approach the modern culture.
• 
  Mackenzie Harrell

  This book convicted and encouraged me throughout the whole thing. She does a great job of biblically showing that Christians should be the ones who enter into secular claims and show love. 'We should repent for our prejudices, but not for our theology'. Highly suggest everyone reads this book.
• 
  Enola Stevenson

  Short but very informative, relevant, balanced and Biblically based. I really respect Rebecca putting her own struggles out there, and I'm so thankful for godly individuals like her who are determined to pursue Jesus no matter what.
• 
  Cory

  Good overall. At times I was left wanting.
• 
  Grant Roth

  This wasn’t necessarily a fun read, but I was consistently amazed by Rebecca McLaughlin’s ability to hold tightly to biblical truth while lovingly and tactfully engaging the predominant moral claims of our culture. This book is so concise for the depth of each argument and the gravity of each topic it addresses.
  
  I appreciated that McLaughlin’s suggested solution in each chapter wasn’t to compromise on traditional biblical ethics or to do away with any connection between Christianity and the surrounding culture. She challenges readers to truly embrace the gospel, to be unwilling to compromise on the truth and equally unwilling to remain distant and detached from the world Jesus came to save and transform.
• 
  Lauren Gurnee

  What I love about this book the most is that it consistently pointed to Jesus. Which is a good lesson to bear in mind when engaging in conversations like the ones that McLaughlin dives into. She creates an intensely deep and thought provoking book which captivated me throughout every page.