Last night, I was scrolling through Twitter when I came across multiple tweets about Ken Ham’s latest project: a modern Tower of Babel to go alongside his Ark Encounter. This may come as a shock or presumed parody for anyone familiar with the Old Testament story of an ancient people hellbent on reaching Heaven, but unfortunately it’s very real. Ham said they are in the process of designing and fundraising ($$$). He also claimed the project will allow them to, “... boldly confront racist and ethnocentrist philosophies and practices…”
Many are pointing out the glaring ironies of a second attempt at a tower. The first time it happened, way back in Genesis, God was not impressed. Lisa Sharon Harper explains in The Very Good Gospel that the land of Shinar (where Babel was eventually constructed) became an empire of “a single trade language and a commitment to erecting tall buildings and monuments despite the oppression and exploitation of slave labor.” Unlike stone-on-stone buildings, which are the strongest and longest-lasting materials, Shinar’s monuments (including Babel) were constructed with man-made bricks and bitumen tar. Neither tar or mud bricks are sturdy and eventually crumble over time. “In an act of care for human life, God intervened by confusing the people’s language. Jehovah scattered them lest they bring great destruction on more and more people,” writers Harper. She explains God’s heart for shalom, peace amongst the peoples. She also cites Walter Brueggemann who explains the scattering and confusion was not a curse but a blessing.
The original attempted construction of Babel was exploitative and divisive, so God intervened. I think this modern-day attempt is divisive in other ways. Ham may not be using illegal labor, but this project will require an exorbitant amount of funds. And I can’t help but wonder if this is good stewardship of millions of dollars, dollars that could be used far more efficiently for real life problems plaguing real life society right outside the doors of Ham’s Babel.
I frequently write about the ways “Culture Wars” led to divides between the “sacred and secular.” Ham’s projects especially appeal to conservative homeschool families, furthering the separation of the Christians from the “nons.” Many enjoy seeing physical depictions of literal interpretations of a young earth, a concept Ham has been selling for years. It’s a topic for another day, but I am wary of anyone who reads Genesis literally (especially the first few chapters) and thinks a good use of time is debating with atheists over the age of the earth. When it comes to the beginning, a story steeped in mystery, embracing that mystery is good and necessary. We don’t know what we don’t know.
But here’s the part that’s far more concerning and maddening. According to this Relevant Magazine piece, Ham’s true agenda is his stance against CRT (Critical Race Theory). “Ham argues that the theory of evolution is inherently racist, and his new Tower of Babel exhibit will help dispel the influence of CRT, which he calls an ‘ungodly idea that we must instruct people to see and judge people based on the melanin level in their skin, which is the opposite of what Scripture teaches.’”
In her chapter on Babel, Harper connects the exploitations of that era with “race, dominion, and the image of God.” Babel wasn’t far removed from the Creation story. And yet, it didn’t take much time for oppressive hierarchies to form that exalted some to power while pushing others to the margins.
Harper writes, “the belief that certain people were created to rule and others were created to be ruled has been so deeply ingrained in our collective worldview that we don’t question these disparities. Implicit bias tells us things are as they should be. Unjust systems and structures remain in place because the people do not demand a better world.”
Babel may have happened thousands of years ago, but the ideas that led to the formation of Shinar and Babel haven’t gone away. We are still prone towards hierarchy, still easily corrupted by power and wealth. Even the church, even Christians. It’s ironic how many decry CRT but seem to do very little about the very real prejudices and injustices existing and thriving within their own whitewashed spaces. Harper discusses this throughout her book, as do other authors like Dante Stewart, Esau McCaulley, Jemar Tisby, Ijeoma Oluo, Austin Channing Brown, and countless others.
I can’t help but think this Babel project is just another way we overcomplicate things. Instead of self-education and advocacy, some are fundraising and planning to replicate a tower they’re certain will do the work of “fixing racism.” This falls far more in line with what Paul described as clanging gongs and rusty gates. It’s noisy and obvious but does nothing to truly confront or combat deeply rooted prejudices of the heart, our American systems that allow some to profit while others languish, that disproportionately prop up some while oppressing others.
These divides between the secular and saved won’t solve anything. It just furthers division, deceives those convinced of their “good intentions” even if they’re wasting money and demonizing the wrong things. Perhaps this comes back to my own thoughts on the soul-killing work of literalism. They want a literal symbol to dispel racism, rather than doing the much harder work required that’s far less glamorous and far more personal.
Loving & Savoring
Whalesong. This week I had a piece published over at Indelible Ink. It’s about whales and creation, and the inherent need within all of us to create. I’d love it if you read it and share it if it speaks to you!
Sunday Suppers. Thanksgiving is just two weeks away, and this is my absolutely favorite resource for Thanksgiving recipes. There’s an entire section for a gourmet holiday meal (which I used entirely last year). And let me tell you: the challah leak stuffing is the best I’ve ever had!
The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart. It’s a few weeks old now, but I found this *long* article from The Atlantic to be a very important read. I know this topic is probably overly talked about at this point, and at the same time I know many who are just beginning the work of digging deeper into evangelicalism. This article and Kristin DuMez’s Jesus and John Wayne are good starting points.