2+2

It is a futile pursuit to seek for answers in sources that are contrary to or exclusive from the Word of 
God. 1st Corinthians chapter 1 contrasts the dependable, authoritative teachings of Scripture with the non-reliable philosophies the world offers:
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

So, we can ask ourselves, upon what do we build our lives?  Jesus told the story of two men: one built his house on the rock, another on the sand - both experienced storms, and the house built on the rock survived.  We are in a dramatically shifting culture and there are storms that we are facing; we have to question where we are turning for answers - are we relying on the infallible sacred texts of Scripture or the insecure secular teachings of this world?

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Observe the contrast between the firm foundation of God's Word and the weak foundation that the world offers in this passage from Colossians 2:
6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

I remember growing up hearing about the so-called "new math;" now, I can't quite say what that was, but I would imagine that it has something to do with the way that solving mathematical challenges may have changed over time.  I know that, as a parent, in helping with math homework, my methods of problem-solving were not exactly consistent with what was taught in school.

But, regardless of the method, you like to think that the outcome was the same.  Now, in this hyper-sensitive age, even the dependable, authoritative math answers have come under scrutiny and deemed to be politically incorrect.

Take, for instance, 2+2.  We all know the answer is 4, right?  Well, except maybe in George Orwell's 1984, according to a recent article at the Campus Reform website. The article says: "Math professors and educators at leading American universities have taken to Twitter in order to debate whether math is racist," and goes on to say, "The debate itself was rooted in George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, in which citizens of a fictional totalitarian state believe that 2 plus 2 equals 5 as a result of government propaganda."

The article relates:

Laurie Rubel, who teaches math education at Brooklyn College, says that the idea of math being cultural neutral is a "myth," and that asking whether 2 plus 2 equals 4 "reeks of white supremacist patriarchy."

“Y’all must know that the idea that math is objective or neutral IS A MYTH,” she tweeted.

Then there's this:

Kareem Carr, a Ph.D. student at Harvard University, weighed in with, "People say it's subjectivism to ask if math is Western. I don't get that. It's an objective fact that some groups were more involved in the creation of modern math than others. They may have been *trying* to make it objective but it's not stupid to ask if they actually succeeded!"

I found more on Carr's point of view in an article at, of all places, the Popular Mechanics website, in which he is quoted as saying:

In his original thread, Carr points out some simple, but provocative truths about the world. “Our numbers, our quantitative measures, are abstractions of real underlying things in the universe and it's important to keep track of this when we use numbers to model the real world,” one tweet reads.

Carr grounds it in the real ways statistical models are being used to harm, for example, marginalized groups across many parameters: “Whenever you create a numerical construct like IQ or an aggression score or a sentiment score, it's important to remember that properties of this score might not mirror the real things being measured.”

So, now it appears the debate has shifted from pure mathematical facts to the application of facts, then inserting that application to try to discredit and delegitimize the original conclusion.  But, the objective truth of 2+2=4 has not changed, as I see it.

The Washington Examiner reported that:

One academic, James Lindsay, pushed back against Reubel’s tweets, saying that the simple math equation of 2+2=4 helped lead to significant scientific feats.

“It’s certainly the case, and the Woke need to be held firmly to the point, that feats of engineering like space travel and rocketry utterly depend upon accepting stable meanings of mathematical statements like 2+2=4 as objectively true, not mere accidents of culture,” Lindsay tweeted.

Lindsay is an atheist, but has joined forces with evangelical Christians in combating critical race theory and was featured in the film, By What Standard?

This kerfuffle over basic math reminds me of a concept on a grander scale - of how much we need absolute standards for our lives and for our society.  The academicians are trying to change basic principles - in math, certainly, but also in the way we live!  Likewise, you have those who believe they know better than God and are trying to minimize or outright reject His truth.  And, in the interest of making the time-honored, inspired, infallible teachings of Scripture more "culturally relevant," they have attempted to lessen their authority.

Truth is, we need absolute truth - God's truth gives us the moorings and direction we need in order to successfully navigate life in this confused world.  By attempting to retrofit Scripture to align with human understanding, those who do so exhibit a propensity to, in essence, make up their own truth.  That doesn't work; it may seem to, but when we need a solid foundation, human wisdom is not where we turn.  When we desire to find peace and satisfaction for our souls, the world does not offer the answers that can meet the needs of the human heart.