Racism and Ethnic Discrimination

Wayne Galloway
07/11/13 - N/A

Series: Additional Studies

Introduction:

1.  Wikipedia begins its article on Racism and ethnic discrimination in the United States with the following statement.

Racism and ethnic discrimination in the United States has been a major issue since the colonial era and the slave era.  Legally sanctioned racism imposed a heavy burden on Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latin Americans.  European Americans (particularly Anglo Americans) were privileged by law in matters of literacy, immigration, voting rights, citizenship, land acquisition, and criminal procedure over periods of time extending from the 17^th century to the 1960s.  Many non-Protestant European immigrant groups, particularly Jews, Irish people, Poles and Italians, suffered xenophobic exclusion and other forms of discrimination in American society.

2.  Most of us are at least somewhat familiar, by personal experience, with racial issues in the United States. 3.  We are probably less familiar with racial issues in other parts of the world, but we have heard of Apartheid in South Africa, racial cleansing and genocide in Germany under the Nazi regime and in such places as Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, Bosnia, and Croatia today. 4.  But what exactly is racism and what does the Bible say?

Discussion:

I.  Racism defined.

A.   The term “race” is defined in many different ways.

1.  In its broadest sense it is used to refer to any group of people who share a certain common characteristic, such as skin color, language, culture or ancestry.

2.  More technically it has been defined as a specific biological group that may be distinguished from other such groups by genetically transmitted differences.

3.  With such broad-brush definitions a race becomes almost anything that one chooses to define as a difference.  I suppose it could include eye-color, hair color, height, or about anything else that one chooses to include in their definition.

B.  “Racism” is the judgment that one particular race or group of races is inherently superior to all others and conversely that others are therefore inherently inferior.  This judgment is then used to justify attitudes and actions that result in the abuse the “inferior” race.

C.   Sometimes defenders of racism turn to the Bible to justify their practices.  Therefore it is necessary to give consideration to what the Bible says.

II.  The foundational teachings of the Bible indicate that in effect there is just one race—the human race.

A.  The Bible teaches that we have all descended from Adam and Eve (Gen. 1-2-3).

B.  This was Paul’s teaching in Athens (Acts 17:24-29).

1.  God is the common origin of people.

2.  He made from one every nation of mankind.

3.  All are to seek Him, for in Him we live and move and exist.

4.  We are the children of God.

5.  This suggests that the matter of race, no matter how we define it, is irrelevant as far as we are concerned.  Indeed we could say that there is just one race—the human race.

C.  Gen. 1:26-27 indicates that we are created in the image of God and that this distinguishes the human race from the other things that God created.

1.  Each is therefore inherently valuable because of their relationship to God as created in His image (Gen. 9:6).

2.  Their value is not defined by age, sex, hair color, national origin, genetic characteristics, IQ, language.  This is especially recognized in the church, the family of God (Gal. 3:26-27).

D.  The teaching of the Bible is that Christ died for all, not just for a certain group(s) (Jn. 3:16).

E.  The principle of loving one’s neighbor is not restricted to those of our “grouping” (Matt. 5:43-48).

F.  While recognizing such attitudes were present in His day Jesus challenges them (Jn. 4:7ff).

G.  God challenged them when he sent Peter to preach to Cornelius (Acts 10:24ff).  Cf. also Acts 15 and Gal. 2.

III.  Objections considered.

A.  “But weren’t the Jews God’s chosen people?”

1.  This choosing had nothing to do with racial superiority (Deut. 7:6-8).  He chose them to serve a special purpose in preparing for the coming of Christ for everyone.

2.  He did not choose them because they were genetically superior.

3.  The distinction between Jews and Gentiles is now longer relevant (Eph. 2:14-16).

4.  Jews are not superior or inferior.

5.  But didn’t they say “His blood be our us and on our children?” (Matt. 27:25).  Doesn’t that mean that they are cursed?

6.  Forgiveness is available to all.  Didn’t Jesus say, “God forgive them for they know not what they do?” and wasn’t the invitation to them in Acts 2:38 to receive forgiveness of sins?

B.  “Well what about the curse of Ham in Gen. 9:22-25?”

1.  Some contend that the curse of Ham is a curse on those with black skin, that black skin is part of this curse and slavery another part of this curse.

2.  There is no indication of such in Scripture.

3.  A false interpretation.

C.   “Doesn’t the Bible teach racial segregation in Gen. 10 and what about the segregation of the Jews from the Canaanites? (Judges).”  Other passages:  Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4.

1.  Neither of these passages has to do with race.

2.  They have to do with one’s relationship with God.   Loyalty to God is the issue, not “purity of one’s genetic pool.”

3.  Intermarriage was actually permitted if there was conversion to God (cf. Num. 12:1; Matt. 1:5).

Conclusion:

1.  We are all of one race—the human race. 2.  “There is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman” (Col. 3:11). 3.  Be careful with your attitudes, jokes, actions that you do not diminish others, who like you are created in the image of God. 4.  James says, “With our tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with our tongue we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not be this way” (3:9-10).