Christian Racism

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“It’s a nice all-white community.”

“I mean there is a difference.”

“I just wouldn’t want my daughter bringing one home.”

“Bi-racial kids are confused about their identity.”

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:13

I was born in 1975, not too far after the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. I have personally heard all of those comments.

I am white. I have personally heard all of those comments from other white people.

I am a Christian. I have personally heard all of those comments from other self-proclaimed Christians.

I am a spiritual leader. I have personally heard all of those comments spoken from other people who hold influential positions in the church: A retired preacher, elder and deacon.

It is not geographical.

I have traveled all over North America. From the Caribbean to Alabama to Ohio to Ontario. Racism is in all those places. Racism is not limited by geography.

It is not generation.

Racism is not limited to my grandmother’s generation either. I have heard my peers use derogatory terms and prejudiced language.

It is not limited to low-income.

Racism is not a poor man’s ideology. I know average, middle class and even upper class white Christians who harbor a white separatist philosophy.

It is not restricted by education.

Some well-educated men, professional men of the church have yet to relinquish their supremacist philosophy.

It is sin.

And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. Luke 13:29

Then he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone.” Mark 16:15

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28

For God does not show favoritism. Rom. 2:12

It must end.

If we are going to truly be Christ-followers, if we are going to claim allegiance to his kingdom, if we are going to claim to follow the bible and emulate the New Testament church- it must stop.

I am tired of being OK with “black churches” or “white churches” or “Spanish churches.” The Jesus who died for me, built just ONE church. His church. The united body of Jesus.

Maybe you are a “white” Christian reading this and figuring that’s not you. Maybe you are wondering if it is you.

  • Have you ever said or thought any of those things before?
  • Are you afraid or nervous around people of another race?
  • Do you have any pictures in your home of any non-white people?
  • Do you think all people of a certain race all look alike or act the same?
  • Do you call a person of a different race by name?
  • Do your kids call a person of a different of race by name?

 

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:13

Serena
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Comments: 24
  1. Eddie
    8 years ago

    Amen and amen!!

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  2. Angie Mann
    8 years ago

    Amen!!! I must be in the minority- as a white mother- I encourage my children to marry a black man- since I believe that bi-racial children are so incredibly beautiful. I hope my girls fall in love with a God fearing man who will lead them to heaven – no matter EHAT their race!

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    • Judi Haugen
      5 years ago

      A husband does not lead his wife to heaven.

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  3. Beckye
    8 years ago

    Well said. Christians should only see people as lost souls or fellow soldiers on the way who we can help.

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  4. Gerald
    8 years ago

    Very well written! Would add more but no need to… Except that racists of any hue shoul keep in mind, if scripture is true, neither heaven nor hell will be segregated. Again your article nails it!

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  5. 8 years ago

    Yeah, I agree. It’s so ugly. In light of that, let’s pray for all the racists.

    On one hand, it seems God expects us to get angry at sin, (with a righteous anger) and not sin.

    On the other hand, it’s hard to get angry just because someone else’s ugliness manifests itself differently than my ugliness.

    I beg, hope, and pray to God that he will have mercy on me, and forgive my ugliness. And not just forgive, but transform me from that ugliness into what He wants me to be.

    In the same way, let’s all pray for the racists. Let’s pray for the people who have sincere and genuine hearts but who have simply (and ignorantly) been taught racism. Let’s pray for their forgiveness. Let’s pray for their transformation.

    And by all means, let’s pray that we can somehow shine a little bit more light on God’s truth and love…just like you have done, Serena. Thank you.

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  6. Amber
    8 years ago

    I once heard a lady say some of these things right before worship, and it was so awkward. It took me completely by surprise. I had no idea people still talked like that, especially in the church! It is sad, but I strongly believe that racists in the church are a very small minority.

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    • 8 years ago

      I would agree that the overt racists are dwindling in number. But I still don’t see a lot of blending as one. I think a lot of people have grown comfortable in their segregation.

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  7. brad
    8 years ago

    Then what is your proposal to fix the problem? Seems like everything gets labelled racism nowadays. Stop saying these things? Force integration? Dismantle places like Chinatown because it’s a sin to desire and enjoy being around others who share the same culture and similar backgrounds? What is your idea of a picture percect world? And how do you propose we achieve it? Is a non-white person who is uncomfortable in a majority white chur h racist? Why do white people have a fascination with calling other white people racist? Are you trying to prove how non-racist you are? How do these articles help fix a problem? It seems like they do more to aggravate the problem. You pointed out very vague things to prove someone is a racist, but you didn’t give any solution on how to fix it. Not even a vague one. It’s a sin to relate more with and be more comfortable around someone of a same race, who speaks the same language, or came from the same country? Are you comfortable in a group of white people that you don’t know or are you a little uncomfortable around people you don’t know? Is a rich person uncomfortable around a poor person of the same race? Would a poor person be uncomfortable at a formal dinner with members of the same race? What do you call them? Segregation happens naturally even when government or people try to force everyone together. Reality is people are more comfortable around something familiar that they can relate to than they are the unknown or unfamiliar, including race but also in cases where the race is the same but the backgrounds are different. What does your article do, other than giving you a false sense of justice and pats on the back from others who agree with your conclusions but fail to see you offered no solutions. Again, what is your perfect dreamworld and how do we achieve it? A real leader would have an answer. Someone looking for cheap applause writes vague articles citing shallow pop-culture arguments and offering no solid or valid solutions that based in the real world we live in.

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    • 8 years ago

      Yeah, Brad, I’m with you. I believe we need an answer, not just agitation of a problem.

      And then as I was reading your post, I couldn’t tell if you were equally frustrated as Serena and I with the problem, or if you were maybe skeptical there actually was a solution…maybe both? I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret the tone of your comment, so I’ll just take it at face value.

      2 things I want to say in response.

      1) There absolutely is a solution. It’s to allow God to transform us so we grow toward being like Him. Well, what does that mean specifically, one might ask. I gave a talk at USF in front of a whole bunch of students and other people…from Christians to atheists, creationists to evolutionists. It was called, “If the Adam and Eve story is true, then where did we get all the races?

      That talk has the answer, and I just can’t consolidate it, because the problem is complex. The solution is simple. And if you want it, send me an email and I will give you a copy. Frederic@fredericgray.com

      2) Yes, real leaders would have a solution. I agree in part. Maybe Serena is not a real leader. But maybe she is on her way, and that’s why she brought up the problem. Because in bringing up the problem, real leaders like you and me can help reveal the solution. Only you didn’t reveal the solution, either. You and Serena (if I take your words at face value) both are issuing a cry for help to a complex problem.

      And maybe I, in my pursuit of being a said, ‘real leader,’ failed in my obligation to reveal the solution. And for that, I apologize. I also ask, sincerely, for your forgiveness.

      So, I applaud Serena, for expressing frustration with the problem. I hope you will too, since in your comment you did the exact same thing she did, just in a different way. Your comment and Serena’s post are two different fruits from the same tree–heartfelt, passionate comments indicating that we have a complex situation.

      (I hope you weren’t minimizing, or justifying the problem by talking about human tendencies to clump together, as if in some way Chinatown’s existence indicates the reality of racism…I will explain more about this in light of the problem and solution in my talk. )

      People don’t become real leaders overnight. But if your designation of ‘real leader’ is legitimate, then I perceive Serena to be on her way. Hopefully you are too.

      OR, there may be another option. Maybe she IS a real leader in many areas, but in this one area she may not fully grasp the problem and solution. Isn’t that at least possible? Again, if THAT is the case, then I applaud her willingness to delve into an area that she has not fully mastered. That’s how we grow.

      Please be kind to her. She didn’t throw racism around flippantly, like so many politicians do when they don’t get their way. She gave four specific examples of ungodly thinking, and opened up her heart to show how those four ideas being spoken have haunted her.

      Again, please be kind to her…because she cares. She cares deeply, about everyone. And she believes that everyone is made in the image of God, are reflections of God, and are worthy of being treated with kindness.

      She would be kind to you–even if you were the biggest racist on earth, she would. Her post was a cry for help, more than a condemnation. And that help comes from God, and through God’s people, through truth and love.

      Will you please join me in helping? Let’s show the world that we have what it takes to treat people the way God wants them treated. Let’s show the world that racism is not just some bad word that you label people with when you want to minimize them, but it is an actual problem that has a biblical solution.

      Brad, will you please join me in the real solution to this problem? If you want more info on that, again, please email me at Frederic@fredericgray.com.

      Thanks!

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    • 8 years ago

      One more thing.

      Brad, I just read your comment again, and it appears to me (I may be wrong, but this is just my gut based on how you worded your comment) that have had a lot of experience with people throwing around the idea of racism flippantly…maybe even unjustly. And if that’s true, I’m sorry. I have seen that as well, and it sickens me.

      In light of that, let me assure you, as someone who knows Serena personally, that she is in NO WAY seeking cheap applause. Quite the contrary. She is seeking God, and wants everyone else to as well.

      Writing blogs is an interesting endeavor. For years, people have been asking me to write. I kept thinking, why would anyone want to hear what I have to say? So, when I started my blog, it was basically because I was overwhelmed, and I am going to use it as a platform to help more people.

      Does that mean I will have people misconstrue my motives, my heart, my intentions? Probably. My picture is on my blog. Might someone think I am in love with myself? Maybe. Am I? No way.

      So, please know, that even though you and I have both seen people, who for political gain, power, and money, have thrown around charges of racism, Serena is no such person. She has had her heart broken, many a time, and she has been humbled in many ways.

      It has made her stronger, and it has helped her move toward becoming a real leader.

      Brad, I promise you, she has a sincere heart. And maybe you’ve never seen racism like she and I have. Maybe people in your world have been great in every way. If that is true, combine that with the fraudulent charges of racist stuff (umm, let’s see, where do we start? Tawana Brawley & Al Sharpton, the UNC rape charges, etc.), and I can see where you might be skeptical.

      But take it from a guy who knows her–Serena is as genuine, sincere, loving, and forgiving as they come.

      Just wanted you to know, for what it’s worth.

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    • Beckye
      8 years ago

      Brad,
      We have a huge problem with racism in this country. It may not be open like it was in the 60s and 70s in the south but it is out there a subtle cancer. It is everywhere we go towards all races. We assume that because I am white I must think as certain way talk a certain way and act a certain way. It assumes that my African American friends all like basketball, rap music and baggie pants. It assumes all Asians are smart and in technology. It assumes anyone from the Middle East is a terrorist or at least a Muslim. It assumes the my friends from Indian own a hotel or 7-11.

      We fight racism by act on the principles of love and mercy. Our goal should be to seek and save the lost, to bare one another burdens, to do unto others as we would have done to us and to glorify God in all you do.

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    • 8 years ago

      Brad, I am not in a position to deal with society as a whole. I am a Bible teacher and I propose Bible answers. But for someone to submit to a Bible answer they must submit to the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ. Jesus had a thing for the underdog and outcasts. He had a thing for inclusion. He also had a HUGE thing for love. I don’t mean “I love you” kind of love. Jesus loved with a divine, holy, move planets to get us, love. There is such power in love that in 1 Cor 13 it says that it is more power than spiritual gifts and it is the only thing that will endure forever.

      “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance… Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor 13.

      The answer is simple, but very, very hard.

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      • brad
        8 years ago

        Serena, I believe in love, but I do not believe love will bring unity. Unity comes from following the same faith and learning the same knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4:13). I also believe we are to deliver the truth IN love (Eph 4:15). I don’t believe it is ok to deliver Christ’s message with hate (Westboro). I don’t think it is healthy and beneficial to call people who have natural fears of a culture they don’t know “racist”. To think the general questions at the end of your article could determine if someone is a racist is a pretty far stretch. I do not believe labeling everything under the sun as racist. I believe it gets severely overused. I have many friends of other races. I can’t say that I would be comfortable at their family reunion, but I went to the family reunion of my brother-in-law and felt uncomfortable because I didn’t know anybody. It had nothing to do with race. I just didn’t know anybody. Overcoming racism isn’t the object. Overcoming fear is. Shaking a hand, learning a name, meeting a family, getting to know someone personally. You have to admit that it IS harder to do this the more unfamiliar someone is. I’ve brought hundreds (literally) of people of different races to church. My main reason was to introduce them to the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. In this we found unity despite the color of our skin. God is no respecter of persons, and neither should we be respecters of persons. I think we are better off to admit that there are major differences in culture between different races and even between similar races. We can enjoy our own cultures and even disapprove or dislike things in other cultures. That is ok. It’s who we are. It’s who they are. How did the 12 apostles stay on the same team without killing each other? You had a militant zealot who hated the Roman government and a tax collector who worked for the Roman government on the same team. You had rough and tough fishermen and more laid back philosophical types. Did Jesus change their backgrounds and personalities by getting them to love each other? That’s impossible. But He did get them to love the same purpose, the same God, and the same Gospel. As a result, they loved people with a Christ-like love. Peter still separated from Gentiles until Paul got in his face and he saw the Macedonian call. It was Christ’s message of truth, the doctrine, that brought them together. Love without truth brings compromise. Truth without love brings contempt. Am I for true racism? No. Do I recognize there are differences between cultures and think that it is good, healthy, and makes life fascinating and interesting? Yes. I believe like Martin Luther King Jr. I don’t judge based on the color of someone’s skin, but by the content of their character. However, being in the ministry, not even the lowly of character are turned away. Everyone is invited to join the supper of the king. This is the first time I’ve commented in a long time because I always waste time and end up writing books that no one cares to read. I just think we ought to back off of the “Racist” label so much. Natural fears are ok, and can be overcome easily. Calling people racist is not delivering the truth in love. It’s making assumptions based on your general questions and interactions with a few people. I apologize if my comments were too harsh. It was not my intention to insult or accuse you. I only had questions that I thought you or others should think about. I’m never against a good conversation or debate, as long as labels and names don’t get thrown around.

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  8. Mitch Davis
    8 years ago

    caveat: I’m a leader, flaws and all and judged by others as “good” or “bad” based upon their knowledge of me coupled with their belief system. Ultimately, I’m a follower of Christ, flaws (sins) and all and grateful to be saved by God’s grace. That includes my own “ism” that I continually need forgiveness as I grow closer as a disciple of my Lord and Savior. What is true of me is true of every other person: (perceived) leader or not.

    This problem is universal: all “races”: guilty; male/female: guilty; rich/poor: guilty; old/young: guilty, etc., etc.

    The problem may be complex to us, but the solution – given by our Lord – is simple. Love God, love your neighbor (Lk. 10:29-37).

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  9. Michelle Maddocks
    8 years ago

    Just watched the HBO documentary “The Loving Story”, as so called bi-racial marriages were just being accepted by law in the 1960s in the US. Having grown up “integrated”andnow liliving in a big international city, I still find myself amazed that human kind could ever consider that colour of skin or place of birth could determine a person’s character, destiny or worth. Interviews in this film show that not only do they consider it, but they even say that God Jehovah demands “separation of the races”. Hanging with people who are like you, who speak your language, I get. Treating others as less than human I don’t understand. Maybe it’s the way I was raised and how I try to keep learning. I do try to think well of those who were just not taught; I don’t look down on them, because I don’t know their story, and I don’t want to do to them as they are doing to those that they don’t know. But I am sad about it all.

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  10. Karen
    8 years ago

    Sadly I was in a bible study once were a christian woman started going on about race. Seriously?! I asked her what color she thought Jesus was, because he certainly wasn’t white. This saddens me so much. My children have been taught to see people as people not as the ‘the black man’ or the Mexican cashier’, etc… For Christians to think this way saddens me even more. There are actually Christians that believe there will be a segregated heaven. I agree with you totally, Serena, we have lived in a lot of different places and there is racism everywhere. It was actually worse when we were in Ohio then in Alabama & Georgia. Very good thoughts on the subject.

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  11. Andrea
    8 years ago

    I Appreciate this post so much! Thank you for calling racism what it is, sin! If only more people that way. What we can do about it is be a light and show others how to love others the same as them and different alike!

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  12. Ferho
    8 years ago

    I am a little confused by this one:
    “Do you have any pictures in your home of any non-white people?”

    Why would this make a difference. The only pictures of people I have on my walls are of my immediate family. If you are talking about books or magazines, then that is something different. I think you might want to reconsider rephrasing this question.

    I was also a little surprised at this: “and even upper class white Christians “. Were you surprised that the upper class have these issues? Sadly, they are often the worst. 🙁

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  13. Kelly
    5 years ago

    I attended a women’s lecture called “Why do we worship in black and white?” I think the intent of everyone involved was good; however, it was delivered as though the problem was whites refusing to worship with blacks. But the demographics of the group spoke volumes. The congregation hosting this had mostly “black” members, some who drove many miles past other congregations (that were predominately “white”) in order to worship there. To my knowledge (and I knew most women who attended), there were no “white” women who were driving out of that area to attend “white” congregations.

    And of course, our “black” friends who became missionaries in Jamaica were deemed by the locals there to be too “white” to minister effectively. The “black on black” prejudice there was surprising.

    There is no question prejudice exists, but recognize that it is prevalent among ALL races and ethnicities because it is a HUMAN problem.

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  14. Alejandro
    5 years ago

    A couple of notes.

    First, a minor note concerning wording. You wrote, “I am tired of being OK with “black churches” or “white churches” or “Spanish churches.” Black/white are races whereas Spanish is a language. I understood your point, but a better way to word it would have been “Hispanic churches.” Just a small note to avoid confusion.

    Second, someone in a previous comment, Kelly, mentioned that prejudice (racism) exists among all races. This is very true and I was surprised that this post on racism seemed limited only to whites. Any post on racism really ought to address everybody since all races have problems with racism, though you may see it less depending on your circumstances. I am currently living in a South American country and I married a local here. I was not well received by all of her family. Several of her family members objected to our marriage because I was white and not Hispanic. I frequently hear racist comments shouted to me in the streets. Racism is very much a human problem. It is not limited to one race. I don’t believe you are saying it is limited to whites, but it is subtly implied in the wording.

    Again, I assume you have the best of intentions – it’s just a matter of proper wording. Have a lovely day and God bless you. 🙂

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    • 5 years ago

      I actually meant Spanish speaking churches. We see specific evidence in the NT of multi-lingual gatherings. I have seen huge white, English speaking churches segregate the Spanish speaking church into a closet size classroom.

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Serena
8 years ago 24 Comments Christ-followers & Culture, Racism, The Church, , 1,895