Racism in the Western Christian Church

How did we get here? Was it because of fear? Ignorance? Unthought out bias? Or conscious racism?

The word racism in the West, especially in the United States, is misused constantly. Racism is “the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another.” (emphasis)

It is deeply saddening to see open racism in the Western Christian church specifically in the events unfolding in the Middle East right now.

Although the Western Church has repented and cleaned themselves over the years in regards to their racism towards Africans and Asians, they have not when it comes to certain ethnic groups in the Middle East.¹

It is deeply disturbing, sad, and disappointing that high profile Christian individuals in the United States, and some who purport themselves to be “pro-life,” have indiscriminately stood with Israel and not openly condemned the killing of innocent civilians and attacks on schools and hospitals. They have also decided to stand with Israel and not condemn them when they have openly slaughtered Palestinian families who are not Hamas trying to flee Gaza.

Christians should condemn Hamas and the Israeli government when innocent civilians are killed. All of humanity should condemn any organization and government that kills innocent life. It should not be based on race that one decides if is good that they live or die.

This is racism at its core and all Christians should evaluate their beliefs and whether or not they are holding to the Christian faith when doing so.

So how did some Western Christians become racist?

As with most racism, I believe it is based out of ignorance, bias, and emotion. Perhaps it has even stemmed out of brainwashing by certain lobbyists for political purposes.

Sadly, many Christians do not read enough and study their founding documents to see what God has told them to believe: the Bible. The Bible is comprised of many books and letters documenting God’s voice to specific and various groups, nations, and even people over thousands of years. As one Christian pastor once said, “The Bible was not written to you but for you.” This fundamental understanding is crucial when interpreting and applying what is written. Many are not familiar or understand how translation works or the utmost importance historical context plays when understanding what God was talking about at that time when it was written. How the original hearers understood God’s message is the interpretation we should have, not the Western glasses we read and see the written word through today. This is not negating possible Rhema words but over all sound understanding of what was written.

What does this have to do with some Western Christian churches and people being racist? Some well meaning Christians have no understanding of what the Old Covenant is and it’s terms, the abolishment of it, what the New Covenant is, the “mystery of the gospel” that the apostle Paul wrote about and it implications of it in regards to God’s promises and covenant, or why God directly told the ancient Israelites to wipe out certain tribes in ancient Palestine. Because of this, they have believed the Israeli propaganda that “Israel can do no wrong because they ‘are God’s people.'” “Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed.”²

The famous Genesis 12:1-3 verses dictate that God will bless Abraham specifically and his descendants. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:16, 26-29 gives clear interpretation of this passage.

[Gal 3:16, 26-29 NKJV] 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. … 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [are] Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (emphasis mine)

The covenant promise made by God to Abraham was never based on ethnicity but faith. An offered kinship based on covenant not blood. This entire premise that people should support a certain ethnic group is based on political propaganda not Holy Scripture.

God has never has sided with injustice. God has never sided with lies and wrong doing from anyone. The entire Old Testament is testimony about Israel’s fallen nature and many of their continual disobedience and rebellion against Him. With this being said, this is not a reason nor an excuse to be anti-sematic. No where in Scripture does it justify to kill, harm, or discriminate against Jews. So before anyone begins to take their shoe off to throw it, hear this clearly.

What is even more interesting is Genesis 15 when God reaffirms his promise with a covenant, He promises to give the land from the “Nile to the Euphrates” and then God names people groups living in those boundaries. Those people groups from Turkey to Egypt would be given to Abraham. Some Biblical scholars believe this means those people would be brought into God’s family which there is Biblical evidence for. Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers on this passage and others point out that people from those tribes later became a part of Israel although they were not a part of the original twelve tribes. Joshua’s companion into Canaan, Caleb, is a Kenezite (Numbers 32:12) and one of the most sacred parts of Canaan, modern Hebron, was given to him and his descendants. The land where the Trinity came to visit Abraham (Genesis 18) and where Abraham and Sarah are buried was given to a family that was not a biological descendant of Abraham at all but a Gentile. The faithful and brave Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband whom David took for himself, was a Hittite whose people originated from Turkey the head of the Euphrates River. The famous Levite Phineas, Aaron’s grandson, is Egyptian and Nubian³. These are just to name a few.

The point is, there is no Biblical basis for “Israel” being one ethnicity in the Old Testament and when it refers to God blessing Abraham’s descendants, it is not based on certain blood but faith in Christ Jesus. It also must be remembered that Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldeans. He is originally Babylonian. If people want to make a people group “scared” then technically it would be Iraqis. Interestingly, perhaps this is why God chose to exile Israel to Babylon through Nebuchadnezzar, essentially saying, “I am sending you back to where your father Abraham came from because you have broken my covenant.”

In addition to all these historical and Biblical truths, there is a fundamental truth that the Western Christian church must remember when evaluating events anywhere in the world including Israel. Is it righteous? Is it holy? Taking land that is not paid for and agreed upon by both parties is wickedness and God condemns this throughout Scripture. Killing innocent people is wickedness. Slander and bearing false witness is wickedness and God hates it. God says do no evil against your neighbor and do not go back on one’s word (Psalm 15). God is against provoking others to anger and causing strive. The government of modern Israel has done all these things repeatedly to many nations, but especially to the Palestinians who have the right to live on their land in peace. Most of the Jews who live there now are from the Diaspora. They were not owning land in Palestine before the creation of the state. This is well documented. The land that Israel now has exceeds all treaties they have made which means they have broken their word which God stands against.

Therefore, there is no reason to “stand with Israel” when there is wrong doing. We can call for the extraction of Hamas and legal justice of their actions in regards to their military assault; but this never justifies the killing of hundreds of innocent families, destroying non-Hamas homes, hospitals, and schools. It certainly does not justify cutting off the power, water, and food supply to a whole nation in Gaza and demand they relocate, so the Israeli government can steal their land. These are crimes that God hates and is against. He and His Son the Lord Jesus do not agree with such actions whatsoever.

I call on all Christians to repent if they have agreed with the spirit of error on this. It is not too late. If one realizes they have agreed with such wrong doing, remember what Scripture says in 1 John 1:9 [NKJV] “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

May we agree with righteous acts and pray for peace in the Middle East. The Lord has walked those lands himself and I am sure it grieves his heart about what is happening and in “his name.”

1. This perceptual regional term is Eurocentric. The term was created by the British according to their worldview at the time. ↩︎
2. Capitol Ministries ↩︎
3. Blacks in Biblical Antiquity ↩︎