Racism, Darwin, Hitler and the Bible

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Definition of Racism

- The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. [1]

- hostile or oppressive behaviour towards people because they belong to a different race. [2]

- discrimination or prejudice based on race. [3]

Darwinian racism

Darwin - a racist

Darwin saw the natives of Australia and Negroes as being at the same level as gorillas. He believed that Blacks and Aborigines occupy a sub-species between Apes and Caucasians (i.e. Whites) and claimed that these races would disappear.

"At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes... will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilized state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla." [4]

The complete title of Darwin' s famous book was "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life".Darwin claimed that it was necessary for the inferior races to disappear and bemoaned the fact that developed peoples try to protect them and keep them alive. He compared this situation to people who bred animals, "With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilised men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of every one to the last moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of civilised societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man." [5]

Darwin's racist disciples

Although Darwin was less racist than many of his disciples, especially Spencer, Haeckel, Hooton, Pearson, and Huxley, his theory provided the basis for the later extreme racism. Ernst Haeckel is actually called "the great ancestor of theoreticians of Nazi biology." [6]

H. Klaatsch, a prominent German evolutionist, concluded that human races differ ... for the reason that they evolved from different primates. The Blacks came from the gorillas, the Whites from the chimpanzees, and the Orientals from the orangutans, and it is for this reason that some races are superior. He concluded that "the gorilla and the Neanderthal man" have a close biological affinity to "a large number of the living African blacks..." [7]

In the 1920s, an article in the Encyclopedia Britannica, under the heading 'Negro', said that the inherent mental inferiority of the blacks was even more marked than their physical differences and that no full blooded Negro has ever been distinguished as a man of science, a poet, or an artist. [8]

M. L. Moser (The Case Against Integration, 1974) says, "... American Negroes that have made contributions to various fields, sports, science, etc., but... It is only that Negro that has a mixture of white genes in his system that has risen to the level where he has produced on the level with the white race." [9]

Thomas Huxley was an English biologist, known as Darwin's Bulldog for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. [10] He wrote: "No rational man, cognizant of the facts, believes that the average Negro is the equal, still less the superior, of the white man. And if this be true, it is simply incredible that, when all his disabilities are removed, and our prognathous relative has a fair field and no favour, as well as no oppressor, he will be able to compete successively with his bigger-brained and smaller-jawed rival, in a contest which is to be carried on by thoughts and not by bites." [11]

The Theory of Evolution provides the basis for racism

In evolutionary theory, the survival advantage factor is the chief explanation for the existence of most differences. Because these differences result from the survival advantage that they confer upon an organism, an evolutionist must assume differences between or within a group likely exist because they provide some inherent survival advantage for the animal. Since the key survival advantage of humankind over "lower animals" is intelligence, consequently differences in this trait likely also exist between the races. This is exactly whatDarwin . This conclusion has justified a wide variety of governmental and scientific policies, not the least infamous were racial genocide programs. [12]

The two races most often compared are the "Caucasian" and "Negroid," now commonly called the "white" and "black" races. The dominant western cultural ethos, that whites were "superior" and blacks "inferior" and more "ape-like," was commonly reflected in science books published from 1880 and 1980. [13]

The widely used textbook, 'A Civic Biology' (George William Hunter - 1914) which Scopes used in the class he taught in 1925 which became the basis for the famous gy' (George William Hunter - 1914) which Scopes used in the class he taught in 1925 which became the basis for the Scopes Trial discussed "man's place in nature." [14] Under the section of evolution, in an openly racist statement it concludes that "At the present time there exist upon the earth five races each very different from the other in instincts, social customs and... structure. These are the Ethiopian or negro type... the Mongoloid or yellow race, and finally, the highest type of all, Caucasians, represented by the civilized white inhabitants of Europe and America."

Hitler - a Darwinian racist

The racial prejudice in Darwin's theory was adopted by Hitler and resulted in him exterminating handicapped, insane and those deemed racially inferior. Hitler noted that one would not let a 2 million Mark thoroughbred horse breed with a nag. He likewise felt that to advance the human race we must "direct evolution" instead of letting natural forces and chance blindly produce. [15]

Smith notes: "One of the central planks in Nazi theory and doctrine was evolutionary theory [and]... that all biology had evolved... upward, and that... less evolved types... should be actively eradicated [and] that natural selection could and should be actively aided and therefore instituted political measures to eradicate Jews, and blacks, whom they considered... underdeveloped." [16]

In "Mein Kampf" Hitler spoke of "lower human types." He criticized the Jews for bringing "Negroes into the Rhineland " with the aim of "ruining the white race by the necessarily resulting bastardization." He spoke of "Monstrosities halfway between man and ape" and lamented the fact of Christians going to set up "Negro missions," resulting in the turning of "healthy... human beings into a rotten brood of bastards." In his chapter entitled "Nation and Race," he said, "The stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker, thus sacrificing his own greatness. Only the born weakling can view this as cruel, but he, after all, is only a weak and limited man; for if this law did not prevail, any conceivable higher development of organic living beings would be unthinkable." A few pages later, he said, "Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live." [17]

Hitler exterminated over 273,000 people even before the Holocaust! "The first to be killed were the aged [those who are an economic burden, who detract from the happiness of society as a whole], the infirm, the senile, the mentally retarded, and defective children [that included epileptics]. Then there were WWI veterans - amputees - still in hospitals. Their reward for giving an arm or leg for Germany was extermination as 'undesirable.' Even bed wetters and children with badly modeled ears were put to death - all part of the euthanasia project of Germany ." [18]

Bible contrasted with Darwinian Nazism

Ardent evolutionist Sir Arthur Keith wrote: "The leader of Germany not only in theory, but, as millions know to their cost, in the rigor of its practice. For him, the 'national front' of Europe is also the 'evolutionary front;' he regards himself, and is regarded, as the incarnation of the will of Germany, the purpose of that will being to guide the evolutionary destiny of its people." [20]

Keith highlights the difference between the evolutionary and Christian world view, by saying "Christianity makes no distinction of race or of color; it seeks to break down all racial barriers. In this respect the hand of Christianity is against that of Nature, for are not the races of mankind the evolutionary harvest which Nature has toiled through long ages to produce?" [21]

While the influence of different races, the Bible says the following about those groups of people:

THE DISABLED - Lev 19:14 Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God.

THE ELDERLY - Lev 19:32 Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.

THE ALIEN (FOREIGNER, DIFFERENT RACE) - Lev 19:33-34 When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt .

Racism indefensible biologically

Racism is indefensible on moral, biological & Biblical grounds.

Scientists found that if any 2 people from anywhere in the world were compared, the basic genetic differences between these 2 would typically be around 0.2% - even if they came from the same people group. [22] So-called 'racial' characteristics that many think are major differences (skin color, eye shape, etc.) account for only 6 percent of this 0.2% variation, which amounts to a mere 0.012% difference genetically. In other words, the so-called 'racial' differences are absolutely trivial. [23] Recent IQ tests of people throughout the world have found that, with allowance for cultural differences, the IQ ranges of all extant identified races is extremely close. [24]

The pygmy population of Africa, supposedly the most backward race extant today, test close to average when acclimated to Western life. Few differences are found between the second and third generation pygmies living in large Australian cities who are acclimated to the established European population. [25] It is now widely accepted that, given equality of background and similarity of experiences, blacks as a whole closely equal whites in across the-board performance. This confirms prominent anthropologist, Ruth Benedict's early conclusion that "the most careful investigation" shows there is no significant difference between the scores of blacks and whites, even though it is difficult to control for the accumulative effects of deprivation. [26] Most studies also find that Orientals and Jews score about 10 points higher than Europeans. Reasons other than innate differences are often found to account for this difference, and few scientists now accept the view that genetic differences can account for the level found. [27]

All races come from one woman

Darwinian evolutionists like H. Klaatsch explained the "superiority" of some races by teaching that they evolved independently. 

In contrast the Bible teaches us that all people come from common parents i.e. Adam and Eve:

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Gen 3:20)

Modern scientific evidence is mounting in support of a single shared ancestor, confirming what the Bible teaches.
The scientific evidence is increasingly indicating that indeed Adam existed," says Dr. Fazale Rana, a biochemist. [28]

Molecular anthropologists study mankind's origins by looking at DNA, the molecule that contains our genes, which in turn form a sort of blueprint used by our bodies to build new proteins-the building blocks of life. Over time, DNA's structure can mutate through physical or chemical events or by errors during cell division... Most mutations are harmful but don't get passed on to future generations. But neutral or beneficial mutations are passed along. Studying DNA sequence variations among population groups lets scientists learn about human origins and migrations. Over time, a population becomes more genetically diverse through breeding and mutation. [29]

"The scientific evidence is increasingly indicating that indeed Adam existed," says Dr. Fazale Rana, a biochemist. [28]

One of the most common techniques for studying human origins won't help us find Adam-but it might point to Eve. Mitochondrial DNA (a circular piece of DNA found in mitochondria, which are in almost all cells in the body-especially muscle cells) is a favourite for study because of its simple inheritance pattern and quick mutation rate. But mitochondria comes only from the mother-the father doesn't contribute any mitochondrial DNA to his child. [30]

The amount of variation in this DNA acts as a sort of molecular clock and lets scientists peer back in time to a day when there was no variation. Repeated studies of mitochondrial DNA in the last two decades suggest that humanity originated from one woman. [31]

This has caused even evolutionary scientists to revise their theories of independent streams of human origin in favour of a single common woman they call "mitochondrial Eve."

Mitochondrial DNA won't lead us to Adam, but study of DNA associated with the Y chromosome might. Women have two X chromosomes, while men have an X and a Y... The Y chromosome is what makes a man a man... And it's passed from father to son... [32]

Studies of variation in Y-chromosome DNA point to a common male ancestor dubbed "Y-chromosomal Adam".

 Naturally evolutionary scientists use timescales based on their uniformitarian assumptions to "date" mitochondrial Eve claiming that she lived 150,000 and 200,000 years ago (The Bible places her 6000 years ago). Strangely, the same research techniques provide significantly different dates for the first man and first woman. The Y-chromosomal Adam is dated by both Creationists & Evolutionists at a much more recent date than mitochondrial Eve.

To explain this difference, scientists theorize that for some reason males living before Y-chromosomal Adam failed to pass their genes along. Some sort of "genetic bottleneck" must have killed off other men. But what?  [33]

'Reasons to Believe' founder, Dr. Hugh Ross says the answer should be clear to anyone who is familiar with Scripture. "You consistently see an earlier date for mitochondrial Eve than for Y-chromosomal Adam, and this is called the 'younger Adam' paradox-but it's exactly what you'd expect from biblical history," he insists. [34] Noting that a lot of genetic lines came to an end during the great flood, Ross says, "On Noah's ark all of the men were related by blood to Noah. So you'd expect a bottleneck- not at Adam, but at Noah. Their wives were not related to one another, so the mitochondrial DNA variations would go back farther. Only from a biblical perspective would you predict such a difference." [35]

So in fact Y-chromosomal Adam is actually the Biblical Noah. While all of our Y-chromosome DNA goes back to Noah, he inherited it from Adam - the father of us all. The Flood destroyed all except Noah's line:

Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. (Gen 7:23)

All people alive on earth are descended from Noah's 3 sons:

The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth... These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth. (Gen 9:18-19)

The Bible teaches us that all men are made "in the image of God" and are distinct from the animals. It is only on the basis of the false theory of Evolution, which teaches that man is just a highly evolved ape, that one can justify racism.

"The scientific evidence is increasingly indicating that indeed Adam existed," says Dr. Fazale Rana, a biochemist." [28]

Racism indefensible Biblically

The mark of Cain

One of the attempts to justify racism from the Bible is the reference in Genesis 4 to the mark of Cain. God declared that Cain was cursed, and placed a mark upon him. Some racists claim that this mark was God giving him a black skin.

Gen 4:10-15 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse... You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain...

Firstly the Bible does not indicate what the mark was. Secondly the mark of Cain was for his protection by warning others that killing Cain would provoke the vengeance of God.

Gen 4:13-15 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over."
Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

Thirdly, in any event Cain's line was destroyed at the Flood as Noah descended from Seth. We have already seen from Gen 9:18-19 that all people alive on earth are descended from Noah. 

The curse on Ham?

Another attempt to justify racism from the Bible is the claim by some racists that Noah cursed Ham (Gen 9) saying that his descendants would be the servants of his brothers. As Ham was the father of the African races, the claim is that they are under a curse and should be subservient to the other races.

Now it is true that the African races descended from Cush (Ethiopia & Sudan), Put (Libya) and Mizraim (Egypt) - all sons of Ham.

Josephus writes, "For of the four sons of Ham, time has not at all hurt the name of Chus; for the Ethiopians, over whom he reigned, are even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia, called Chusites. The memory also of the Mesraites is preserved in their name; for all we who inhabit this country [of Judea ] called Egypt Mestre, and the Egyptians Mestreans. Phut also was the founder of Libya ... Canaan, the fourth son of Ham, inhabited the country now called Judea, and called it from his own name Canaan ." [36]

But this view is based on a half-truth. Canaan (the fourth son of Ham) was cursed, not Ham! 

Gen 9:24-25 ... Noah ... said, "Cursed be Canaan ! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers."

The curse of Canaan was fulfilled when the Israelites conquered Canaan . Canaan does not exist as a nation today while other Hamitic nations still exist - Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya.

God is impartial (not biased)

The Bible teaches that God is impartial:

Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." (Acts 10:34-35)

For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. (Deut 10:17)

But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)- well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. (Galatians 2:6)

And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; (1 Peter 1:17)

And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. (Ephesians 6:9)

Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.

We too must be impartial

We are instructed to also be impartial in our dealings with others:

And he [Peter] said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean." (Acts 10:28)

The word translated 'foreigner' (Strong's number G246) is allophulos, from Strong's number G243 and phulon, which has the meaning "a stock, race, of another race or foreigner."

Let me now be partial to no one; Nor flatter any man. (Job 32:21)These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good. (Proverbs 24:23)

To show partiality is not good... (Proverbs 28:21)

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. (1 Timothy 5:21)

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. (Deut 16:19)

Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness, or partiality, or the taking of a bribe. (2 Chron 19:7)

You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbour fairly. (Leviticus 19:15)

In the following passage, James is specifically addressing favouritism shown to wealthier individuals who visit the church. This command, however, is applicable to showing favouritism for any characteristic, including race.

James 2:1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ... 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbour as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

The same Law must apply to aliens

Lev 24:22 You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born.

Exodus 12:49 The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.

Leviticus 24:22 There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native...

Deut 1:16-17 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God.

Deut 24:17-18 Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

In South Africa we can easily apply this study to the memories of Apartheid and the lingering racial hatred some still have for fellow South Africans. However we also see how foreigners (e.g. Zimbabweans, Zambians, Nigerians) are still mistreated and victimised in our country. Just recently in May 2008 we saw the xenophobic killing of 66 people, displacement of some 6000 African foreigners and the subsequent looting of property. The Bible says:

When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. (Leviticus 19:33)

Thus says the LORD, "Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place." (Jer 22:3)

And you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 22:21)

And you shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 23:9)

Leviticus 19:10 Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger.

Deut 24:19-22 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

Lev 25:35 If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.

Ps 146:9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Deut 24:14-15 Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

... do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. (Zechariah 7:10)

Jer 7:5-7 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.

Honouring of non-Israelite people in the Bible

We find the acceptance and honouring of non-Israelite (and non-Semitic) people in Scripture:

The list of David's honoured Mighty Men included Zelek the Ammonite, Ithmah the Moabite and Uriah the Hittite, all non-Israelite peoples. (1 Chron 11:26-47)

Rahab, the Canaanite from Jericho assisted the Israelite spies at risk of her life and was one of the ancestors of Jesus. (Matt 1:5)

Ruth, the Moabite, would not desert her mother-in-law or God, even when her husband died. She too is listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1:5)

The Queen of Sheba - The actual location of Sheba is disputed between southern Arabia (Yemen) and eastern Africa (Ethiopia). Jesus said, "The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom..." (Matt 12:42)

The prophet Jeremiah was freed from the cistern he had been thrown into by Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian.

Jer 38:6-10 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to him, "My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city."

Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

God subsequently rewards Ebed-Melech:

Jer 39:16-18 "Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'"

As a child, Jesus was sheltered in Africa (Egypt) from Herod. (Matt 1:13)

Jesus' cross was carried by an African, Simon of Cyrene (in Libya).

Mark 15:21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

It is in Romans 16:13 that we have Paul's reference to Rufus, "Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine."

According to the patristic writing of the second century the gospel of Mark was written for the Roman Christians. If this is true, it would make sense that Mark would identify Simon of Cyrene (a Libyan) as the father of Rufus and Alexander, two men that the Roman Christians would know. None of the other gospel writers include the names of the sons. So perhaps the Rufus that Paul greets is the same Rufus that Mark writes about. It is a good possibility. [37]

Paul emphasizes that Rufus is chosen in the Lord in Romans 16:13. Rufus must have been a willing follower of Christ. But this also tells us that Simon not only accepted Christ as his Saviour, but he passed on the gospel message to his sons. [38]

One of the first converts to Christianity was from Africa (Ethiopian Eunuch).

And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.... And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:27,38)

The early African church

Many of the early Church fathers were from Africa :

- Tertullian, who articulated the doctrine of the Trinity, was from Carthage in what today is Tunisia.

- Cyprian was the bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer.

- Augustine who articulated the doctrine of Grace was from Hippo (present-day Annaba, Algeria).

- Athanasius, the famous defender of the doctrine of the Trinity at the Council of Nicea, was from Alexandria in Egypt.

- Clement headed the Christian school at Alexandria .

Christianity grew much more rapidly in Africa than in any other western province. [39]

It was firmly established in Carthage and other Tunisian towns by the 3rd century and had produced its own local martyrs and an outstanding apologist in Tertullian (c. 160-240). During the next 50 years it expanded remarkably; more than 80 bishops attended a council at Carthage in 256... [40]

The early church recognized 5 patriarchs who oversaw large geographical areas: the bishops of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Rome. 4 of these 5 centres fell to Islamic invaders.

Islam arrived in North Africa in 639, just 7 years after the death of Muhammad. The invading Arab forces came from Mecca under the leadership of the military ruler Amr ibn al-Asi. Islam claimed the whole of North Africa in what were once the lands of great Christian leaders and famous writers such as Tertullian, Athanasius, Cyprian, Clement and Augustine.

Abolition of slavery

In our studies on "The kingdom" we saw how Alexander Mackay (in Uganda), General Charles Gordon (in Sudan) and David Livingstone (in Central Africa) opposed the slave trade (which was racially based) on Christian grounds. We also saw how John Newton, a converted former slave trader influenced William Wilberforce, a young Christian British politician who subsequently became the chief instrument in banning slavery from the British empire.

Racial change of the modern church

In 1900, Christians in Europe constituted 68% of all the Christians in the world, and those in North America, 14%. This means that 4 out of 5 Christians in the world were in these 2 continents. On the contrary, Christians in Africa constituted only 2%, and those in Asia, 4%.

In 2000, however, Christians in Europe shrank into 28% of all Christians, and those in North America, 13%. But Christians in Africa noticeably increased into 18%, and those in Asia, 16%. The proportion of Latin American Christians to the world Christians increased from 11% to 24%. 

The African Church

After the Chinese church, the African church is the second fastest growing church in the world. In 1900 only 3% Christian. Today sub-Saharan Africa is 50% Christian. 25,000 new believers in Africa daily.

The Samaritans

The Samaritans were foreign people that Assyria brought in to populate the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria was the capital) after the native Israelites had been deported. The mixing of their own pagan religious practices with the worship of the LORD led the Israelites to despise the Samaritans. They practiced a form of syncretism in their worship:

2 Kings 17:28-33 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the LORD. Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places ... They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

The term "Samaritan" was USED AS AN INSULT:

Jn 8:48 The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"

The Samaritans and Jews were segregated and would not even associate with one another. John records that the Samaritan woman said to Jesus, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" He then adds an explanation, "For Jews do not associate with Samaritans." (John 4:9)

Jesus was unwelcome at a certain Samaritan village:

And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:52-55).

In retaliation James and John asked Jesus, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" Jesus rebuked the brothers saying, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

Luke in particular details Jesus dealings and positive comments about the Samaritans (perhaps because Luke himself was a Gentile). He relates how of the 10 people healed from leprosy, only the Samaritan thanked Jesus and was commended accordingly.

Lk 17:15-18 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him-and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

Luke also records the parable of the "Good Samaritan" (this term would have been considered somewhat of an oxymoron by the Jews).

Samaria as an evangelical target

Jesus took the time to witness to the Samaritan woman at the well. At their request he stayed in the village of the despised Samaritans (Sychar), evangelizing for 2 days.

Jn 4:39-41 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.

Jesus clearly considered them to be part of the "lost sheep of Israel".

Samaria as the second evangelical target for the apostles:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Acts 8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8:4-5 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.

Acts 8:14-15 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit...

Acts 8:25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

Love your neighbour

Jesus said "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies..." (Matt 5:43-44).

Interestingly the OT only tells us to "... love your neighbour as yourself." (Lev 19:8) The people of Jesus' day had added the "hate your enemy" part by redefining who their "neighbour" was. This explains the second question in the following passage:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' "
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" (Lk 10:25-29)

In reply to the question "who is my neighbour?" Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the "hero" is the despised Samaritan. (Lk 10:33-35) In summary to the parable Jesus asks, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." (Lk 10:36-37) So Jesus showed that the "love your neighbour" command included people of different race.

In addition the OT had explicitly mentioned that the Israelites were to love strangers and aliens as themselves:

The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt ... (Leviticus 19:34)

Deut 10:17 For the LORD... defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.

What did Adam look like?

One thing's almost certain: He wasn't white. Dr. A.J. Monty White, [41]explains, "I think that one of the most common misconceptions that Christians have about Adam (and Eve, for that matter) is the colour of his skin."

He adds: "Most people in the West tend to think of Adam and Eve as having fair or white skin. If you think about it, if Adam and Eve had pale skin, you would not have dark-skinned people because they would not have the genes for producing dark skin. On the other hand, if Adam and Eve were dark-skinned, you would not have fair-skinned people as their genes would not have the ability to produce light-coloured skin. Adam and Eve must have been mid-toned (perhaps mid-brown) in order for us to have all the shades of brown exhibited by humans on the earth today." [42]

For that matter, Jesus was not European, but Jewish - a people that have suffered much racial abuse. 

Intermarriage

Hitler's view on Intermarriage

Instead of letting chance factors dominate reproduction decisions, Hitler proposed that the scientists use the power of the state to influence these decisions so that the gene pool would shift to what "informed conclusions" concluded was the desired direction. Consequently, Hitler encouraged those individuals that he perceived as having Aryan traits to mate, and discouraged "interbreeding," supposing that this policy would gradually cause the Aryan race to evolve "upward". He believed that the Nazi race programs would further evolution by intelligently deciding which traits were not beneficial, and preventing those with them from reproducing. [43]

An important argument that Hitler used to support his programs of racial genocide of the Jews, Blacks and other groups was that they were genetically "inferior" and that their interbreeding with the superior Aryan race would adversely affect the latter's gene pool, polluting it, and lowering the overall quality of the "pure race." [44] 

Is intermarriage a sin?

Is intermarriage between different races a sin?

Genesis 1:24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds..."

The God-given natural law for each creature to reproduce according to its 'kind' may be applied to man: since there were only two humans, Adam and Eve, and all people descended from them, there is no Biblical mandate against racial intermarriage. [45]

What about God forbidding the Israelites to intermarry with the Canaanites?

God's prohibition against intermarriage with the Canaanite and other peoples of the land was not based on racial but rather the religious and societal practices of those peoples. Using this prohibition to support racist theories of superiority or segregationist policy is inaccurate. [46] God did not give the Israelites the land of an 'innocent' or 'inferior' people (the Canaanites), but rather of a wicked people whose religious practices were an abomination to God. This verse shows that God delayed the entry of Israel into the land until the magnitude of the Amorites' sin justified their annihilation. [47]

Exodus 34:15-16 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land (Canaanites and related peoples); for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.

This is the initial warning to Israel about intermarriage with the peoples of Canaan whose abominable pagan religious practices were the reason God was giving them the land. Adopting those practices would turn Israel from God, and this was the reason for prohibition of intermarriage and contact in general. [48]

1 Kings 11:1-3 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharoah's daughter - Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, "You must no intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

The 'greatest' King of Israel serves as the greatest example of the result of the sin of intermarriage with pagan women. The subsequent idolatry of the soon-to-be-divided nation of Israel/Judah, which led to their eventual conquest and removal from the land by foreign empires, is directly traceable to disobeying God's commands concerning intermixing with the pagan peoples. [49]

David's wife Macaah was a Geshurite, an Aramean (2 Samuel 3:3).

Moses married a woman from Cush (Ethiopia). In other words, Moses married a black woman.

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman (Numbers 12:1).

As a result of the marriage Aaron and Miriam challenged his leadership. God forcefully supports Moses with no condemnation of the marriage.

Numbers 12:9-10 The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam-leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; 11 and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed."

Ruth, the Moabitess, was part of Jesus' genealogy. (Matt 1:5) The descendants of Ham, who were cursed, were the Canaanites. Yet, when Rahab, a Canaanite, came to faith in the true God, she not only married a believer, but was included in the family line leading to Christ. (Matt 1:5)

In the NT, Paul again shows that being unequally yoked (e.g. in marriage) is not a racial issue, but occurs when a believer marries an unbeliever:

2 Cor 6:14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

The prototype Christian church

The church in Antioch was: 

The origin of the name "Christian"

Acts 11:26 The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch .

 

First mission church

The gospel spread from the Jerusalem church because of persecution, but at Antioch they sought God's face and obeyed His mission call.

Acts 13:1-3 In the church at Antioch ... While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

First multiracial church!!!

In addition to all this Antioch was the first multiracial church - it was founded by Greeks & black disciples!

Acts 11:19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch , telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. Two of the prophets / teachers were Africans:

Acts 13:1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger , [50] Lucius of Cyrene, [51] Manaen... and Saul.

So the church had African, European and Middle Eastern disciples.

Segregation

Should different races be segregated and not mix?

Nowhere is racial separation or superiority taught or condoned. In John 4:9, John wrote that "Jews do not associate with Samaritans" (segregation), yet Peter and John ministered to the Samaritans (Acts 8:25). The interaction of Jews and Gentiles, the 'segregation' of the day in Israel, was specifically condemned by Paul when Peter visited the multiracial church in Antioch:

Gal 2:11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group... 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?"

When William Carey went as a missionary to India , the conversion of Hindus to Christianity posed a new question as to whether it was appropriate for converts to retain their caste. In 1802, the daughter of Krishna Pal, a Sudra, married a Brahmin. This wedding was a public demonstration that the church repudiated the caste distinctions.

The A/G in Apartheid SA

Despite the racial segregation of churches in "Apartheid" South Africa , the A/G was quite unique in having a racially mixed executive in this period. In 1940 Nicholas Bhengu became a member of the first multi-racial executive council.

Nicholas Bhengu was an early pioneer of the A/G in SA. When Bhengu was a young man somebody had given him a car, a great experience for anybody. In his elation he set out from Durban to motor to Johannesburg with his wife, Mylet and Mr and Mrs Alfred Gumede, his friends. At Pietermaritzburg he remembered that he needed a cake of soap. He parked his car and went into a department store to buy the cake of soap. Serving at the counter was a young woman. Seeing Bhengu she said abruptly, "Yes, boy, what do you want?"
What gratuitous discourtesy!
Bhengu's gorge rose. "Madam" he said, "I'm not a boy. In fact, I'm older than you are. In any case, I am a customer whom you are called upon to serve." [52]

The young woman paled with rage. Her teeth literally chattered with anger. The floor manager noticed that something was amiss and intervened. He gave Bhengu his soap. Bhengu in turn selected from his wallet the largest note he had, ostentatiously counted his change, and sauntered out of the store twirling his car keys on his forefinger, whistling insouciantly to himself. The very picture of insolence. Back in his car, his friends voiced their approval. "Jolly good! You gave her just what she needed". But at the same time he felt something was amiss. He drove on his way up Town Hill out of Pietermaritzburg on to Howick. As he drew into Howick, he stopped, did a U-turn and turned back to 'Maritzburg. "I have to go back", he said.
The young lady blanched when she saw him. The floor manager looked concerned. "Yes? Yes?" he said. "What's the problem?"
Bhengu answered with downcast gaze, "Sir" he said, "I have come to apologise. I'm a Christian; I had no right to speak as I did. Jesus would not have done it like that. Please forgive me!" [53]

Mike Attlee was a young unconverted man with a promising Rugby future, but tragedy struck early in his married life when his first son, Anthony, was born brain-damaged and blind. Mike's sister-in-law Thelma Botha visited the Attlees to tell them about the Zulu A/G evangelist Nicholas Bhengu and his wonderful healing powers, advising them that he would be in PE shortly and suggesting they request prayer for their child. [54]

Mike was full of unbelief and pride. His blood boiled at her suggestion. Instead of being grateful for Thelma's concern over his baby, he responded by saying, "No thank you! No 'black' is going to lay hands on my baby!" Thelma was shocked at his attitude. She replied, "Mike, you are more sick than your baby." Her words stung the vanity of the young football star... He gently took Thelma by the shoulder, propelled her to the door, and said, "Please leave my home; and never, ever, enter it again!" [55]

Mike's father, Wilfred, not yet saved, persuaded his reluctant son to ask Bhengu to pray for Anthony. When Mike located John Bond in order to make contact with Nicholas Bhengu, John explained the way of salvation to him and he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. When Bhengu prayed for Anthony, the little boy born blind was able to see. Although born brain-damaged, Anthony subsequently walked, talked and even went to school. His miraculous recovery brought much joy and blessing to the Attlee family until the Lord took him home 11 years later. Many came to Christ through Anthony's story and the Attlees' testimony. [56] Mike Attlee went into full time ministry and ultimately oversaw what became known as the Coastal Assemblies. [57]

Segregation (Apartheid) in heaven?

Understandably racism cuts both ways:

George Mtanzima, then President of the Transkei visited the Back to God East London Convention and spoke there. Bhengu had no choice but to open the platform to him. His speech somewhat embarrassed Bhengu with its racialism. Mtanzima expatiated on heaven. He said, "If I get to heaven and there's a white man there, I'll walk out!" Bhengu had to wait until the following day in Mtanzima's absence to repudiate the statement. He did so with characteristic wit, "If you get to heaven," he asked, "And there's a white man there and you walk out, where will you walk to? There are plenty of white men in the other place". [58]

Before the abolition of slavery in the U.S. , some southern churches taught that there would be a separate place for Negroes in heaven. However in heaven John sees people from every nation, tribe, people & tongue:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Rev 7:9-10)

Rev 5:9-10 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

ALL NATIONS

In John 3:16 we are told that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

1 Cor 12:12-13 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

God makes no distinction based on race, gender, education level or social status:

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Col 3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

And they will declare My glory among the nations. (Isaiah 66:19)

All nations are blessed by the Messiah - Jesus:

And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; (Genesis 26:4)

Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)

He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel ; I will also make You a light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)

While Jesus' personal ministry was spent with the Jewish nation (Matthew 15:24), He did minister to non-Jews (Gentiles) who called upon him (the woman of Canaan in Matthew 15:22, the Samaritan leper in Luke 17:16, and the Roman centurion in Matthew 8). The New Covenant, however, was for all people and the disciples were given the Great Commission to spread it to all, regardless of race. Before leaving, Jesus told the apostles to make disciples from every nation, reaffirming the value of all people.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit... (Matthew 28:19)

Salvation is for all - no difference between Jew & Gentile:

Rom 10:11-13 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

After writing that all men (Jew and Gentile in Romans 3:9-10) are equally guilty of sin, Paul writes that the true heirs of Abraham and his promise are those people of all nations who believe.

Romans 4:16-17 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring - not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations..."

On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9-11) the gospel was preached to those from:

- Africa (Egypt, Libya)

- The Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Israel, Arabia, Turkey)

- Europe (Italy, Greece).

In Acts we see how the Middle-Eastern Samaritans (Acts 8:5-25), a black Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-39) and white Roman Gentiles (Acts 10) all receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Do you love your brother?

We have already seen by Jesus telling the parable of the good Samaritan in the context of the "love your neighbour" question that he considered different racial groups to be brothers. Jesus' disciple John, who once wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan villag 

A RACIST IS A LIAR

1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

A RACIST IS NOT JESUS' DISCIPLE

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

A RACIST DOES NOT OBEY GOD'S COMMANDS

1 John 3:23-24 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.

Rob Frazier sings in "The things I say":

I say I believe that we're all the same
Then I find myself placing blame
For the way things are, the mess we're in
According to the colour of somebody's skin

I say I say what I believe
Do I believe the things I say?
I say my flesh has learned to die
But that's a lie
Please help me

A RACIST DOES NOT KNOW GOD

1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

A RACIST IS A CHILD OF THE DEVIL

1 John 3:10-12 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.

A RACIST WILL NOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

A RACIST IS STILL IN DARKNESS (i.e. not saved)

1 John 2:9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

The Greek word for brother (adelphos) is used widely in the New Testament to denote a neighbour (Luke 10:29), the 'brethren' of Jesus bound by belief in Him (Matthew 25:40 and Mark 3:35), and is widened to include all human believers and angels (Revelation 22:9). Thus, hatred of any person for any reason, including race, is sinful.

So if you are a racist:

- you can call yourself a Darwinian evolutionist

- you can even call yourself a Nazi

- but you cannot call yourself a Christian!