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Old March 26th, 2006 #1
Sunwheel
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Default A Biblical Case Against Racism

http://www.reformed.org/webfiles/ant...n1_racism.html

A Biblical Case Against Racism
Christ is the King of kings and the Lamb of God, whose shed blood has purchased His people "from every tribe, tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9). Christ's gospel will lead "all the nations...and many peoples" to stream to His kingdom (Is. 2:3), and "all the families of the nations will worship before" Christ "for the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations" (Ps. 22:27,28). The gospel makes race insignificant. There is no religiously important category for race in the Biblical scheme. The only two groups who figure into the history of redemption are covenant-keepers and covenant-breakers, believers and unbelievers. Since Christ, as Lord of His church, has given us such great promises as those above, we should expect that the ethical imperatives of scripture would prohibit racist practices and attitudes. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.[20]
A. The Norm: The Sixth Commandment
The first Biblical argument against racism is found in the decalogue. The sixth commandment forbids us to take the life of another. Christ argues that the implications of this commandment are far deeper than simple murder. The Lord teaches us that the commandment also condemns vile mockery and unexpressed hateful heart attitudes (Matt. 5: 21, 22). He rescues this law from those who had clouded it with their human traditions.

The Westminster Larger Catechism expounds the sixth commandment as forbidding, among other things, "sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire of revenge...provoking words, oppression...striking, wounding, and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any" (Q. 136). If we are forbidden to have or act on hateful attitudes toward anyone, then we are forbidden from doing such things to an individual of another race.

Moreover, the Larger Catechism explains that the sixth commandment obligates us to preserve the life of others "by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succouring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent" (Q. 135). Racist attitudes stand in stark contrast to these prescriptions. The law of God goes to the heart of the issue. To be a racist is to be a killer.
B. The Situation: All Nations of One Blood in the Image of God
A second Biblical argument against racism is found in a Biblical understanding of our situation. We see this highlighted in Paul's testimony to the Athenian humanists. As noted above, evolutionary theory has been used to motivate racial hatred, but Paul rules out any such option when he declares that God "made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation" (Acts 17:26). Though we are not all of the same family of faith, we are all part of the same ultimate genetic family. If all humans descend from the same parents, then no one segment can be inherently inferior to others.

Moreover, since all of mankind has descended from the original parents, and the parents were made in the image of God (Gen. 1: 26), all of their descendants reflect the image of God as well. This point brings out the particular heinousness of racist attitudes. To treat a member of another ethnic group as inferior is to despise the face of God. And to despise the face of God is to invite His wrath.
C. The Person: Considering Others More Important Than Ourselves
Racism is not only prohibited by the norm of God's word and the Biblical situation in which we live, but Scripture also instructs us concerning our motives. We fail to heed God's norm for the situation, if we act out of wicked motives.

Paul's instructions at Phil. 2:3 are readily applicable to the issue of racism: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself."

This passage informs us that we are to seek to honor other persons in every situation. One way to picture this is that we are to treat others as if they were royalty. We treat royalty with respect, decency, and graciousness. This implies that our heart attitude must not be arrogant, paternalistic, or denigrating to others. This understanding clearly precludes racist attitudes. Calvin comments on this verse that:

If anything in our whole life is difficult, this above everything else is so. Hence it is not to be wondered if humility is so rare a virtue. For as one says, Every one has in himself the mind of a king, by claiming everything for himself." See! Here is pride. Afterwards from a foolish admiration of ourselves arises contempt of the brethren. And so far are we from what Paul here enjoins, that one can hardly endure that others should be on a level with him, for there is no one that is not eager to have superiority.[21]

Calvin notes the difficulty of obeying such an imperative since sinful human nature demands the rights of royalty for itself. Nevertheless, we are obliged to treat others as royalty. If individuals of another race were treated in this manner, then racist attitudes could not gain a hold in a person's thought or practice.
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