Racism is a Sin of Pride

“Only by pride cometh contention, but with the well advised is wisdom.”Proverbs 13:10

“For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

Galatians 6:3

“Racism is the belief that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of one race, which leads to discriminatory practices and unequal treatment of people based on their race.” (paraphrased from Google)

In other words, it’s a caste system: “You are inferior and I am superior, not based on merit, but simply because we were born into our position, and there is no option to ever change that.”

There are sometimes personal standards of conduct which, when not adhered to, are viewed as sin within the church, but then there are scriptural sins which are considered acceptable and shrugged at. For example, when I was growing up, the “sin” of a woman wearing a pair of pants was an absolute outrage. We questioned the validity of a woman’s salvation if she wore anything other than a long skirt. Getting a tattoo was nearly cause for excommunication because of levitical law. Attending church on Sunday morning only, skipping Sunday and Wednesday evenings, meant that you were not serious about God, you had forsaken the “assembling together”, and again, we would question the validity of a person’s salvation and submission to God if they did this. Secular music and various movies were preached against regularly. And so on.

However, racism was barely acknowledged. We did not consider ourselves racist so we had no need to speak of it. Racism was hardly even a real thing to us. Just a ploy the liberals and black people made up to create division. Calling a black person the N-word was common, even justified. “I only call them a n***** when they actually ARE one. Just like I call a trashy white person ‘white trash’”.

We were adamantly taught that interracial marriages were a sin, slavery and segregation was God’s will, and besides, everyone said, black people just had “you know… that culture. Plus, they’re such violent criminals. You know how the neighborhoods go down when a black family moves in.” This was said, without irony, as we lived in a white, Houston neighborhood where the two white brothers next door shot at each other, the house down the street was selling drugs and sex, and at least one white father that I know of on the street had attempted to rape his teenage daughter. 

When we moved to AL, confederate flags were proudly flown and the KKK burned crosses at the houses of any black people who had the brazen audacity to move up on Sand Mountain, where we lived. No black people lived in our town or the surrounding small towns. This was told to us as a selling point by church leaders before we moved to AL (I was present for this conversation as an 11 year old). It was the 90’s, not the 60’s.“Thank God”, they said in relief,”at least the neighborhoods won’t get trashy.” Blithely ignoring that the KU KLUX KLAN!!! was active in our neighborhood, and we lived in the middle of 50 different run-down, white trash trailer parks teeming with child abuse of the worst sort, meth labs, and abject laziness. Our church taught several unsound doctrines, and our pastor ran off with his wife’s much younger niece after embezzling church funds. But hey, there are worse things… like black people, apparently. The hypocrisy of this frustrates me so much.

Here is a link that refutes some of the beliefs I was taught at church; specifically that slavery was God’s will due to Noah’s curse on Canaan: https://www.thebanner.org/features/2022/01/racism-and-the-bible

I highly recommend reading it. It’s short and easy to understand. 

We were also taught that when God told the Israelites not to marry into other nations who worshipped false gods, this was God’s way of saying that interracial marriages were bad. This applied only to interracial marriages with black people and didn’t apply to interracial marriages with any other race. While not encouraged, it was acceptable for a white person to marry an Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Israeli, Hispanic, Islander, etc. I mentally splutter as I try to wrap my mind around this blatant perversion of the scripture. God said “nations who worshipped false gods”… Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers. He did not say “don’t marry black people because they’re black and may, traditionally, enjoy collard greens”. In the linked essay, the author makes a great point: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and likely Bathsheba were all in the lineage of Christ and they were all from those nations that God told them not to marry into. It had nothing to do with race, and everything to do with worshiping the true God.

For those who choose to wrest the scripture in this way, and speak words of racism out of the abundance of their hearts: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Ephesians 4:29

I was in my early 20’s before I questioned any of this; I had absolutely no exposure to any other belief system before then. I moved away from the south and began, at some point, to make an attempt to think for myself. I followed a lot of adoption blogs and social media accounts. I would see white, Christian people adopting black children. I had no idea this was allowed in Christian circles, and I would just weep over how beautiful it was. Not quite able, at the time, to put my finger on just what was so touching to me. Now I know that it was the biblical equality, harmony, and humility that I was witnessing between them. There was acknowledgment of the difference in culture and race, but the acknowledgment was not born of derision and contempt; it was born out of respect and love. I had never seen that before. 

One day a blog I followed made some comments about Martin Luther King Jr. They admired him and were celebrating the holiday. They were white Christians. I was again stunned. I had only ever heard that he and Rosa Parks “stirred up trouble.” Whereas, confederate generals like a Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson were people I had been taught to admire.

I went to the library and checked out books on MLK and was shocked to find he was a decent, brave man who stood up for the equality and human rights of his race. There was one story in the book, when MLK is around 6 years old, and his best friend, a white child, was no longer allowed to play with him. His father had to explain to him that now that they were old enough for school, they could not play together. He had to explain segregation. He had to explain to his 6 year old why they could not enter certain stores, sit in certain seats, use certain water fountains, etc. I imagined needing to say this to Luna and Daphne and my throat closed up. It reminded me of an online conversation between a white mother and a black father that I had seen a few months before reading the book: The mother said,”I can’t bring myself to tell my kids about racism. It’s so ugly. I start crying every time I try to explain it to them. I hate for them to know such hate exists in the world.” And the black father responded, kindly,”I’m so thankful you have that option. I don’t have a choice with my kids. Another child at the playground screamed to my four year old,”You N*****!”. And every time he gets pulled over by the police, my teen son is at risk and needs to know how to behave. So I have to inform them even though it hurts me to.”

I began to realize I had been systematically lied to. By Christians. Often from the pulpit. The scripture twisted and corrupted.

Several years ago, I was sickened when I saw Christians, some of whom I am friends with, enraged when confederate statues were removed or torn down. “This is vandalism!! We can never support breaking the law!” I was shocked to find that Christians cared more about the vandalism of a statue of a racist traitor than they did about the glorification of the sin of racism. 

“We need to remember our history!”

I agree with this point, at least. We should have museums dedicated to the horrors and atrocities of American slavery, and confederate statues should be placed there to remind us that there are wicked people who are willing to fight and die on the wrong side. We should point out every confederate flag we see to our children and remind them it is the flag of traitors to America and the human race; just like the Nazi flag, it symbolizes a sin which God hates. And we should fill our history books with the knowledge of what extremes racism can and does go to.

Bonus: Here is a link to a fascinating essay from Christianity Today about the Smithsonian Museum, black history, and how we should truthfully acknowledge our country’s history.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/08/black-history-smithsonian-civil-rights-trump-half-truths/

I did not understand terms like white privilege or systemic racism when I first heard them. Some of the labels and words that have been more recently deemed racist didn’t seem bad to me. I raised my eyebrows and rolled my eyes a bit. Until I reminded myself of how wrong I was for formerly believing that God wanted slavery and segregation to exist. This caused me to pause my ridicule and to feel trepidatious over making knee jerk assumptions when I had asked no questions of anyone. If I was wrong then, I could be wrong again. We are often so quick to condemn and demonize things just because we have no knowledge of it or familiarity with it, and that is what I did in this case. And, in America, racism has been so politically polarizing that we can become guilty of choosing our political party over what is right. In the online world, I was hearing “my side” say “oh racism is hardly real anymore. We did away with Jim Crow. White privilege isn’t real! Neither is systemic racism! All lives matter.” and I accepted that, at first, without investigation or critical thought. This is shameful behavior.

I had social media at the time and decided to find and follow black people to see what they were saying. I checked out books from the library. I always, always start with children’s books when it comes to heavier topics that I don’t understand. I googled for blogs and websites to hopefully have more understanding. And I watched a lot of movies- some based on true stories and some fiction. 

Earlier this year, I read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, a book about the American penal system. For the first time I could truly understand systemic racism. I recoiled in horror as I read that book, but also wept over Bryan’s incredible compassion, humility, and grace. I was convicted and ashamed as I read it. I went to God with my shoulders slumped in defeat- how could Bryan and his friends endure so much suffering and still have such a spirit of humility, but I, who have suffered so little, can barely bend my knee.

Last year, I read The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil. Clemantine was a Rwandan refugee who settled in America. This book gives a clear understanding of how the Belgians created a racist divide in Rwanda which in turn caused the Rwandan genocide in the 90’s. It’s a gut-wrenching, but necessary read in my opinion.

And I just started reading Born a Crime by Noah Trevor who was born in South Africa when it was still a crime, punishable by prison time, for whites and blacks to be married or in a sexual relationship. Noah’s mother was black, his father was white, and he had to be hidden for the first part of his life. Noah is my age. When I was playing outside freely, he was across the world hidden in secret.

My desire is this: to stop being deliberately, willfully, unaware of the affliction and oppression of others. If I am unaware or uneducated it’s because I’ve chosen to be so, and this should not be.

I am physically, mentally, and emotionally incapable of being fully educated on every single aspect of global human oppression and suffering. I get that there is only so much information we can take in, and only so much bandwidth we have as individuals. So I look at it this way: If I am able to “take sides” as I have with American racism for my entire life, then I have the bandwidth, and responsibility, to educate myself. If I have the time to have an opinion, I have the time to confirm whether it’s right or wrong.

I am also aware of the whataboutisms. What about their wrong? What about what they did (fill in the blank with whatever grievances people have)?What about rioting, genuine crime, political agendas, and more. Those things can and do exist. However, I think it’s very wrong to do this. Yes, we can and should acknowledge wrong doing and make judgement calls when needed, but not if we are using it to remove responsibility from ourselves. Playing a comparison game allows us to sit stagnant in our own sins while we point fingers. It starts with us making a change first. If everyone would start with themselves, this would change the world.

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” 

Matthew 7:3-5

In my late 20’s, I went on a missions trip with other people in my church to Greece. It was a life altering trip, and in most ways, so incredible to experience. I loved the location, the missionaries we were helping, and the group we went with. Truly a trip of a lifetime. There was the kindest young, black man from London who was living there and volunteering to help the missionaries. We LOVED him. He went everywhere with us. One day he mentioned that he’d love to go to a good Bible school in America. In total ignorance, my friend, Rachel, and I told him he should go to Pensacola Bible Institute. We were so excited to make this recommendation! Another member of our group responded,”He can’t. Ruckman doesn’t allow black people to go to his school.” I genuinely couldn’t believe it at first. Ruckman was a great bible scholar, supposedly, and the founder of PBI. We knew tons of people who went to his school. But he believed this and openly practiced segregation at his “Bible” school? Without shame? How could this be?

Like a fish out of water, I sucked air rapidly. I didn’t know what to say to the young man. Sorry, we don’t like you because you’re black? Sorry, God loves you but not quite as much as white people? Sorry, I’m sure you have some value to God as a human being but just not quite enough value to learn about the bible alongside us whites because we are, like, super special? 

My stomach and mind churned with anger and hurt for him. How beautiful are the feet. This man’s feet were beautiful. He was there volunteering to share the gospel and got a stab in the back for his willing efforts. It’s been over 10 years and I still shake with anger and tears over this memory. It is, without exception, the most humiliating moment of my life. A humiliation that I am almost ashamed to even feel because how much greater his humiliation and hurt must have been? He didn’t even say a word. Neither did I. I didn’t know what to say or how to apologize for the hatred he received at the hands of people who had never even seen him. I have the words to say now, but it is too little, too late. I have three deep regrets in my life, and this is one of them. I wish I could do it over again and speak for the truth: “Racism is a sin against you and against God. I’m so sorry you are forced to live around people who hate you for no reason. You don’t deserve this.”

A few months later, a missionary wife came to our church. She had been a student at PBI. In tears she told me of how she had been reprimanded by the school staff for handing out VBS invites to black children at the park. She could give them tracts, but not invites. And, she had a very dark skinned Samoan friend who wanted to attend the school to learn about God, but the school board had to meet to determine whether or not he was “too dark” to attend. I don’t know whether or not he was allowed to attend in the end, but the school board dragged the name of God through the mud by having that meeting in the first place.

Here are some links to books by Peter Ruckman with a few quotes from the books. I cannot bear to buy his books or have them in my home around my kids, but I am linking to them because they are actual books he has written and these are actual quotes from these particular books. Much of the commentary in the Ruckman reference Bible is just as egotistical as the following quotes.

https://store.kjv1611.org/discrimination-the-key-to-sanity/

Quote from page 15:

“If you notice that no matter how much integration is carried out, the IQ of blacks is ALWAYS lower than whites…”

Quote from page 20:

“People who could not invent a calendar or even a wheel…If white Dutchmen had not come down there and showed "the first black man to use a white bathroom" how to farm, build, manufacture, mine, merchandise, sanitize, regulate, and organize a civilization, there would be no civilization there. It was the Shemites who built the Egyptian empire, and it is NOT in central Africa; it borders Asia and had access to all the wisdom and culture of the east (Mesopotamia, Syria, Persia, Chalead, and Israel) through the centuries. Eqypt is now the exception which the monkey men use to overthrow the rule. It is an old, old story. The rule is: unless "whitey" shows the black man how to play the piano, the tuba, the trombone, the banjo, the saxophone, the clarinet, and the trumpet, he stays squatted in front of a hollow log.“

https://store.kjv1611.org/the-history-of-the-new-testament-church-two-volumes-available/

Quote from Volume 2, footnote 44.9, chapter 11:

“Negroes have to be carried. Where they are left to themselves, they resort to mugging, rape, slavery, dope traffic, and eventually cannibalism.”

These are only three of many more quotes from Ruckman’s books. His view of black people was heinous and wicked, and unfortunately, shared by many people.

My friends, these things ought not to be.

We say to keep our eyes on Jesus. I really struggle with this at times, and can become incredibly discouraged and depressed by the behavior of Christians. I sometimes think about running away to the off-grid hills to get away from bickering and hate. 

But God. The Bible is full of beautiful, Edenic equality. And when people are hate filled, the Word of God washes clean. When my heart aches and rages, the scripture has the power to comfort and remind me that these things are of Satan, not of God. Below are my favorite scriptures that discuss the worth and value of humans, all races and both genders, in God’s eyes.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Genesis 1:27

“For there is no respect of persons with God.”

Romans 2:11

“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:31 

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

1 John 4:20

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Philippians 2:3

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but hath everlasting life.”

John 3:16

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”

Psalm 133:1

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10

In Acts chapter 2, God sends the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to the Christians. In verse 5 it says,”And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” And verses 9-11 give a lengthy list of places these men come from, which includes black nations. I love this so much. The Comforter was sent for all of mankind, not just the white ones.

In Numbers chapter 12, Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses. Verse one says why, and the rest of the chapter records God’s punishment against them.

“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.”

In verse 2 they reason with themselves that they know just as much and can lead just as well as Moses; after all, he’s in an interracial marriage with a black woman and they clearly looked down on him for that.

Here is part of God’s response to their racism and pride, in verse 9.

“And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed.”

In verse 10 Miriam is struck with leprosy, in verse 11 Aaron admits their sin and foolishness, and in verse 13 Moses beseeches God for mercy on Miriam’s behalf which God grants after some time.

The book of Song of Solomon is a gorgeous love story. The love story that God chooses, out of every love story in existence, to record in the Bible to give us a picture of Christ’s love for his bride. And this love story is an interracial relationship between a black woman and a Jewish king. Solomon had 1,000 wives and concubines. It wasn’t like God couldn’t find a “better” relationship to depict this love story. I believe God chose this interracial relationship on purpose, and I love it.

“The song of songs, which is Solomon’s. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savor of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black,  because the sun hath looked upon me: my mothers children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”

Song of Solomon 1:1-6 

I have 2 little black nieces and one little black nephew. They are beautiful. Brown skin, curly brown hair, brown eyes, big smiles, and sweet souls. I am grieved and deeply angry to know that there are people in this world who will hate and segregate them based only on their skin color. People will make jokes at their expense. People will make themselves deliberately ignorant of the unique hardships these babies will one day face based on their skin only. To know that there is even a Bible school out there who would not allow them to attend based on skin color is devastating. These sweet babies are valuable and worthy in God’s eyes. They are created in God’s image, Christ died on the cross for them because He loves them, Christ sent the Comforter here for them, and they will one day be a part of the Bride of Christ, reigning kings and priests. God inspired Paul’s words “There is neither Jew nor Greek” for all of us, including these babies. They will see themselves in the scripture because God placed them there, and no man on earth will ever be able to remove them from under the wings of God’s love.

I challenge you, Christians, to live in unity with each other, to love one another, to follow in God’s example and be not a respecter of persons. To humble and open your hearts.