Presenter: A.S.

Tamshayui (4244)

Respondent: Eliza Lalrinchana

RACISM

Introduction

At some point Racism has existed and has been the greatest issue throughout the
history of humanity. It comes in different forms and areas and can happen in many places
such as schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, work places, etc. Racism includes prejudice,
discrimination, hatred, abuse or harassment directed at someone because of their surnames or
family background, skin colour, disabilities, ethnicity or national origin. Racism can be
revealed through people’s actions and attitudes toward others from different background.
Racisms are not just words, actions, beliefs and attitudes. It includes the barriers that prevent
people from enjoying equality and dignity because of their race.1

Definition

 Oxford Dictionary: 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.
 Webster Dictionary: Primary determinant of human traits and capacities that racial
differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Racism and Bible

Many uses Romans 13 and the practise of slavery in the bible times to defend racism.
It is an unfortunate fact that slavery was an accepted part of life in the ancient times. In fact it
is hard to answer why God allows slavery. There are numbers of ways people become slave
in the Bible times: they were born to enslaved parents (Gen. 17:23), purchased as slaves
(Gen. 37:38), sod themselves to pay their debts (Lev. 25:39-55), breaking into a house (Ex.
22:3), and most commonly, the prisoners of war are enslaved. Slaves were also considered as

1
https:itstopswithme.humanrights.giv.au/about-racism

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property (Ex. 21:32). Though slavery was accepted in the Bible, there were several ways for
the slaves to be freed.

Most amazingly, it was common for people in the New Testament times to sell
themselves into slavery to the Romans and then purchase his freedom. Commentators thought
it was impossible to abolish the slavery system for the ancient world since the economy of the
Romans was totally depended upon the slaves. As a result, no New Testament writers
attempted to end slavery since this was not possible in their time. However the Bible in
several passages gives reason to prove that social discrimination is wrong.

Cause of Racism

Pride is the main cause of racism. It is sometimes caused by depression as well. Race
and racial matters are facts of life. There are different races, racial cultures, skin colours, and
national origins. But belonging to a particular race does not really make a person a racist.
These differences are identical and relative to what constitute authentic humanity. When
these relative differences are turned into absolutes, race turns into racism. 2 In simple way
racism is when a person say or think my ways are better than yours or I am superior and you
are inferior,3 or when one admits that he/she is inferior someone.

Racism in America

America seems to be the greatest racist in the world today. Many countries adopted
the slavery system in the past out of which America was one of the leading countries that
highly practised slave trade. Americans viewed Africans to be inferior to them. Some
Americans even thought that the Negros were beasts, and had no more souls than beasts.
They were considered intellectually and morally inferior to whites. Some even declared that
the Africans are descended from apes.

The first group of African slave group- four men and a woman arrived at Jamestown
Virginia, in 1619. Most slaves came from West Africa, where some tribal leaders themselves
captured and sold other Africans for their own profit. Some Americans came to realization
that they were committing great sin of trading the people who is the image of God. Some
decided to put slavery to stop while others refused to let go. Therefore America was divided
into slavery and non-slavery state in 1860. Slavery was legal until 1865, later by 1868 same

2
Carl F.H. Henry, Baker’s DICTIONARY OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS (Baker Book House Company, 1973) 564.
3
Macquilkin Robertson, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, (Secunderabad: OM, 2014).

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rights to all man was declared, and at 1870- right to vote was given even to all the black in
the Country.

Racism Today

Racism is pronounced unacceptable by the world so also in America. Equal human

rights for all have been declared but pronouncing the same rights or the right to vote for all
citizens does not really make the country a racism free nation. Americans still think that they
are superior to all others, while many of the people in others nations admit to it and put
themselves under Americans practically. They still treat people of different colour or races
differently in different areas:

 Black sounding names are more likely to be searched at a traffic stop and six times more
likely to go to jail than a white man. If a black man kills a white person, he or she is
twice likely to receive the death sentence as a white man who kills a black.
 Blacks serve 20 % more time in prison than the people for the same crimes and are 38%
more likely to be sentenced to death than white people for the same crimes.
 Asians and Africans are paid lesser than the Americans in work places and the
Americans takes advantage over them since they were still willing to work at lower
earnings.

Racism in India

Some claims India to be a racism free country. No one would admit themselves to be
a racist either. But it is not true. The ethnic relations, the attitudes and behaviours towards
other ethnicities or races in India have has been an issue throughout history. There more than
2000 different ethnic groups in India. There is also a significant diversity within religions,
culture and traditions. And the ethnic relation in India has been both constructive and
destructive as the discrimination toward other ethnicities continues.4

Unconfirmed Racism

Racism is confirmed when people in large group believes that their race or group is
superior and others are. When it comes to individuals or small group of people and not so
significant in the differences, but the very concept of superiority is in effect, it is a kind of
racism. Everyone has the practise of racism, feeling superiority or inferiority over others.

4
https://en.m.org/Ethnic_Relations_in_India

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Though they aren’t counted as racism but the attitude and practice of a person expressing
either pride or inferiority is called unconfirmed Racism. Racism is found even in Christianity
too. E.g. we the fundamentalists think that we are the better, and most Biblical. In some case,
there is a sense of superiority not because of what they are but because of where they belong.5

Racism in the Church

Racism perceives in churches as well in America. The blacks aren’t allowed to be

members of the church for the past many years in America. A recent study shows only 32%
of white pastors agree racial reconciliation in the church. Only 26 % of the church leaders
encourages preaching on the subject racial reconciliation. We could also see many of the
American preachers taking that every opportunity to differentiate America and India, trying
to explain how far better Americans are than that of Indians.

Racism is not an issue found in the churches of America alone but also in almost all
of the churches of the world. Giving priorities or having favour for the rich is the most
common in almost all the churches. The rich and educated are highly respected while the
poor and the uneducated are left careless. Most of the people in rural areas place the
Americans right next to God at some point.

Biblical Response to Racism

Though there are no direct commands given in the Bible not to practise racism or
slavery, there are several evidences that proves that a Christian shouldn’t be a racist.

1. Paul sought to abolish this social discrimination for the Christians. He says “In Christ
Jesus you are all sons of God... 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 (Gal.
3:26-28). He also says in Romans 12:5, “So we many are one body in Christ, and
every one members one of another.” This would mean everyone is our brother and
sister in Christ and not a slave.
2. Paul exhorts Philemon to treat his servant Onesimus as a brother and to receive him
the way he would receive Paul.
3. The New Testament Church gave those who were enslaved a family and home.
4. None of the New Testament church leaders had slaves at home even when they had
the resources to purchase them.
5
Thuanipou Gangmei, Paper Presentation on Racism, 2019.

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 5. We are all created by God equally in His own image (Gen. 1:27).
6. We are all descended from the same parents; Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:28), and
ancestors of Noah (Gen. 9:1).
7. All persons are equally valuable to God “For God shows no partiality” (Rom. 2:11).
8. We are commanded to love all as ourselves (Lev. 19:34; Matt. 7:12; Matt. 22:39).6

The above evidences are clear that the Bible totally discourages racism, racialism. We
the Bible believing Christians must therefore do our best to abolish a destructive issue such as
racism that greatly effects the life of the minority in the society today. Rather we must treat
and care for everyone the same way we expect others to do to us as Christ has said in Matt.
7:12.

Conclusion

Racism is an issue that greatly affects the social life of the people today. People with a
poor background has less attention of the people, some are bullied, abused or greatly
disrespected by the society especially in the urban areas. So many suffers having a hard time
fit in with the society today. The world is against racism yet it is difficult to abolish the
culture of racism since almost everyone conceives pride in their hearts. Biblically it is wrong
too. No one is superior to anyone else because we are all created equally in the image of God
therefore it is wrong and is a disgrace to mistreat man, the image of God.

6
https://www.google.com/what-does -the-bible-say-about-racism.

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 Bibliography

https:itstopswithme.humanrights.giv.au/about-racism.

Henry, F.H. Carl, Baker’s DICTIONARY OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS, (Baker Book House Company, 1973).

Robertson, Macquilkin, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, (Secunderabad: OM, 2014).

https://en.m.org/Ethnic_Relations_in_India .

Gangmei, Thuanipou, Paper Presentation on Racism, 2019.

https://www.google.com/what-does -the-bible-say-about-racism.

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