It seems that there has been a resurgence of racism in the United States. As Christians, we are very concerned about this because we believe that all people are made in the image of God and therefore deserve dignity, respect, and fair treatment regardless of ethnicity. The Bible condemns racism as sin, and therefore we must stand against it, and must warn people of organizations that promote what God forbids.
One organization that claims to promote racial equality is called “Black Lives Matter” (BLM). However, upon examining their claims, we will find that this organization is actually fueling racism rather than reducing it. We will find that BLM fights against biblical principles and is exacerbating the very condition it pretends to fight against. Some Christians have been repeating the phrase “Black Lives Matter” perhaps without recognizing the anti-Christian nature of the organization, or without considering the potentially racist implications of the phrase itself. So let’s investigate this movement, and see if we can find a biblical solution to racism.
The Anti-Biblical Philosophy of BLM
It is helpful to know something about the people who started the organization and their philosophies to see what is being promoted in the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement was founded by three women: Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi. Patrisse Khan-Cullors is a lesbian and considers herself the wife of Harriet Tubman. Likewise, Alicia Garza describes herself as “queer” and the wife of Malachi Larrabee-Garza who is “transgender” (she is a woman who refers to herself with masculine pronouns). Opal Tometi describes herself as “an ally to the trans and queer community.”[1] She donates to transgender causes and organizations.
This is significant because the Bible describes the perversion of homosexual behavior as a particularly heinous sin – an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). It takes something good that the Lord created for a husband and wife, and perverts it into a hateful statement of rebellion against God. Romans 1:26-32 describes homosexual behavior as what happens when God abandons people to their depraved, rebellious, sinful core. The chapter ends with a statement that seems strangely prophetic in light of current events: “and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” That is, those who hate God so much as to engage in sexual perversion also encourage others to do the same. This is exactly what the Black Lives Matter movement is all about. Its leaders promote and celebrate sexual perversion. And they are quite open about this, as we will explore below.
The founders of BLM are also Marxists by their own admission. Cullors has stated that “Myself and Alicia [Garza] in particular, we’re trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super versed on ideological theories.”[2] Marxism is the social, political, and economic view that, among other things, seeks to overturn capitalism in favor of communism. The BLM leader Anthony Ratcliff said, “Black Lives Matter and other organizations build a strong critique and understanding of racism and white supremacy and sexism and homophobia, transphobia, but we have to have as much hatred or vitriol against capitalism.”[3]
Under capitalism, people are allowed to work as hard and as smart as they desire and to keep the fruit of their labor or distribute it as they wish. Under the communism of Marxism, the state controls the economy by taking from those who have and distributing to those who do not have. Under communism, financial income is not related to how much or how little a person works.[4] Hence, the communist creed, “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” Marxism seeks to destroy the concept of private property, with the state ultimately owning everything.
History has shown that such a philosophy has destroyed every economy in which it was attempted, and for good reason: Marxism is dreadfully unbiblical. God has given certain inherent rights to human beings, including the right to own property. In an ultimate sense, God (not the state) owns everything (Psalm 24:1; 50:10), and God distributes to people as He sees fit. Hence, theft is forbidden (Exodus 20:15). Marxism essentially claims that God is wrong in the way He has distributed wealth, and that the state would do far better.
However, God has not authorized the state to interfere with the free-market economy. In fact, there is a biblical commandment that forbids anyone from denying a person what he or she has rightly earned (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:15) since a worker is worthy of his wages (Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Timothy 5:18; Deuteronomy 25:4).[5] Hence, for the state to steal from some for the purpose of redistributing wealth is sinful. A government that controls commerce inevitably results in oppression and poverty, and is a sign of God’s judgment on a wicked nation. The Bible gives an example of this in Revelation 13:15-17.[6] Marxism stands in stark contrast to biblical free enterprise where people are free to enjoy the fruits of their own labors.
The Black Lives Matter website states, “We call for a national defunding of police.”[7] This is in response to claims of police brutality against African Americans. Since there are over 600,000 police officers in the United States, it seems inevitable that a few will abuse their authority, perhaps with racist motives. And it is tragic when that happens. However, the response of BLM to such injustice is also unjust and wicked.
When we see injustice, it is our sinful nature to take matters into our own hands – to repay evil for evil. God forbids this (Romans 12:17) because the right to repay belongs to God alone (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 20:22, 24:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:6). Only He knows the exact motives and goals of the sinner, and consequently He alone is in a position to judge and assign the appropriate sentence. For our safety, God has authorized the government to punish certain crimes on His behalf and thereby mitigate wickedness. So, our justice system is rooted in biblical principles. Police who are accused of brutality are investigated, and if the evidence supports the accusation, they are arrested and put on trial. If found guilty, they are rightly punished.[8]
But let’s be honest. The overwhelming majority of police in our nation are honorable men and women who place their lives on the line every day to protect us all. The overwhelming majority are not racist, and use force only when necessary and appropriate. I am very grateful for our law enforcement officers. Police officers are good and necessary for a peaceful society in a fallen world. And not all claims of abuse or racism are true. Undoubtedly, some of those accused are innocent and are cleared upon a fair investigation. In any case, it is inappropriate to blame or punish all police for the actions of a few. So the BLM call for a national defunding of police is a ridiculous and wicked overreaction – a pendulum swing rather than a carefully reasoned response. And it is anti-biblical.
Governmental law enforcement is biblical. God has authorized the state to punish criminals for certain kinds of wrongdoing (Romans 13:1-7; Deuteronomy 16:18-20).[9] This restrains evil by deterring further wickedness (Deuteronomy 13:11; 21:21), thereby protecting law-abiding citizens. It also teaches us about justice: that wickedness rightly requires punishment, and that such punishment should fit the crime (Exodus 21:23-24; Leviticus 24:19-20).[10] And it foreshadows the ultimate justice that God alone will accomplish on the last day. Furthermore, God absolutely forbids racism or any sort of partiality in judgment (Deuteronomy 16:19).[11]
So the Marxist founders of BLM want the government to control commerce, in defiance of the Scriptures. And they want to defund the police, which is also contrary to the Scriptures. Black Lives Matter encourages the state to do what God forbids, and forbids the state from doing what God commands.
Black Lives Matter promotes racism while claiming to fight against racism. It divides humanity on the basis of skin pigmentation: “Blacks” and “Whites.” It attempts to portray some people as victims and others as oppressors purely on the basis of skin shade – not on actions. The Bible condemns such partiality (Deuteronomy 1:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7). BLM uses racist terminology such as “white privilege” in an attempt to make some people feel guilty for what their ancestors may or may not have done. The Bible absolutely condemns the wickedness of holding children accountable for the sins of their fathers and vice versa. In Ezekiel 18:19 the Lord says,
Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live. The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
According to Scripture, you are responsible for your own sins, not those of your ancestors, and not those of other individuals that happen to share your ethnicity. If you yourself have unfairly judged someone on the basis of skin shade or ethnicity, then apologize and ask for forgiveness. And if you have trusted in Christ and repented of your sins, then Jesus has already paid your penalty. But we should not hold someone accountable for the sins of another. To claim that someone is “privileged” or racist simply on the basis of his or her skin shade is itself racist.
From the BLM Website
By the clear statements of its leaders, Black Lives Matter is not really about equality or valuing human life of any sort. It is an organization dedicated to creating division along ethnic lines and promoting sexual perversion. From the BLM website: “We affirm the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum.”[12]
BLM states, “We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead.” Again, they state, “We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression,…”[13] Okay we get it: BLM accepts all sorts of sexual perversion. The message is clear: we are to understand that chastity does not matter; what really matters is your skin shade. In reality, the reverse is true. If the BLM leaders really cared about people, then they would warn them about the dangers of sexual perversion. Such sin, if left unrepentant, will eventually incur God’s wrath (Luke 13:3; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7).
From their website, BLM states, “We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).” This is clear rebellion against God’s design for sex and marriage (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:22-25). God is certainly willing to forgive those who have committed these kinds of sins, but repentance is required (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Acts 2:38).
BLM states, “We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.”[14] The word “cisgender” refers to a person whose “gender identity” matches the person’s biological gender. In other words, if you are not confused about whether you are male or female, you are “cisgender.” BLM seeks to “dismantle” such a “privilege.”
BLM states, “We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position.”[15] Does this sound like an organization genuinely promoting equality among all people?
They state, “Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism.” Just “anti-Black” racism? Moreover, the state does not sanction violence and racism – in fact there are laws against it. When an individual commits violent acts of racism, he or she is acting contrary to the laws of our government, and more importantly is violating the law of God.
Particularly disturbing is BLM’s claim, “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.” That “Western-prescribed nuclear family” is biblical. God created marriage to be one man and one woman united for life (Genesis 2:24), and one of the purposes of marriage is to produce Godly offspring (Malachi 2:15). This is what BLM seeks to “disrupt.”
The Phrase “Black Lives Matter”
The links in the footnotes below will allow you to check that indeed BLM has a very anti-Christian agenda. Clearly, the Black Lives Matter movement is not something people of good conscience should support. But what about the phrase “Black Lives Matter?” It’s true, isn’t it? Yet, there are three reasons why it may be wise to refrain from using such a phrase.
First, the phrase is inextricably linked with the movement. You may not intend to support the Marxist, sexually perverse, racist attitudes of the BLM organization. But many people will take the phrase that way regardless of your intention. For similar reasons, I never refer to myself as a Christian scientist, even though it may seem fitting since I am both a Christian and also a scientist. But that term is used of an organization with which I do not want to be associated.
Second, the phrase does seem inherently racist. Why select and affirm the value of just one ethnicity without mentioning the others? Granted, since all human life is valuable to God, it follows that any one ethnicity is also valuable to God. But no more so than any other. God doesn’t evaluate people by their ethnicity (Galatians 3:28) or their physical appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). People have objective value because we are all made in God’s image, after His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). This does not refer to a physical likeness since God is non-physical; it has more to do with our moral character. Skin shade is utterly irrelevant to our value before God.
Third, the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is biologically inaccurate and perpetrates a false stereotype: that some people are “black” and others are “white” and that these constitute two different kinds of people. In reality, all human beings are related, being descended from Adam and Eve. And all human beings are brown due to a pigment in the skin called melanin that is produced by cells called melanocytes. Some people have a greater density of this pigment and therefore have skin that is a darker shade of brown. Others have very little melanin and are a much lighter brown. Holding a piece of paper next to light-brown skin will confirm that it is not white – not even close.
The base level of melanin is determined by genetics. All human beings have two sets of DNA. Half of the information in the DNA comes from the father, and half from the mother. Hence, the child has a unique combination of instructions, and can therefore have different traits than either parent has. All the information necessary for the various diversity of traits we see in human beings was present in Adam and Eve. All people are descended from Adam and Eve, and the minor differences we see in people such as skin shade or eye color, are the result of the slightly different combinations of DNA. For the details, see our article One Race: https://biblicalscienceinstitute.com/theology/one-race/. In other words, there is absolutely no biological, scientific basis for the idea of different races. There is only one race: the human race.
The Evolution Connection
Where then do we get the idea of different races of people? Charles Darwin was not the first racist; but his views have certainly fueled racism. Darwin of course believed that all life had descended from a common ancestor and that some animals were more “evolved” or “higher” on the evolutionary tree than others. He didn’t see any reason why this principle should not also extend to human beings – that some races of people were more evolved than others.
Darwin was unquestionably a racist who believed that the “white” (especially European) “races” were far more evolved/advanced than the “black races” which he referred to as “savages.” He believed that the “higher races and lower savages” differed in “moral disposition” and in intellect. Darwin argued that the savage races were not capable of complex thought, and were much like the lower animals.
Of course, many evolutionists today are (rightly) embarrassed by Darwin’s racism, and would reject it. But why on their worldview should they do so? If all life is just the result of mindless chemistry over time, how can we regard any human life as having any objective value whatsoever? In a Darwinian view, evolution proceeds by the strong dominating over the weak; why should this not apply to humans as well? If humans are just non-designed blobs of chemicals, what one chemical accident does to another is morally irrelevant. In the Darwinian view “No Lives Matter!”
The Solution to Racism
Only a consistent Christian worldview can save our society from the problem of racism.[16] The history recorded in the Bible shows that all human beings are descendants of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:20; Acts 17:26). We are all of one blood. And so there is only one race of people: human. The biblical creationist position is fundamentally incompatible with racism because the Bible teaches that all men are brothers.
A person cannot defend the claim that “all men are created equal” if he denies that men are created. In an evolutionary universe, there is no rational basis for assuming that human beings have any sort of objective value. If evolution is true, and some forms of life are more advanced than others, then logically this must extend to human beings as well. Modern evolutionists may be embarrassed by Darwin’s racism; but in fact, he was being far more consistent than they are.
Racism is as inherent to Neo-Darwinian evolution as equality is to biblical creation. This is not to say that all evolutionists are racist and that all creationists are not. After all, people can have inconsistencies in their thinking. The person who professes Christianity, but harbors racist attitudes, is not thinking consistently. His racism is not compatible with his professed worldview since all people are made in God’s image. Likewise, the evolutionist who commendably insists that all people have objective, equal value is not being consistent with his professed worldview. If humans are non-designed chemical accidents, then they have no objective value at all.
So, a consistent Christian worldview with biblical creation at its foundation is the only ultimate solution to racism. Any alternative cannot provide a rational basis for the inherent objective value of all human lives. The science of genetics confirms that indeed all human beings are related. The diversification of traits, such as variations in skin shade, is a natural outworking of the information God placed in the DNA of Adam and Eve. That certain traits are common to certain ethnicities can be traced back to the dispersion at the Tower of Babel. The details are in our previous article on One Race. So, the problem of racism is intellectually solved in the Christian worldview since there is only one biological race.
But there is still a spiritual problem to resolve. Just about everyone on Earth has – at times – been mistreated by others, whether in the form of racism or some other injustice. It is equally likely that the same person has – at times – mistreated others. This is the sin nature of man inherited from Adam. We sin, and we are sinned against. The intellectual recognition that we are made in God’s image and are therefore equal before the law does not automatically force our behavior to comport with our understanding. We have a spiritual problem – a sin problem.
Fortunately, the Bible also gives the solution to this problem. For the one who sins, the solution is repentance (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:28; 1 John 1:9). For the one who is injured by sin, the solution is forgiveness (Matthew 6:12). If all people would repent of their sin, and all people would forgive those who sinned against them, there would be no racism. In fact, there would eventually be no problems at all. This is the condition that will prevail in the eternal state for believers. But we can strive for it now and urge others to do so as well.
Christ is the solution to racism and all sin. For those who repent and trust in Him, Christ forgives their sins (Acts 2:38). Justice is still satisfied because Jesus has paid the penalty for all our sins on the cross. In Christ there are no ethnic distinctions. If your sins are forgiven, then you are part of Christ’s church in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 3:11).
[1] http://www.tidal-mag.com/magazine/movement-maker
[2] https://disrn.com/news/video-surfaces-of-black-lives-matter-founder-saying-were-trained-marxists
[3] https://www.newsweek.com/black-lives-matter-black-christmas-capitalism-724309
[4] This of course removes any incentive to work hard or really to work at all. God understands our sin nature, and His commandments, if followed, ameliorate many of the consequences of sin.
[5] The reference in Deuteronomy 25:4 is powerful; it shows that the principle even extends to animals. Oxen were used to tread wheat, and the animal would enjoy eating some of the wheat while it treads. Some people would muzzle the ox, thereby preventing it from eating the wheat, very slightly increasing their yield at the expense of being cruel to the animal. Hence, God commands, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it treads.” This commandment was not primarily written over God’s concern for oxen. Rather, we are supposed to extrapolate the general principle that God’s creatures should be allowed to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Hence, what you earn by your work is rightly yours. God does insist that we help the poor, but He has not authorized the government to steal from some to give to others.
[6] Revelation 13 refers to the “beast” and the “mark of the beast.” Although there are several different conservative interpretations of the book of Revelation within the church, virtually all of them agree that the beast represents both an individual ruler and the government he controls, depending on context. The mark of the beast is given on the right hand, which represents your actions, or on the forehead, which represents your mind and thoughts. God used this same symbolism in Deuteronomy 6:8 where He indicates that His law should be on our hand and our forehead; we should think and behave according to God’s standard. And hence, God’s people have God’s name on their forehead in Revelation 14:1. The mark of the beast (regardless of whether this mark is literal/physical or symbolic imagery) therefore represents allegiance to a tyrannical government in place of God. The beast demands that you must think and act in submission to his rule, symbolized by the mark. Without such a mark, the people of Revelation 13 are not allowed to engage in commerce – Revelation 13:17.
[7] https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/
[8] Someone may ask, “But what about those times when the system fails? Doesn’t the guilty person sometimes go free?” This does happen. Do we then take matters into our own hands? Do we extract vengeance when the system fails to provide justice? No. That too would be wrong. Our justice system was never intended to provide ultimate, cosmic justice. Only God can do that. When our system made of fallible people occasionally fails, we trust that God will deliver justice in His time. In the biblical worldview, justice will eventually prevail. All sins will be paid, either by the sinner or by Christ on his/her behalf.
[9] Note that God has only authorized the state to punish some sins – not all. For example, the state may not punish the sin of coveting (Exodus 20:17). It couldn’t anyway since this sin is committed in the mind. Then how can the state fully accomplish justice if some sins are left unpunished? The answer is: it cannot. But it was never intended to. The state restrains some evil, and teaches us about justice. But ultimate justice is accomplished by God alone (Deuteronomy 10:17-18; Revelation 20:11-13).
[10] This is the meaning of the phrase “an eye for an eye.” The punishment should not be too lenient or too harsh. Justice demands that the punishment fit the crime.
[11] The Hebrew words translated as “be partial” in the NASB translation of Deuteronomy 16:18 are most literally translated “recognize the face.” And the command is a negation, so the command to not show partiality means to “not recognize the face” – indicating that the appearance of the person (including skin shade) or your familiarity with him or her should have absolutely no bearing on judgment. God’s law is fundamentally fair, and does not discriminate on the basis of skin shade.
[12] https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
[13] https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
[14] https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
[15] https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
[16] The critic may ask, “But weren’t some Christians of the past racist, and even some today?” Yes. But if Christians harbor racist attitudes, then they are not being consistent with Scripture and need to repent.