On Racism

Why should racism concern Christians? 

"I am not a racist!" This is what I would always tell myself. Although I grew up in Namibia in the time when it was still under apartheid South African rule, my family was always relatively liberal and taught us to respect people of all races. Later, when preaching the gospel to Zulu's as a young follower of Jesus, I learned about the importance of cultural differences and about our Lord humbling Himself to become one of us (Phil.2)... and that we should follow in his footsteps when bringing the gospel to others.

So imagine my surprise when the Holy Spirit revealed how much racism there was still in my heart. This happened many years ago when I was working as a volunteer at a youth hostel in Haifa, Israel. We were a group of young men who often played basketball together, all believers in Jesus as Messiah. One of the group was the son of an Arab mother and an African father, really a nice guy with a Christ-like character -- to me he looked almost like a tall Cape Coloured, to give a South African context. He was married to a very fair-skinned, red-haired Jewish girl, also a believer in Messiah Jesus and they made a beautiful couple. Then I found out that her parents (also believers) were not in favour of the marriage originally. And I was surprised and a little indignant -- How could they have anything against this friend of mine who was such a nice guy and exemplified what a believer in Jesus should be? This was when the Holy Spirit asked me this question: How would you feel if one of your sisters got in a relationship with a black or coloured person? Would you approve? And I had to honestly confess that I would not approve. Oh, I had all kinds of good reasons for why such a relationship would not be a good idea in South Africa of the time, but at the bottom of it all was actually racism, racism that I had never even realized still existed in my heart. As a Christian, I should beware of my own sin (Ps.18:23) and sinful inclinations.

So why is it important to talk about racism again? Racism needs to be defined clearly, because we are currently living in a society where almost anything that could possibly give offence to some group is called "racism". The main problem with this is the boy who cried "Wolf!"... we become so numb to everything being called racism, that we become unable to recognize actual racism when we see it. Additionally, as shown by my own experience, it becomes easy not to see our own racist and sinful attitudes ("There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." - Prov.14:12). 

What is racism?

Although there are all kinds of new definitions of racism to try and make it as wide as possible (but also to exclude some racial groups from being guilty of racism), at its heart racism is simply a specific form of prejudice. Prejudice implies that I judge somebody and his/her abilities according to the colour of their skin (or some other irrelevant initial observation) before knowing anything more about the person (and also subsequently viewing everything the person do or say through the lens of this initial judgement).   

Given this definition, what racism is not:

• Racism is not simply another term for racial hatred. All racial hatred flows from racism, but not all racism results in hatred. This misunderstanding of racism was one of the reasons why I was unable to recognize my own racism until the Holy Spirit revealed it to me. Because I did not hate people of other races, I am not or cannot be a racist? I was wrong.
• Racism is also not simply generalization. To generalize from an observation and say that black people are good in some sports (or not generally good in other sports, like rugby or swimming), is not racism. Such a generalization could be true and based on reliable statistical facts. However it can become racism, when such a generalization (which could possibly be true) is applied to every single person of that skin colour (i.e. pre-judging a specific individual by a common and also possibly false perception).
• Simply pointing out typical differences based on facts between different groups is not racism. However, to make assumptions about people of a specific skin colour based on stereotypes. is racism. Because such assumptions are based on prejudice, rather than actual facts. Even when there are real differences between groups, most of the time the reason for the differences have nothing to do with skin colour, but could be because of cultural differences or the quality of their diet when growing up. In truth, genetic studies have shown that there are typically greater genetic variety within groups of the "same" skin colour than between the groups. However, it is not racist in the medical field, for example, to know or state that certain people groups have higher risks of certain diseases due to genetic differences, especially where skin colour does make a difference (e.g. that dark-skinned people are prone to Vitamin D deficiency in far Northern climes, or that light-skinned people are prone to skin cancer when working outdoors in Africa). Again, the reason why it is not racist, is because it is not based on prejudice.
• Similarly, to honestly state differences between cultures that often correspond to skin colour, is not racism. It becomes racism when we generalize to to point of saying, "All of them are like this", or to start thinking that a specific people group or skin colour is simply better than all others. Pride and haughtiness is one of the things most hated by God (Prov.6:16-17). But worse, racist pride is not even based on my own accomplishments or abilities, but pride based only on my skin colour! Therefore this is also a kind of prejudice, where I judge myself (positively), but not based on my character or actual deeds. In truth, just as is true for individuals, all cultures and people groups have positive aspects in their culture, but also negative aspects. Just because the typical sins of my people group is not the same as that of others, does not make me or my culture any less sinful.
• Pride, in the sense of having an appreciation for the history and accomplishments of my own people or to openly identify as a member of a specific people group, is not racism. Not apologizing because I am a member of a certain people group or skin colour, is not racism. It only becomes racism when I start to see myself as superior to others because of my skin colour. 

From the above negative definition of racism, it should be clear that people of any race can be racist. Racism is an attitude of the heart and has nothing to do with power or the ability to force my racism on others. A white South African who experiences discrimination in the work place, can be just as racist as he used to be under old apartheid South Africa. The loss of power is irrelevant. There is something like institutional (also called structural or systemic) racism, where racism is built into the system and people are judged and dealt with according to their skin colour, rather than their character, skills or abilities. The most obvious example is Apartheid. However, it includes Affirmative Action and racial quotas. This kind of racism may be justified on the grounds of giving "previously disadvantaged groups" a fair opportunity to rectify the injustices of previous racial discrimination, but inherently it still has an approach to people that judges them according to skin colour.

It should therefore be clear that racism can easily be hidden, even under a mask of "good intentions". A policy like affirmative action implies that the black (previously disadvantaged) person would never make it without help; that a person, just because of a dark skin colour, is inherently not able to do certain things without (white) help. The worst aspect of this kind of racism is that it places certain people in a permanent position of dependence (and another race permanently in the position of help-givers). Moreover, it creates the perception that any black person or person from a "previously disadvantaged" group who accomplishes anything in society, only did so because of help from outside and would never have been able to do so without (affirmative action) help, even for those who reached their goals through hard work and by their own merits without outside help -- it creates a lasting perception of inferiority, both for outsiders and for those within the group. This also demonstrates why racism is not only (or even primarily) racial hatred.

Because racism focuses on skin colour, it never addresses the actual reasons for differences (and the growing gap) in wealth and status within society. Things like lack of skills, which could be learned (e.g. many, if not most, Afrikaner farmers learn from childhood from their dad how to farm... formal Agricultural training often just provide the theoretical background for what they already know -- only when a new generation of black farmers start teaching their children how to farm, will there truly be equal skill levels and opportunities). Differences in average IQ between racial groups could be based on something as simple as dietary differences (e.g. lack of proteins) causing slower brain development. Or simply inferior schooling due to unmotivated or insufficiently trained teachers. Or simply cultural differences... e.g. as long as the majority of black boys prefer to play soccer rather than rugby, rugby is likely to be predominated by players from racial groups who have played and watched almost exclusively rugby since boyhood. It is important not to put any stumbling blocks in the way of anybody who is truly interested and has talent for a specific sport that is not popular in his or her own culture. But also not to look primarily at skin colour. In this light, is it then justifiable to have quotas or to dictate a certain percentage "representation" in companies, organizations or sport teams? Is it not exactly (and still) racism (prejudice based on skin colour)? And can we as Christians support this, if we acknowledge that racism is sin and evil in the eyes of God? 

Just as the Lord had to confront me as a follower of Jesus with my own racism many years ago, I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict everyone who reads and needs this, of their sin. "My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory." (James 2) -- This includes partiality based on skin colour.