The “Christian” churches, almost without exception, make the claim, “Racism is idolatry”, or something to that effect. The argument they offer is, “Racism is idolatry because its identity is in race rather than in Christ”. Of course that argument could be true in one sense where a person has Israel identity right racially, but who is walking “after the flesh” rather than “after the Spirit”. The whole argument is not true because it does not fall within the Biblical definition of idolatry. So we first must look at this.

Etymology

The word idolatry comes from the Greek word eidololatria, a compound of eidolon, "image" or "figure", and latreia, "worship". The Greek term itself is not found in the Septuagint, Philo, Josephus or in other Hellenistic writings. In the New Testament the Greek word is found only in the letters of Paul, 1st Peter and Revelation.

Different Views of What Idolatry Is

Judaism is a religion that strongly prohibits any form of idolatry, and holds that idolatry is not limited to the worship of an idol itself, but also worship involving any artistic representations of YEHOVAH God. Judaism holds that any beliefs or practices, which significantly interferes with a Jew’s relationship with God, may, at some point, be deemed idolatry. This is probably where the Judeo-Christian churches obtain their non-Biblical view of what idolatry is from.

Some church groups have adopted a similar view to Islam, denouncing all forms of religious objects whether in three dimensional or two dimensional forms. The problem springs from differences in interpretation of the Decalogue, commonly known as the Ten Commandments:

"You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments" (RSV Exodus 20:3-6).

The Hebrew word for “likeness” means “something portioned (that is, fashioned) out, as a shape” and thus does not include such a thing as a painting or a photograph. There is argument as to whether or not this includes a so-called picture of the Messiah, or Orthodox Church icons. Racism could not possibly be an idol as racism is not something with proportional physical shape.

In the Old Testament, images and statues were not absolutely condemned in themselves: examples include the graven images of cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant or the bronze serpent mentioned in the book of Numbers. The appearances of angels of YEHOVAH God were bowed down to (Joshua 5:14) but without adoration. The serpent of brass that Moses made and held up was “beheld”, a word that means “looked at intently” but there is no suggestion of worshipping it. At a later date when Israelites came to worship that brazen serpent, King Hezekiah had it destroyed.

There are very conservative Protestant groups that avoid any use of religious images, even for inspiration or instruction, as incitement to what they view as idolatry.

What is Idolatry in Practice?

The Apostle Paul says:

"For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things."

Note the word “image” and what images consist of. Here Paul is speaking about people who had been given the knowledge of YEHOVAH God changing that knowledge into physical images, as objects of worship. The “image” here is the Greek word “ikon”, (probably from where our word “icon” comes from). It is a representation as something with physical shape. The same applies to the word “idol” or “eidolon”. We can look in vain for these words to apply to anything else other than a representation of a physical object.

In the Old Testament idols were always detailed as things that could be cut down, burned, carried, sat on, carved and graven. Idolatry was the worship of such physical objects. Many religions hold that the purpose of worship is to bring one into connection with divinity. Any set of beliefs or practices which significantly interferes with this is supposed to be termed idolatry. Popular non-Biblical concepts of idolatry include:

(1) A very strong attachment to one's country that a religion considers inappropriate.

(2) A very strong desire to gain sex and wealth that a religion considers inappropriate.

(3) A very strong desire to gain fame or recognition that a religion considers inappropriate.

(4) Worshipping one of YEHOVAH's creations.

(5) An obsessive desire to earn money.

(6) Gluttony.

(7) Possessions.

These are all extra-Biblical. The idea the churches have that an idol is something altogether different than a physical image -- such as racial differences -- is rather bizarre. It is true that races do have physical differences, or an underlying genetic structure difference that is unalterable and hereditary, but these differences could never be carved into objects of worship.

In the Old Testament pages we find in 1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”, but what these Israelites wanted were the physical things that they wrongly took from the Amalekites.

And again we find in Colossians 3:5 the phrase, “covetousness, which is idolatry”, but one could hardly covet something abstract such as racism.

What is An Idol?

We have seen what an idol is Biblically, as being a physical representation of something else. Idolatry etymologically denotes divine worship given to an image. As with most things, religion pushes the boundaries, and has made the non-Biblical extension that idolatry is anything that is substituted for, and is worshiped, other than the one true God.

Some church fathers believed idolatry consisted of giving divine honor (cultus) to things that are not YEHOVAH God or to YEHOVAH Himself in a wrong way. That is, it bestowed on anything where the reverence is due to YEHOVAH God alone. Today in some churches, it is claimed that an idol can be something such as a new car, sport, work and such. This is a false because it is not making a physical image of something else in order to worship it.

Racism expressed by judging people by the color of their skin could never be idolatry, even if it involves fear, hated, suspicion, and preconceived judgments. Thus the churches’ statements about racism being idolatry are wrong by Biblical definition. On top of this they presume that any statement about racial difference is a statement of racial hatred and that it is “racist”.

The Statement, “Racism is Idolatry"

We can see that the statement, “Racism is idolatry” is based upon the non-Biblical “Brotherhood of Man” doctrine, as typified in the following statement by the United Church of Canada --

"Racism is a system of oppression fed by individual and collective attitudes and by actions that discriminate against, oppress, exclude, and limit minoritized people on the basis of race and/or the colour of their skin. It is systemic because it has the power to inhibit the realization of the full potential of humanness by those who experience racial discrimination.

"Racism is evil. Racism is idolatry. Racism is sin. Racial injustice affects the whole body of Christ. Sin not only involves those who commit sin, but also those who are on sin's 'receiving end.' This aspect of sin, involving the experience and perspective of the ‘sinned against,' has until recently been generally ignored by mainstream theologians.

“As people of God, we are all called to address the sin of racism. The Faith Statement for Ethnic Ministries notes that 'the church is not whole; the church is broken'. This is sin. We believe that we are all equal before God. We believe that racism is a sin and violates God's desire for humanity”.

We can see the concept being put forward is that all races are already, “The whole body of Christ”, a hardly Biblical concept in view of all the racist statements in the Bible, and ignores Ephesians 1:22, “The church which is his body”...where the “church” is comprised of converted and blood-bought Israelites who are described in this same chapter as “the purchased possession”. The above statement has admitted that this concept of racism is something of recent invention, having “been generally ignored by mainstream theologians”. That is, it is not a fact of church history. It is non-Biblical!

The 32nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, June 2004, said:

“Racism is an explicit or implicit belief or practice that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over other races. From a biblical perspective, it is the position of the General Assembly that racism, as it is defined in the letter, is sin, and that repentance must follow both individually and corporately”.

Then, to what could be their credit with the right application, they say:

“The challenge before us is that of living according to the Gospel we have received. As we seek the mind and heart of the Lord for our lives as God’s people, it is good for us to be reminded directly from God’s Word of Christ’s love, a love so great that Christ gave His very life for us, so that we might be reconciled to Him. It is His love that compels us to proclaim the Gospel and live in its light, so that we not only become sons of God, but in Him we even become the righteousness of God”.

What they claim to be, “The mind and heart of the Lord” is their own invention. The phrase, “Gave himself for us” comes from:

Titus 2:14: “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”.

Who is the “us” in this statement? This book of Titus is written to the “elect” nation (Israel) to whom ONLY the word “redeem” could apply. No other race than Israel could be redeemed or “bought back” since no other race than Israel is stated to have been YEHOVAH’s possession in the Old Testament. In one place in the church statement it is claimed that all people are already the children of God and yet here it talks about becoming the sons of God through living in Gospel light.

The phrase, “God’s people” is used here, but it is used in a universal all-race sense. It is not used in the limited sense that Paul does in the sense of being, “The Jew” or the House of Judah, and “The Greek”, or the Greek-speaking House of Israel.

Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

How could every race fit within the phrase “the Jew and the Greek”?

Church Statements About Eliminating Racism

There is a mass movement in the world’s churches to “eliminate racism”. Let us look at a few statements, and then we can look into the presumptions being made. Elimination of racism activity involves both Church and State, and is an objective of the United Nations. Here are some of their statements, and some answers:

(1a) "Every human being created in the image of God is a person for who Christ died. Racism, which is the use of a person's racial origin to determine their value, is an assault on Christ's values and a rejection of his sacrifice".

(1b) “Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.' So God created man in His Own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27 RSV) (see The Seven Days Of Creation).

(1c) “Christians believe that God created all humans in his image, and thus all humans are bound together as equals in the sight of God. For Christians one of the reasons for the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus was the uniting of all peoples" (World Council of Churches 1980).

ANSWER: The churches statement about the purpose of the Messiah’s death and resurrection being for the uniting of all peoples is FALSE because racial separation is called for in both Testaments.

The word “man” here is used as a generic sense. In the Septuagint (LXX) the word translated as “Adam” does not appear until Genesis chapter two. The generic males and females were “created”, whereas the “Adam” of Genesis Two was “formed”. The races did not yet exist in the Biblical sense of race that is found in such as Genesis 19:37 “And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day”. Thus it is a presumption to claim that this refers to every race. The definition of “race” that the churches use is not the same as the Biblical presentation.

In regard to “a rejection of his sacrifice”, there are many passages that limit “his sacrifice” to apply only to “his people”. For example:

(a) Matthew 1:21: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people [Israel] from their sins”.

(b) Isaiah 53:8: “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people [Israel] was he stricken”.

(c) Luke 2:34: “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against”.

(d) Luke 1:16: "And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the LORD their God."

<><><><><><><><><><><>

(2a) “From the beginning of time, people have been combating the issue of racism. Racism is a dangerous and ineffective way to love your neighbor. Jesus asks us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How can we do that if we discriminate people because of color of skin?

(2b) "If you really fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors" (James 2:8-9 RSV).

ANSWER: What is wrong with both these claims is that the word “neighbor” here has a lexical meaning of “a member of the Hebrew race”. This Book of James is written expressly to the twelve tribes of Israel (James 1:1). The partiality referred to is amongst the context people only (Israel). The Church statement about people having been combating racism from the beginning of time is rather odd indeed.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

(3a) "Racial discrimination and racial exploitation are totally at variance with Christianity."

(3b) "Racism is a form of wicked behavior that is based on differences of religion, national origin, color of skin, or other things. In one of the most bizarre and blasphemous misuses of God's Holy Bible, some have even used certain Scriptures to support their racist objectives."

(3c) "Christianity is incompatible with any form or degree of racism, because racism evaluates and classifies persons" (Roman Catholic sources).

ANSWER: These claims are saying that YEHOVAH God Himself is blasphemous, guilty of wicked behavior and is bizarre when He said:

In reality it is the claimant who is wrongly using Scripture to support racist objectives. Such people should be able to explain how only members of the twelve tribes of Israel are found within the New Jerusalem with the other races being on the outside. They should also be able to explain:

Matthew 19:27: "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

As there are "children of the devil" all races cannot be children of YEHOVAH God! Speaking about the descendants of Esau we read:

Malachi 1: "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever."

<><><><><><><><><><><>

(5) "When Jesus Christ, as a Jew, taught the Samaritan woman (John 4:4-26), He didn't care that she was a Samaritan, or a woman, since The Messiah, as the Son of God, was neither a racist, or a male chauvanist. The Lord taught the woman because she was one of God's children."

In the matter of male chauvinism, if it suited him the claimant would claim the Messiah was both chauvinistic and racist in choosing only male Israelite disciples!

<><><><><><><><><><><>

<><><><><><><><><><><>

"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. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise" (Galatians 3:28-29 RSV).

<><><><><><><><><><><>

(8a) "And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him" (Acts 10:34-35 RSV).

ANSWER: What has been missed here is the very next verse which the claimant conveniently ignores because it does not suit him --

Acts 10:36: "The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching (proclaiming) peace by Jesus Christ."

(8b) "He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:9-11 RSV).

<><><><><><><><><><><>

(9) "For by one Spirit we [brethren] were all baptized into one body..." (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Some Typical Church Statements

When we continue to look at these, we can see that the arguments presented are not Biblical statements; they are presumptions.

Hebrews 8:8: "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:"

The mention of a New Covenant does not imply racial superiority as is claimed above by the churches. The Negro races are said to be greater athletes than white people, yet no one claims that this is racial superiority or racist in any way.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

ANSWER: This is a political statement to support the claims of the United Nations, the Roman Catholic Church, Judeo-Christianity and other religions. This is seen in the next statements from church sources.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

"Thus, we need more than a polite 'call to action.' We need a DECLARATION OF WAR! The declaration of war on the evils of racism and inter-group tensions must be loud and constant.

"In an unprecedented show of solidarity, a cross section of Western New York religious leaders signed a statement Monday that condemns racism as 'a sin, an evil that must be addressed, and a problem of the heart.' The statement was endorsed by about 25 leaders and representatives of major faiths during a Martin Luther King Day news conference in the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The effort, supported by representatives of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native American, Unitarian and Bahai faiths, was spearheaded by the National Conference for Community and Justice.

"Racism must not be allowed to flourish. The message must be received and understood, in every corner of our society, in our streets and prisons, in the services, in the workplace, on public transport, in hospitals, public houses and clubs, that racism is evil. It cannot co-exist with fairness and justice. It is incompatible with democratic civilization" (Lord Justice Rose, Appeal Court Judge).

2 Corinthians 6:17: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

Racial Separation, Racism and Racial Hatred

These have become touchy subjects. In New Covenant terms there is no incitement to racial hatred. The matter of racial separation is maintained in the New Testament.

(a) Racial separation.

Acts 17:26 is a verse which some people like to use to support the idea that there is no difference between races:

"And hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (KJV).

(1) In the majority of Bible manuscript texts, the word "blood" is not there. A look at most parallel Bibles, will give some confirmation of this.

(2) This verse is an excellent demonstration of how people can try to use one part of a verse to prove their point, but at the same time ignore the rest of the verse which flatly contradicts what they are trying to say. The second part of the verse is stating that YEHOVAH God made "boundaries" where differing peoples/races were ordained of YEHOVAH God to live separated from one another. Racial integration advocates cannot have it both ways.

(3) The strange and very unusual thing about this verse is that it contains four words in Greek forms (not English words) that do not appear elsewhere in the New Testament, and this gives rise to doubts about the whole verse. Some say that the verse does not seem to be original because of this. These words are:

Appointed. Bounds.

Habitation. Face of the earth.

(b) Racism.

(c) Racial Hatred.

Deuteronomy 28:43-44: "The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail."

Conclusion

Revelation 21:10: "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:"

Until the white Israelites come to realize what the Bible says about racial separation there will never be peace or stability on this earth. The White Peoples of the earth must collectively understand that they are equally subject to the iron-hard Laws of YEHOVAH God or they will not secure peace, safety -- or even their existence.

Those religionists claiming that racism is idolatry, are themselves merchants of confusion. YEHOVAH God is not the author of this confusion and destruction. YEHOVAH God does not defile the earth, for we read:

Isaiah 24:5: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."

Isaiah 24:14: "They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea."