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IS SEGREGATION CHRISTIAN?

by R. Lofton Hudson, Kansas City, Mo.

For over a hundred years now segregation in education has been a problem. In 1849 Sarah Roberts, a Negro in Boston, with the help of the famous abolitionist, Charles Sumner, brought a suit because she was barred from a school near her home. A few years later Sumner and his friends sponsored a Massachusetts law banning segrega­tion.

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court declared segregation in schools unconstitutional. It said, "To seperate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the com­munity that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone . . . . Seperate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

Segregation has been removed from the armed forces of our country, and from interstate travel, and from universities in all of our states except Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Many of us have said that "the Negro must be kept in his place." But where is his place? In the theatre it is on top, on the ship it is in the bot tom, on the train it is in the front, on the bus it is in the back.

Where does segregation stand out most in our culture? I am ashamed to say it, but the Christ ian churches are the most pronounced ex­ample in our culture of racial segregation, closely followed by the Chritian or denominational col­leges. Then come hotels, hospitals, businesses, swimming pools, recreation centers and even gov­ernment jobs. These discriminations make the Negro wonder. What kind of a democracy do we believe in?

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SOME WORDS FROM THE BIBLE

First of all some refer to the prophecy of Noah in Gen. 9:25-27. They say the black color of the Negro was the mark God placed on Ham and his descendents who inhabited Africa. If they would simply turn to the passage and read it they would see that nothing whatsoever is said about a mark on Ham in this or in any other Bible passage that refers to him. They would see, furthermore, that Nosh's curse was pronounced on Caanan who was one of the four sons of Ham. The other three sons were Cush, Mizraim (RSV has Egypt) and Put (Phut in AV). The descendents of the son called Egypt and the one called Put did migrate into Africa, but Caanan on whom Noah's curse was pronounced did not. His descendents remained in Palestine (Gen. 10:15-20 RSV) which was known as the land of Caanan.

Second, our Bible teaches that all men were created from Adam and Eve, and are made in the image of God.

Paul on Mars Hill (Acts 17 :26-28) made very clear that all sprang from one foreparent. "From one foreparent he made every nation of mankind for living all over the face of the earth, fixing their appointed times and limits of their lands." (Wil­liams translation). These words were addressed to the Greeks at Athens who felt that their religion and culture were superior to every other people. Paul simply tells them that they and all people originated from one parentage. He tells them that it was God who gave to them and all peoples their places to live in the world. He was simply saying that since God has provided these things for them and for all peoples alike that they should not be puffed up in their pride and call everyone else barbarians. There is nothing in this passage that remotely suggests the idea of segregation. In fact its meaning is directly opposed to racial pride and exclusiveness.

T hird, in Galatians, Paul is a rguing that we are all brothers in Christ. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is

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neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (3 :28). He says that "ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus," and that former lines of race, citizenship or sex are done away.

Fourth, an example of how this was applied by the early Christians is seen in Acts 10. This is a specific example of segregation, pure and simple. Read it. "Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (v. 28). In other words God told him to viola te the rule of segrega­tion. And he told him that it was wrong to classify some human beings as inferior.

"God is no respecter of persons," Peter learned. It was the message of James in chapter 2, verses 1- 9. To "have respect to persons" is an ex­pression which means to be partial toward. James comes right out and says that "if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin." Does this apply to everyone within the white race, but not to Negroes?

Fifth, J esus himself crossed the segregation line when he talked to the woman of Samaria (John 4). "The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (v . 9). She was utterly surprised. She need not have been, for J esus did not see people as half-breeds, as religious, or as orthodox. He saw them as human beings.

THE WITNESS OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

What, indeed, is Christian love? It is not friendship or romantic love or even family love. Christian love is patterned after God's love for us. It is universal, unchangeable, unconditional, personal, active love. There are no strings attached to it. When we love, in this Christian sense, we never say "I will love you if . . . if you are white, are cultured, are educated, are clean, are free from crudities." When an "if"

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is int roduced, it ceases to be Christian . We love people as people, as God gives them to us.

SINCERIT Y IN COMMUNITY ACTION

Non-segregated schools can be worked out by community co-operat ion. Such places as Burke County, Georgia, with 74.9 per cent of their population Negroes, or Lowndes County, Alabama, with 84.7 per cent Negroes will probably face some critical problems. Their situation will take time.

But our concern is this : Where will Christians stand on this issue? Where will Bapt ist Christ ians stand? Will we sound like the Pharisees or like Jesus? Like Peter or like other Jewish Christians who believed that Gentiles were inferior? Like the priest and Levite in the Good Samaritan story, or like the Samaritan?

These are serious t imes for the Christian witness. Like Rip Van Winkle we may sleep through a revolution if we are not prayerful and courageous.

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