By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series helping us navigate this issue of racism in our world from a Biblical perspective. To read all of Ben’s articles on this subject - click on his name above by the date published and it will sort all of this articles in one place.

The charges of racism levied against the United States of America as a whole are very grave. We have experienced and chronicled countless tales of racially-charged police brutality, mass incarceration, and the tragic murder of young Blacks, particularly men. Ethnic minorities endure continual unwarranted suspicion, false accusations, and unprovoked assaults. Slavery, Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan, purposeful disenfranchisement, lynching, and redlining have brought incalculable pain. Racist practices have blocked minorities from preferences for employment, education, and housing. In more recent days we are seeing a rise in anti-Semitism and discrimination against Asian and White people. So is America, as the “1619 Project” claims, a racist country founded on racism and slavery? Are all White Americans guilty of racism? 

First of all, it is important to remember that in America’s past, many who claimed to follow Christ were on the side of sin, slavery, and oppression. All true believers must stand with Black former slave Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) against the false Christianity he witnessed in the 1800s…

I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ; I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial, and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. (Frederick Douglass)

So, let’s consider a brief overview of our nation’s history:

Pre-1542 — Native American tribes conquered neighboring tribes & enslaved their war captives, often using slaves to replace warriors killed in battle. This is unsurprising, since sin, slavery, and oppression have existed in every nation since the dawn of time.

1542-1730 — Native Americans & Europeans colonists (primarily Spanish) battled & enslaved each other; Native Americans sold tribal war captives to Europeans; slaves were often shipped back to Europe.

1619 — the first Black slaves were forcibly brought to North America from Africa 1619-1860 — between 305,000 & 388,000 Blacks were shipped to North America in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

1776 — Declaration of Independence: declares the USA’s foundational belief that all people are created equal.

1787 — US Constitution: lays the framework for the legal elimination of slavery.

1789 — Northwest Ordinance: Congress prohibited slavery in any federal territory.

1808 — Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves: Congress officially abolished the slave trade in the USA; legislation prompted by President Thomas Jefferson.

In spite of thousands of years of evil precedent and vast political and economic opposition, in just 32 years the American founders had penned foundational documents establishing the country’s basic belief in equality (Declaration of Independence), the legal framework to eliminate slavery (US Constitution), the abolition of slavery in every future State (Northwest Ordinance, designed to end slavery), and the abolition of the slave trade in America… But throughout history the ungodly have always fought back against God’s principles!

1820 — Missouri Compromise: reversed the Northwest Ordinance & allowed slavery in approximately 1⁄2 of USA territories. (This was the first time Congress officially promoted slavery)

1850 — Fugitive Slave Law: required the return of freed slaves to their masters; led to Blacks being hunted & mistreated, and was responsible for many Blacks being kidnapped; at this time the Underground Railroad helped many fugitive former slaves reach safety.

Remember how harshly the Bible condemns these sinful, evil actions (Exodus 21:16).

1854 — Kansas-Nebraska Act: allowed for slavery in all new USA territories.

These were horrible, evil developments. But there was also a strong resistance to these racist policies and practices.

1854 — a new political party was formed to fight for Black civil rights & end slavery

1857 — Dred Scott case: the Supreme Court ruled that Blacks were property, not people

In Dred Scott, the Supreme Court ruled against the biblical teaching of the Image of God and the intrinsic value of each person. This is a tragic reminder that as believers in Jesus, we can never allow those who make the laws, or those who interpret the laws, or those who enforce the laws to determine what is right or wrong. Only God determines what is right or wrong, because morality and justice are based on His character. We must be grounded on the solid rock of God’s Word, and we must work to ensure that those who are in authority are godly people who will create just laws (Exodus 18:21) – otherwise innocent people will suffer. This is why it is so imperative for Christians to vote and run for office at all levels of government.

1860 — Presidential Election: Abraham Lincoln’s campaign ran against the Fugitive Slave Law & Dred Scott decision; he promised to end slavery & give equal civil rights to Blacks; his opponent Stephen Douglas ran in favor of slavery & segregation. Lincoln’s party’s majority victories in the House & Senate meant Lincoln was poised to fulfill the promises for Black freedom & equality. Rather than acquiesce or cooperate with the new administration, the southern states collectively left the Union (Secession).

It was amazing and miraculous that the political party founded to eliminate slavery had such success, and that in just six years they won the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. The people of America had spoken that they wanted to end the evil practice of slavery. But rather than acquiesce or cooperate with the new administration and their civil rights proposals, the southern states collectively left the Union (Secession). 

1861-1865 — Civil War between northern free states (Union), & southern slave states (Confederacy), culminating in a Union victory.

1862 — Emancipation Proclamation: legally freed all southern slaves; was not enforced in Confederate-controlled regions.

1863 — “Reconstruction”: the Union’s attempt to force southern states to follow Black civil rights laws; required new state constitutions giving Blacks equal rights.

1864 — Congress repealed the Fugitive Slave Law.

1865 — Lincoln’s Special Field Orders No. 15: newly freed slave families were to receive “forty acres & a mule” as restitution (400,000 acres allotted initially), giving them a means toward financial self-sufficiency, by order of General Sherman.

Lincoln implemented a plan that was in line with biblical restitution. Those who had been robbed of their wages through slavery would now be given a payment by those who had stolen from them.

1865 — 13th Amendment: formally abolished slavery; this also led to the election of hundreds of Blacks to their state legislatures.

Those who loved righteousness, justice, and freedom had helped America to make great strides in the 1860s, even laying down their lives for the cause of freedom for all. But again there would be harsh resistance as the forces of darkness fought back with murder, injustice, and lawlessness.

1865 — Assassination of Lincoln; replaced by President Andrew Johnson.

1865 — Johnson nullified Special Field Orders No. 15, stealing the allotted land back for the White former slave owners.

1866 — Ku Klux Klan (KKK) civilian militia formed to terrorize & intimidate Blacks into not voting, break down support for the Republican party, & return control to the Democrat party.

1868 — 14th Amendment: guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law for Black Americans; Johnson vetoed; Congress overrode the veto.

In this period of history, Congress was still working for good, even though Johnson did everything in his power to resist them.

1870 — 15th Amendment: guaranteed voting rights to all; required because the southern states were still attempting to disenfranchise Blacks; passed under President U.S. Grant

1871 — Civil Rights Act of 1871: allowed federal government to punish KKK actions.

1875 — Civil Rights Act of 1875: prohibited racial segregation & discrimination.

1877 — End of Reconstruction: northern soldiers were withdrawn from the south, removing federal protection of Blacks & their rights; the South began racial segregation again.

The domestic terrorism of the KKK also led to Blacks and supporters of equality being ousted from Congress, which led to Congress again permitting decades of racial oppression. 

1880s — “Southern Redemption”: era that took away civil rights from Blacks; marked by riots & violence; repealed civil rights laws, implemented segregation & Black social codes (“Jim Crow Laws”); Black disenfranchisement was pushed via mandatory poll taxes, literacy requirements, grandfather clauses, property ownership requirements, & Black voter registration fees

1882-1964 — 4,743 civil lynchings occurred in the USA (3,446 Blacks; 1,297 Whites). The KKK murdered not just Black people, but anyone who helped them, taught them, or stood up for them.

1893 — Congress repealed laws against KKK violence; repealed laws protecting Black voting rights.

1913 — Woodrow Wilson elected President: Wilson officially reversed racial integration, returning the nation to federal segregation & government-sanctioned inequality, bolstering the Jim Crow Laws of the South.

1914 — Harrison Narcotics Tax Act: created regulations and taxes for drug products; foundation of American policies outlawing drug sale and use. (Wilson’s administration established the The foundation for modern drug laws.)

1915 — Racist silent film The Birth of a Nation released: under Wilson, the first film ever screened in the White House; led to the expansion of the KKK.

1921 — Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League to promote voluntary population control based on health & wealth status. (But she has been quoted as saying her goal was to eliminate the Black people).

1933-1938 — The New Deal was enacted by President F.D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression; greatly increased federal government’s economic role & established social welfare to combat economic devastation.

1934 — National Housing Act: established the Federal Housing Administration & led to the policies of Redlining (banks/insurance companies denied services to specified poor, inner-city areas).

1930s — Beginning of the academic Critical Theory movement (precursor to Critical Race Theory).

1942 — Margaret Sanger’s American Birth Control League changed its name to Planned Parenthood Federation of America; began advocating for therapeutic abortion for poor communities.

1944 — G.I. Bill: Black veterans faced bank discrimination in housing & education. 

1952-1964 — Malcom X advocated for Black civil rights; he preached Black supremacy & proposed separating Black & White societies; was assassinated in 1964.

1954 — Brown vs. Board of Education: Supreme Court struck down state laws allowing for racial segregation in schools.

1954 — Johnson Amendment: churches & non-profit organizations were forbidden from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

The 1880s-1950s was a dark period in American history that witnessed some of the most evil laws and appalling treatment of people. Those in power did great harm, and the policies embraced by Wilson, FDR, and later LBJ, would solidify this lasting harm in our culture. 

The Johnson Amendment muzzled the Church from holding political candidates accountable to God’s Word by jeopardizing a church’s tax-exempt status in the event that the church leaders chose to  support or oppose any political candidates out loud to their congregations. And though this was unconstitutional and evil, it was a major victory for those who hated God; the American Church has been effectively blackmailed and silenced for over 60 years. Even though the government knows it cannot enforce this unconstitutional rule, it is actively extorting the Church today in order to keep it silent on so-called “political topics.” But the big question is this: if the Church isn’t allowed to have a voice in areas of justice, morality, law, government, etc., who is left to define and educate Christians on these topics, and to what standards? Who will be setting the course for the culture?

1955-1968 — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. championed Black equality & civil rights using peaceful civil disobedience & peaceful protest; he was assassinated in 1968.

Like Lincoln before him, the enemies of equality murdered Dr. King.

1956 — Southern Manifesto written by some members of Congress denouncing the Supreme Court’s school integration decision.

1957 — President Eisenhower sent military forces to ensure Black students were allowed into White schools; he also desegregated the military & federal agencies.

1957 — Civil Rights Act of 1957: created the civil rights division of the Department of Justice & the US Commission on Civil Rights.

1962-1963 — Engle v. Vitale & Abington School District v. Schempp: Supreme Court upheld the removal of the Bible & prayer from public schools.

1964 — Civil Rights Act of 1964: officially ended the Jim Crow era; outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and ended racial segregation.

1964 — 24th Amendment: abolished all poll taxes

1964 — War on Poverty legislation introduced by President L.B. Johnson; greatly increased social welfare & financial dependence on the government in a national attempt to eradicate wide-spread poverty.

Many major changes happened in America in the 1960s. Some were positive, like the Civil Rights Act, which was a wonderful victory for those who had worked so long for equality. Others, though, were very harmful: removing God and prayer from schools, silencing the church, and massively increasing dependence on the government by the weakest in society. 

It is imperative to note, too, that “government charity”, as in LBJ’s Great Society, is very unbiblical and leads to a multitude of problems. Here are four: 

1. God gave the commission of charity to individuals and the Church, who are meant to reflect God’s love and compassion in a personal relationship, which brings Him glory; when the government takes over “charity”, it becomes forced giving, or coercion, and does not glorify God (II Corinthians 9:7).

2. The biblical view of work is that work is a means of personal fulfillment, provision and care for one’s family, and having something to leave as an inheritance for one’s children. Profit is also to be used for charitable giving, and to help others obtain fulfilling work (Proverbs 31:10-31). This entire setup is thwarted by, and incompatible with a broad-sweeping Welfare State that permits and encourages those who are able to work to avoid doing so.

3. Government “charity” is a means of buying votes (bribery), because the voters are incentivized to vote for those giving them money, whether or not the candidates align with the voters’ values.

4. Instead of helping people out of poverty, government welfare tends to permanently trap people as wards of the State, in perpetual economic dependence (a form of economic slavery). Welfare also ensures a person will not have an inheritance to leave to their children.

1965 — Voting Rights Act: prevented any state from imposing discriminatory voting laws.

1973 — Roe vs. Wade: Supreme Court legalized abortion.

1984 — Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984: reestablished mandatory minimum sentencing; law enforcement were authorized to seize assets without proving guilt.

1994 — Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act: greatly expanded government’s ability to punish & imprison criminals.

2008 — Barack Obama elected as America’s first Black president.

2017 — Trump signed a presidential executive order easing tax restrictions on churches for commenting on political issues.

2018 — Planned Parenthood had aborted a total of over 16,855,000 Black babies since 1924.

2018 — First Step Act: attempt to decrease the likelihood that released prisoners would re-offend & be re-incarcerated; reduced and clarified mandatory minimums.

2020 — Protests erupted nationwide following the death of George Floyd at the hands of White Minneapolis police officers.

Our history is first and foremost the story of a spiritual battle that has been fought in our government, our businesses, our churches, and our neighborhoods over hundreds of years.

America is not, and never has been perfect, but it has done great good, and has been a land of vast freedoms and opportunity. Sometimes godly leaders caused righteousness and equality to increase, but at other times wicked leaders brought pain and oppression to our land (Proverbs 29:2).

Studying this history closely reveals that the role played by self-professed Christians was mixed — some fought for racism while others fought against it. However, there has been one predominant national group that was founded specifically to oppose racism and injustice; that group deserves praise for standing up for equality and freedom, and having a higher fidelity to biblical principles than the collective American Church did. 

The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s finally ended the Jim Crow era. It has only been in the past sixty years that the discriminatory statutes were torn down and the country once again formally embraced the precept of legal equality for all. When civil rights legislation had been passed in the 1870s, the southern states resorted to domestic terrorism and riots until they were able to reclaim power and institute Jim Crow. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a major legal victory, Christians today must continue to combat injustice on both the personal and societal levels by applying God’s Word to our lives and our culture.

Where are we today? Like all history before us, there is still conflict between the Biblical Worldview and the Secular Worldview. America has suffered greatly because our churches have, by law, been blackmailed and silenced, and because many, like those who promote CRT, are working against reconciliation and healing. 

Since we recognize the ongoing spiritual battle all around us, Christians must courageously and decisively oppose any unbiblical systems, laws, or polices, since they bring harm to innocent people— especially to minorities and the weakest in society. Do not say “wait,” but act now to restore biblical principles to America!

The greatest ongoing injustices and inequities we currently face stem primarily from unbiblical ideas and policies that have been allowed to take root in our land. These policies have done great damage and brought incalculable pain. What are these ideas and policies? We’ll cover that in our final article…

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ABOUT BEN

Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum

Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.

Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.

Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.