by Lance Gauthreaux

Created on: July 17, 2008

When I look at this statement of "Racism in the Christian church" I am actually angered to some degree. Sure I know that it is an issue that has been going on for centuries. No where is it more prevalent than in the south. Although racism should never be an issue at all especially in the "Christian church". Does not the Bible the very book that rules the christian church tell us to "love one another?" How can we seperate individuals by a color and call ourselves a church?

The church that Jesus started when he was on this earth was not one of racial standing. In fact in the Gospel of John racism is dealt with specifically. In John chapter 4 we see Jesus approaching a Samaritan woman asking for a drink of water. The woman suprised by his actions responded by saying this.

Joh 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, How do you, being a Jew, ask a drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

Sadly racism was strong even in the time of Jesus. Jews thought that they were better than Samaritans because the Samaritans were of a mixed race. However, Jesus crossed the barrier of racism as we must learn to do. The Christian church will never grow or be unified unless it's members learn to cross this barrier. There should never be such a thing as a black church, or a white church. Mankind though is still stuck in the mentality that some do not measure up to others. Until this line of thinking is erased then there will never be true unity in Christianity.

I have seen this division in almost every church I have attended. We call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, yet we shun those who are different from us. How can we as Christians allow this to continue? Hate only breeds hate, and racism is hatred in it's purest form. How can love exist when hate abounds? More so how can we ever grow as a whole when this cancer exists?

One of the greatest examples of Jesus fighting racism is found in the Gospel of Matthew. For the most part this story has been misconstrued over the years to take that Jesus came against the merchants for buying and selling in the temple. That is not the case though, as the fact of the matter is that he had noticed the Jews being racists and spoke out.

Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves.
Mat 21:13 And He said to them, It is written, "My house shall be called the

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