THE ATTITUDE OF A CHRISTIAN IN
THE MIDST OF A RACE CRISIS
Rex A. Turner

A Christian cannot scripturally be a pro-segregationist, nor an anti-segregationist. The Apostle Paul lived in a day when slavery as an institution, or way of economic life, had governmental sanction; but he did not express an attitude of pro-slavery nor of anti-slavery in any of his inspired writings.

Paul did give instructions which, if followed, would make the institution of slavery of no real consequence for either the master or the slave. In his epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, especially, Paul dealt with the various relationships that persons sustain with each other.

Beginning with the subordinates, the wives, Paul instructed: “Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord;” but he immediately moved to the ascendants, the husbands, and instructed: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it.” (Eph. 5:22-24.) When wives and husbands follow Paul’s instructions, there can be no imbalance, injustice, or real inequality or disparity.

Next, Paul moved to another class of subordinates, the children, and he instructed: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right;” but he again immediately moved to the ascendants, the fathers, and instructed: “Ye fathers, provoke not your children unto wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:1-4.) As with wives and husbands, when children and fathers follow Paul’s instructions, there can be likewise no imbalance, injustice, or real inequality or disparity.

Paul then moved to a third class of subordinates, the servants, and he instructed: “Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart;” but a third time he immediately moved to the ascendants, the masters, and he instructed: “Masters, do the same unto them (i.e. observe the same principles that the servants are enjoined to observe), and forbear threatening: Knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.” (Eph. 6:5-9.) Now, as was the case of wives and husbands and the case of children and parents, when servants and masters follow Paul’s instructions, there can be likewise no imbalance, injustice, or real inequality or disparity.

Paul’s letter to Philemon regarding Onesimus — Philemon’s run-away slave, and how that he was causing Onesimus to return to Philemon — illustrates a delicate application of the principle that Paul taught in both the Ephesian and Colossian epistles. The delicate application that Paul made of the principle is a fine point that is worthy of considerable contemplation.

The principle involved in each of the cases cited is humility. Jesus set the example: “He humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea the death of the cross,” and for this “God highly exalted him.” (Phil. 2:8-9.) As was the case with Jesus, the Christ, so is the case with men today; the way up is down. James said: “Let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate: and the rich, in that he is made low.” Jesus counseled: “When thou art bidden to a marriage feast . . . go and sit down in the lowest place . . . for everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:7-11.)

True enough, slavery is unlawful in the United States. The fine principle involved in the master-slave relationship, however, obtains today in both social and civic relationship of a like nature just as it did in Paul’s day. The fine principle involved in the master-servant relationship obtains in such as the employer-employee relationship, the literate-illiterate social relationship, and the privileged-under-privileged social relationship. The systems of jurisprudence often refer to the master-servant doctrine.

The attitude that a Christian should maintain in the midst of a race crisis is no different from the attitude that he should maintain in the absence of a race crisis. The Christians must, in a race crisis or in the absence of a race crisis, cease from doing evil, and continue in doing well. He must seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow. He must preach the gospel to all men. He must always remember that in Christ there “cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Sythian, bondman, freeman: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Col. 3:11.) During a period of race crisis, Christians of both races — white and black — are without doubt under spiritual obligation to act, to speak, and to associate with deliberate caution. This they must do so as to refrain from creating unnecessary excitement, race hatred, and confusion.

Followers of Christ must be impressed with the fact that true Christianity will not produce a state of anarchy, or uprising, under any form of government. An evangelist of the gospel when entering a foreign nation or city is under no obligation to change the form of government, the social order or customs, or the economy. In fact he is under obligation to desist from instituting such changes. Paul became all things to all men that he might by all means save some. (I Cor. 9:20-22.) The principles of Christianity can prevail among a people under a monarchial form of government, or an oligarchical form of government, as well as a democratic form of government.

Christians who champion the cause of the NAACP, Dr. Martin Luther King, the race demonstrators, the race rioters, the political opportunists, et. al., are as far removed from the spirit of Christ as are those who champion the cause of the “Negro-haters,” the inflamed segregationists, and the cruel and obstinate base fellows. Neither the cause of the anti-segregationist nor the cause of the pro-segregationist can be justified.

The present trend on the part of a segment of gospel preachers and leaders to crusade for the cause of desegregation is contrary to the true spirit of Christianity. In the first place, such a crusade will lend support to those who operate contrary to the spirit of Christ. Much harm and disunity will thus unnecessarily befall the church of the Lord. In the second place, such a crusade reveals an infirmity of attitude relative to the gospel of Christ. The infirmity is a commitment to a social gospel. It is in actuality an effort to displace the gospel of Christ with a social gospel.

A social gospel is one that has little or no concern for the fundamental doctrines of Christianity but has great concern for the effecting of social, cultural, political, and economical reforms. The modernist is interested only in a social gospel. He believes that so long as the essence of the ethical teaching of Christ is present, Christianity exists, Christ or no Christ. To the modernist, Jesus is God in a sense not radically or essentially different from all men who are of God, and all men can be Christs if they will only follow the ethics of Jesus of Nazareth. Dr. Martin Luther King is a rank modernist, and in the main those white “ministers” who crusade with him are modernists. With them, Christianity consists in bringing about social reforms.

Conversely, the gospel of Christ is concerned with the doctrine that Jesus is the Christ and that he left the glories of heaven to die in the place of man — in the place of man who had violated God’s law and deserved to die. Jesus the Christ did not come into the world to change social customs, or to change or implement the form of government, or to raise the cultural pattern, or to raise, for that matter, the standard of living. Jesus came into the world to die in man’s place. He came to save man from his sins.

Not only admittedly but also affirmatively, the practice of the principles of Christianity does impinge upon the social, cultural, political, and economical character of a people; but the changes that are brought about are indirect and secondary — the by-products of Christianity. The better way of life is a natural result of the life and mission of Christ.

Let this be understood: Any Christian who feels himself too good to work with or worship with a Negro or Negroes is unworthy of the gospel of Christ. Any Christian that will not help to provide for the spiritual needs of all races within his community is unworthy of Christ, but a Christian who lends his influence to those who lead in race demonstrations, and thus give impetus to race riots and general lawlessness, is certainly far astray from the course set by the apostle Paul. Those who would move Negroes from their own communities into Caucasian communities, and vice versa, so as to have desegregated churches are being ridiculous.

No apology can be offered for the injustices and oppressions that have been pressed upon the Negro race. Such injustices are not common only to the South. Conversely, no apology can be offered for the social and political unrest and outright lawlessness that have been created by the race agitators of our present society. Paul’s instructions to “servants” and “masters” are not being followed by either the pro-segregationists or the anti-segregationists. There is definitely a need for humility, respect and love on the part of each. The Christian must do right regardless of what other or others may do.

_________________

Mr. Turner (Ed. D., Auburn) is president of Alabama Christian college, Montgomery, Ala.