Resurgent Racism?

It cannot be denied that there has been a small, yet growing trend in the church in recent years for some young men to embrace racist views. They go by various names: Kinists, Racialists, Race Realists, Familyism and use terms like “Natural Community.” These views may be summarized as a belief that different races have not only different physical characteristics, but moral, spiritual, and intellectual qualities which are immutable and that the white race or races have superior qualities and therefore they oppose interracial marriage and insist that society and the church ought to be governed by those whom they claim have superior intellectual, moral, and spiritual qualities. In short: white supremacy.

The re-emergence of such views is shocking, yet it probably shouldn’t be. As Jeremiah 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Since there is nothing new under the sun, it shouldn’t surprise us when old sins rear their heads once again. Yet the church has to ask where this has come from. Broadly speaking, the answer is always the sinful human heart which above all else is proud and hateful. The most fundamental sin of natural man is pride: the desire to exalt self against God and over others, and when it comes to our neighbors, the testimony of Genesis is that after sin entered into the world, mankind immediately descended to hatred and murder.

To be more specific, if I had to point my finger at any one thing in our own society, I would point it the embrace of wokeism and Critical Race Theory by churches following the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movements of 2020. It’s one thing when the world tells young white men that they have to be quiet and repent of their white-ness, but it’s another entirely when the church, which is supposed to uphold truth, follows suit and embraces worldly ideologies in an attempt to appear relevant or sympathetic. It is not a stretch to imagine that this has likely incensed some spirits, throwing gasoline on hearts that already have that sinful disposition we all have to pride and hate. One young minister who was deposed and excommunicated from my own denomination cited the fact that when he was a student at Westminster Seminary, they had affinity groups on campus for racial minorities, so why couldn’t he as a white man?

If there is any young man reading this who wrestles with such views, let me begin by exhorting you with the words of 1 Peter 3:9, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called.” To be a Christian means that we do not respond to the world (nor to a church that has embraced worldly philosophies!) with the weapons, philosophies, and tactics of the world. We do not respond to racism with more racism. I remember being angered when I first read the claims of Critical Race Theory in 2020, telling my wife that such a worldview is going to push young men into the open arms of neo-Nazis. Naively, I did not understand how this would also tempt men in the church. Read more»

James Norris | “Responding To Racism In The Church” | March 13, 2026


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