The New Unpardonable Sin: Racism

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You can be an adulterer, but as long as you’re a civil rights activist, you’re accepted. You can be for killing babies, but if you’re not a racist, you’re okay. You can vote to legalize narcotics, but if you refrain from racist remarks, you’re fine. I’m not a supporter of racism, adultery, abortion, or legalized drugs, but that does not matter as long as I don’t commit the new unpardonable sin in America—racism. It’s the only evil that matters. Meaning, that you can be any kind of person you want to be in our country except a racist.

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Sin, Then and Now

And forget about Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forest, and Stonewall Jackson. Those are easy targets. Now the “unpardonable sin” crowd is targeting George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Regardless of what good they did, there is one blemish on their record, and, no doubt, it is a blemish. They had slaves.

Some former leaders in our country made a stupid choice when they decided to introduce slavery as a means to white people’s prosperity and their idea of national progress—in that order. Nobody with any common sense would hold to those positions today. The problem is that many people did make the “slavery mistake,” and it nearly ripped our country apart permanently.

Here we are over 150 years later from the Civil War, and a group of hate-filled protesters is attempting to erase all memories of our fallible leaders from the landscape. Ironically, though they deplore all hate and have hashtags to support their “no hate” cause, they are using hate as a means to squash the memory of any leader who committed the new unpardonable sin.

Responding to Sin

I don’t condone what some of our leaders did. I didn’t condone it when it was not the new “hot button” in our culture, and I don’t condone it now. I also don’t condone a person’s “right” to destroy public property because they are mad about something. The question I keep asking is, what is your point? I assume it’s to get rid of racism. If that is true, I support that cause, but I’m totally against using hate and even murder to accomplish a noble goal. Using hate to rid hate will only exacerbate hate…on both sides.

If I don’t like what you’re doing and throw a rock through your window to let you know that I don’t like what you’re doing, I doubt I will win you over to my side. My anger at you will only escalate our interaction so much that all that will remain is our unrelenting, reciprocating hate.

I am profoundly sorry for the sins of our forefathers. I’m not culpable for them, and if you want to stand with me in fighting against racism, let’s talk. If you continue to destroy property and live in the name of righteousness, I can’t stand with you. I don’t condone the sin of racism or the sin of hate in response to racism. If you’re serious about working together, lay down your rocks, and let’s talk. Racism is not an unpardonable sin. We all live in glass houses. There’s a better way.

Call to Action

1. Do you hate anyone? If you do, my strongest appeal is to repent. God made all people in His image, and hatred is not the solution to our problems.
2. What are you doing to help those within your sphere of influence to live lives that spread the fame of Jesus? Peaceful protesting is a way to make your point, but you can do more. Civil protests are more passive actions. I’m asking about your active engagement with those you can influence to live lives that match up with the life of Christ. I’m aware that everyone can’t have an influential ministry, but you can impact someone.
3. Are you the victim of someone’s hate? What do you think about them? Does their hate continue to control you by responding in an evil fashion? I do not say this as your judge but as a person who buried two brothers, and their murderers were never punished. I not only help victims of the evil from others, but I have lived it, too. I understand what it’s like to be victimized, and justice—the way I would have preferred it—does not happen.

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Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).