The Religious Right in America and Its Disconnect from Decency, Love, Equality, and Justice for Black Americans: The Role of the “White Community”
The principles of decency, love, equality, and kindness—often associated with Christian values—stand in stark contrast to the historical actions of the religious right in America, particularly regarding justice for Black Americans. While Christianity professes ideals of compassion and equity, its institutional history reveals a troubling hypocrisy. The White community within the religious right has often embraced systems of oppression, including slavery, segregation, lynching, and systemic racism, while simultaneously claiming moral authority derived from their faith.
Throughout history, Christianity was frequently used to justify slavery. Religious leaders interpreted biblical texts, such as the “curse of Ham,” to support the enslavement of Africans. Institutions like Princeton and Georgetown University materially benefited from slavery, and denominations such as the Southern Baptist Church were founded on pro-slavery ideologies. Even after the abolition of slavery, White churches perpetuated racial hierarchy by segregating worship spaces and excluding Black members. For example, Black congregants were forcibly removed from prayer spaces in White churches during the 18th century. By the 20th century, most Southern churches still resisted integration. Religious institutions also actively supported Jim Crow laws and segregation. Sermons preached obedience to social hierarchies rather than liberation, reinforcing White supremacy as part of Christian doctrine.
This history highlights significant theological contradictions. Christian teachings emphasize social justice and care for marginalized groups; however, many religious leaders ignore these mandates when addressing racial inequality. Themes of freedom and liberation were downplayed in favor of obedience and contentment with one’s social station. Efforts to promote racial reconciliation by some Christian groups, such as the Promise Keepers, often framed racism as an individual issue rather than addressing its structural roots. These selective interpretations undermined meaningful progress toward racial justice.
The entanglement of Christianity with White supremacy has left a lasting impact on American society. Cultural narratives like Manifest Destiny and American Exceptionalism were infused with religious justification for racial oppression. Even today, American churches remain deeply segregated, reflecting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s observation that “the most segregated hour in America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” This ongoing segregation underscores the enduring legacy of racial injustice within religious institutions.
The historical actions of the religious right reveal a profound disconnect between Christian ethics and practice. While Christianity calls for love and equality, its institutions have often betrayed these values by supporting systems of racial injustice. This hypocrisy continues to shape societal attitudes toward race and justice in America today. Addressing this legacy requires intentional repentance, systemic reform within religious institutions, and a commitment to aligning faith with genuine equity.
A Legacy of Oppression: Slavery and Segregation Imposed by the White Community
To understand the current state of racial injustice in America, it is essential to examine the foundational sins committed by the White community during the era of slavery. Enslaved Africans were stripped of their humanity and forced into bondage under the guise of divine sanction. Many White Christians manipulated biblical texts to justify the enslavement of millions, often citing passages like Ephesians 6:5, which commands slaves to obey their earthly masters “with fear and trembling.” This selective interpretation ignored the Bible’s overarching themes of liberation, justice, and love, instead weaponizing scripture to enforce submission and perpetuate oppression.
This theological manipulation was not merely an intellectual exercise; it had devastating real-world consequences. The White community systematically dehumanized enslaved individuals, treating them as property rather than human beings created in God’s image. Churches played a significant role in this process, becoming complicit institutions in the system of slavery. Religious services were often tailored to indoctrinate enslaved people with messages of obedience to their oppressors, deliberately omitting biblical calls for freedom and justice. These sermons reinforced the false notion that slavery was part of God’s divine plan—a lie perpetuated by White Christians to maintain control and justify their exploitation of African lives.
Even after emancipation, the White community did not relinquish its grip on power but instead shifted tactics to preserve racial hierarchies. Through Jim Crow laws, segregation, and voter suppression, they ensured that newly freed Black Americans remained economically, socially, and politically marginalized. Prominent White religious leaders openly opposed civil rights advancements during the 20th century, framing integration as a violation of “God’s natural order.” This stance provided spiritual justification for discriminatory practices and fueled the rise of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which cloaked its ideology in pseudo-Christian rhetoric to legitimize violence and oppression.
The legacy of these actions continues to shape American society today. By examining this history, it becomes clear how deeply intertwined Christianity was with systems of racial injustice. The manipulation of scripture to justify slavery and subsequent racial oppression reveals a profound hypocrisy within the White Christian community—one that prioritized power and control over the values of equality and compassion central to Christian teachings. Addressing this historical betrayal requires a reckoning with both the past and present injustices that stem from these foundational sins. This legacy can be confronted and overcome only through systemic reform and a commitment to aligning faith with genuine principles of justice.
Lynching: A Sinister Intersection of Faith and Violence Within the White Community
One of the most horrifying examples of the White community’s betrayal of Christian values is the widespread practice of lynching, which claimed the lives of thousands of Black Americans between 1882 and 1968. These brutal murders were not only acts of racial terror but also public spectacles designed to instill fear and suppress Black communities. Lynchings often occurred with the tacit approval—or even active participation—of local churchgoers, highlighting a grotesque contradiction between their professed faith and their actions. Historical accounts reveal chilling instances where White Christians would leave Sunday services to participate in lynchings, sometimes returning afterward to resume their worship. In some cases, ministers themselves led these mobs or offered prayers before carrying out executions, further entrenching the complicity of religious institutions in these atrocities. Such acts starkly contradicted the teachings of Jesus Christ, who preached compassion, forgiveness, and love for all humanity.
These lynchings were not isolated incidents but part of a broader culture of racial terrorism orchestrated to uphold white supremacy. Public spectacle lynchings, in particular, were designed to send a clear message to Black Americans: any challenge to the racial hierarchy would be met with extreme violence. These events were often carnival-like gatherings where thousands of spectators—including elected officials and prominent citizens—watched as victims were tortured, mutilated, and murdered. Vendors sold food, photographers captured images for postcards, and body parts were taken as gruesome souvenirs. The public nature of these killings amplified their psychological impact on Black communities, reinforcing a system of fear and oppression that extended far beyond the immediate victims.
Religious institutions played an insidious role in normalizing this violence. Sermons frequently framed lynchings as acts of divine justice or necessary measures to maintain social order. Ministers like Reverend Robert A. Elwood in Wilmington, Delaware, used their pulpits to incite violence or justify mob actions, as seen in the 1903 lynching of George White. Elwood’s sermon, delivered just days before White was burned alive by a mob, questioned the humanity of Black people and implied that such acts were warranted under God’s law. This theological rhetoric not only dehumanized Black Americans but also provided spiritual cover for acts of unspeakable cruelty.
The broader culture surrounding lynching reveals how deeply embedded racial terror was within American society. Lynching served as a tool to suppress Black political participation and economic progress. For example, following the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870, which granted Black men the right to vote, many lynchings targeted those who sought to exercise this right or hold political office. Entire communities were terrorized into submission through massacres like those in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, where hundreds of Black men were killed in 1868 for supporting Republican-backed policies. These acts were not just tolerated but actively supported by local governments and law enforcement, further entrenching systemic racism.
The complicity of White Christians in lynching underscores a profound hypocrisy within American religious history. While Christianity teaches the sanctity of life and the inherent dignity of all people as creations in God’s image, these principles were repeatedly violated by those who claimed moral authority through their faith. The legacy of this betrayal continues to haunt American society today, as the scars left by racial terrorism remain deeply ingrained in its social fabric. Confronting this history requires an honest reckoning with how religion was weaponized to justify violence and perpetuate white supremacy—a step that is essential for achieving true reconciliation and justice.
Modern Manifestations: The Persistence of Racial Injustice Within the White Community
While overt forms of racial violence have diminished over time, the underlying ideologies persist within segments of the White community aligned with the religious right. These ideologies manifest in contemporary debates surrounding voting rights, criminal justice reform, and affirmative action, where many conservative religious voices resist addressing structural inequalities affecting Black Americans. Instead of confronting systemic racism, these discussions are often reframed through a lens of grievance, portraying efforts to achieve equity as threats to “traditional values.” This framing not only undermines progress but also perpetuates the racial hierarchies established during earlier eras of oppression.
One prominent example of this resistance is the opposition to policies addressing disparities in education, housing, and employment. Members of the White community frequently argue that such measures constitute “reverse discrimination,” ignoring the centuries of systemic racism that created these disparities in the first place. For instance, discriminatory practices like redlining systematically excluded Black Americans from homeownership opportunities and wealth accumulation for decades. The lingering effects of these policies are evident today in segregated neighborhoods, underfunded schools reliant on local property taxes, and racial disparities in employment and income. By dismissing initiatives designed to rectify these inequities as unfair or unnecessary, segments of the White community effectively deny the historical context that necessitates such interventions.
Moreover, some factions within the White community maintain ties to extremist organizations that espouse racist ideologies under the guise of preserving cultural heritage. These groups often use coded language and race-neutral rhetoric to mask their true intentions while promoting policies that disproportionately harm marginalized communities. For example, voter suppression tactics—such as strict ID requirements and reduced polling locations—are frequently justified as measures to protect election integrity but disproportionately disenfranchise Black voters. Similarly, opposition to affirmative action programs is framed as a defense of meritocracy while ignoring how systemic barriers have historically excluded Black Americans from equal access to education and employment opportunities.
The reluctance to unequivocally condemn associations with extremist ideologies further perpetuates cycles of harm and alienation experienced by marginalized communities. Many conservative religious leaders remain silent on issues like white Christian nationalism, which blends racial supremacy with religious identity and poses a significant threat to social cohesion. Surveys reveal that nearly two-thirds of White evangelical Protestants sympathize with or adhere to Christian nationalist beliefs, reinforcing a worldview that prioritizes White dominance under the pretense of religious morality. This alignment not only deepens divisions within society but also undermines efforts toward racial reconciliation by legitimizing exclusionary practices.
Ultimately, these dynamics highlight how deeply entrenched systemic racism remains within segments of the White religious right. By resisting meaningful reforms and framing equity initiatives as attacks on tradition or meritocracy, these groups perpetuate a legacy of inequality that continues to harm Black Americans. Addressing this resistance requires confronting both the historical roots and contemporary manifestations of systemic racism within religious and political institutions. Only through sustained efforts to dismantle these ideologies can society move closer to achieving true justice and equality for all.
Hypocrisy and Biblical Contradictions Within the White Community
At the heart of this issue lies a profound hypocrisy: the White community often claims adherence to biblical principles while consistently ignoring those that challenge power structures benefiting them. The Bible repeatedly calls for justice, mercy, and care for the oppressed, yet these teachings are frequently set aside when they conflict with the preservation of privilege. Prophets like Amos explicitly condemned economic exploitation and social injustice, declaring, “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24).
Similarly, Jesus Christ’s ministry was rooted in radical love and defiance of corrupt systems—most famously demonstrated when he overturned the tables of money changers in the temple to protest exploitation and greed. Despite these clear biblical mandates to confront injustice, many within the White community have historically chosen silence—or worse, active complicity—when faced with opportunities to stand against racism and inequality. This selective application of faith reveals a troubling willingness to prioritize comfort and power over moral responsibility.
The selective interpretation of Scripture further underscores a fundamental inconsistency in the White community’s professed beliefs. Time and again, biblical teachings on love, reconciliation, and justice have been ignored or distorted to justify systems of oppression. For example, passages that call for liberation and equality—such as Galatians 3:28, which proclaims that “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”—are often downplayed or dismissed.
Instead, scriptures are cherry-picked to reinforce existing hierarchies, as seen in the historical misuse of verses like Ephesians 6:5 to justify slavery or Romans 13:1-2 to demand submission to unjust authorities.
This pattern of selective interpretation exposes a lack of genuine belief in the transformative power of the gospel. If the White community truly embraced the Bible’s radical message of love and reconciliation, they would actively work to dismantle barriers erected by centuries of systemic racism and champion policies promoting racial healing.
The failure to do so exposes their professed faith as hollow and self-serving. Rather than embodying the humility and compassion central to Christian teachings, many have manipulated their faith to maintain dominance and avoid accountability. This hypocrisy is particularly evident in responses to modern movements for racial justice. Instead of supporting initiatives aimed at addressing structural inequalities—such as criminal justice reform or reparations—segments of the White religious community often frame these efforts as divisive or unbiblical.
Such resistance not only undermines progress but also contradicts the gospel’s call to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:31). By refusing to confront their complicity in systemic racism or advocate for meaningful change, they reveal a faith that prioritizes personal comfort over collective liberation.
Ultimately, this hypocrisy strikes at the very core of Christianity’s moral authority. A faith that claims to follow Jesus must reckon with his unequivocal commitment to justice for the marginalized. Yet throughout history—and even today—the White community has too often used Christianity as a tool for exclusion rather than inclusion, for oppression rather than liberation. Confronting this hypocrisy requires not only acknowledging past failures but also committing to genuine repentance and transformation. Without such action, their professed adherence to biblical principles will remain an empty facade—a betrayal not only of Black Americans but also of the gospel itself.
Toward True Decency and Justice: A Call to Action for the White Community
For genuine progress to occur, the White community—and particularly the religious right—must confront its shameful legacy and embrace a more authentic expression of Christianity, one grounded in humility, accountability, and solidarity with the marginalized. This requires not only acknowledging past wrongs but also addressing the alliances and actions that have perpetuated systemic racism and exclusion. Figures like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Donald Trump exemplify how segments of the religious right have aligned themselves with some of the most divisive and racist ideologies in modern history, often betraying the very principles of love, justice, and equality that Christianity professes.
Jerry Falwell’s legacy is particularly illustrative of this hypocrisy. A staunch opponent of civil rights, Falwell openly denounced desegregation following the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, claiming integration would “destroy our race eventually” and that “the true Negro does not want integration.” His Moral Majority movement, founded in the late 20th century, was ostensibly created to promote “pro-family” values but was rooted in resistance to racial equality and federal efforts to desegregate schools. Falwell’s disdain for racial justice extended beyond America’s borders; he infamously labeled Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning South African bishop who fought against apartheid, a “phony.” Falwell even urged Americans to support South Africa’s apartheid regime by purchasing Krugerrands and investing in companies operating there. His comments not only dismissed the suffering of Black South Africans but also reinforced White complicity in maintaining oppressive systems globally. The silence from many White Christians in response to Falwell’s attacks on Tutu further underscores their unwillingness to challenge racism within their ranks.
Pat Robertson offers another glaring example of the religious right’s entanglement with racist rhetoric. Robertson claimed that Haiti’s devastating earthquake was divine punishment for a supposed “pact with the devil” made by Haitian revolutionaries to gain independence from French colonial rule. This statement not only perpetuated harmful stereotypes about Black nations but also ignored Haiti’s historical struggle for freedom against slavery and colonial oppression. Robertson’s remarks were met with widespread condemnation, yet his influence within conservative evangelical circles remained largely unchallenged. His history of inflammatory statements—including calling critical race theory an “evil” that encourages Black people to “take the whip handle” from Whites—highlights his consistent pattern of using religion to justify racist ideologies.
The alignment of these figures with Donald Trump further cemented the religious right’s complicity in perpetuating racial division. Despite Trump’s history of racist remarks and policies—such as calling neo-Nazis “very fine people” after the Charlottesville rally—leaders like Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham, and James Dobson enthusiastically endorsed him as a champion of Christian values. This alliance revealed a willingness among many White evangelicals to overlook moral failings and embrace authoritarianism as long as it advanced their political agenda. By prioritizing power over principle, these leaders betrayed the gospel’s call for justice and reconciliation.
The broader silence within the religious right when faced with such blatant racism has perpetuated cycles of harm and alienation for marginalized communities. Decency, love, equality, and kindness cannot coexist with hatred, segregation, and violence. Until the White community—and particularly its religious leaders—aligns its actions with these universal principles, it will remain an obstacle to achieving true justice for Black Americans. Confronting this legacy requires more than superficial apologies; it demands a complete reorientation toward humility, accountability, and solidarity with those who have been oppressed. Only then can Christianity reclaim its moral authority and serve as a force for genuine progress rather than a tool for exclusion and oppression.
The White Community Must Choose Redemption Over Repression
The religious right’s historical and ongoing relationship with racial injustice demonstrates a profound departure from the core tenets of decency, love, equality, and kindness. While Christianity teaches compassion, justice, and the inherent dignity of all people, its institutions have too often been complicit in systems of oppression. From supporting slavery to defending segregation and turning a blind eye to lynching, the religious right has consistently prioritized power and privilege over human dignity. This betrayal of Christian values has not only inflicted immeasurable harm on Black Americans but has also undermined the moral credibility of the White community. To move forward, the White community must confront this painful truth and commit to building a future defined by genuine compassion, equity, and justice for all.
The White community’s responsibility in imposing systems of oppression on Black Americans is undeniable. During slavery, White Christians twisted scripture to justify the ownership and dehumanization of African people, perpetuating an institution that tore families apart and treated human beings as property. Even after emancipation, many White religious leaders supported segregation and Jim Crow laws, using their pulpits to preach against racial equality. Churches that should have been sanctuaries for all became spaces that excluded or marginalized Black worshippers. The complicity extended further during the era of lynching, when many White Christians either remained silent or actively participated in acts of racial terror that brutalized Black communities. These actions were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern in which religion was weaponized to maintain White supremacy.
This legacy continues to reverberate in modern times. The religious right’s resistance to civil rights movements in the 20th century and its ongoing opposition to policies aimed at addressing systemic racism reveal an unwillingness to reckon with its past. Instead of championing initiatives that promote equity—such as criminal justice reform, reparations, or affirmative action—segments of the religious right often frame these efforts as threats to “traditional values.” This framing not only dismisses the historical injustices that created racial disparities but also perpetuates cycles of exclusion and inequality. By refusing to take accountability for their role in these systems, many within the White community have failed to live up to the moral standards they claim to represent.
True progress requires more than acknowledgment; it demands action. The White community must take ownership of its legacy by actively working toward meaningful reconciliation with Black Americans. This involves listening to those who have been most impacted by systemic racism and advocating for transformative change within both religious institutions and society at large. It means dismantling barriers erected by centuries of oppression and embracing policies that promote racial healing and justice. Without such efforts, the gap between rhetoric and reality will continue to widen, leaving behind a legacy of division, despair, and unfulfilled promises.
Ultimately, this reckoning is not only necessary for achieving justice but also for restoring integrity to the faith that has been so often misused. Decency, love, equality, and kindness cannot coexist with hatred, segregation, and violence. For Christianity to reclaim its moral authority, it must align its actions with its teachings—standing firmly against racism in all its forms and working tirelessly toward a world where every person is treated with dignity and respect. Only then can the White community begin to repair the harm it has caused and build a future rooted in true compassion and equity for all people.