Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. – Colossians 3:11
People say the darndest things. From 1945 to 1967, on radio and television – also circulated in book form – Art Linkletter made a name for himself with his “Kids Say the Darndest Things” segment, which later became a program hosted by Bill Cosby. The host would interview small children about mundane stuff and then share the child’s insight with the world. The answers were ridiculously comical. For example, Linkletter asked a young girl what the story of Jesus’ turning the water into wine teaches us. She answered, “The more wine we get, the better the wedding is.”
But, it’s not just kids who say the darndest things. Children become adults who say ridiculously comical things, too. In seminary, I met a young man who was studying to be a pastor in another denomination. In 2024, he published a series of articles, including statements like: “Christians need to know the Bible well to counter the manifold abuses of it by the ‘anti-racists.’”
Perhaps his claim is more readily grasped in context. He added: Pastors “must repent of setting religious identity against national identity, or in particular, of using religion to entirely remove the racial character of national identity.” He defends the term ‘racist’: “Of course I’m a white nationalist: my own nation is white, I love it, and I’m eager for its blessing and preservation.”
I haven’t bothered reading his 252-page book, in which this seminary graduate extols the virtues of segregated churches and argues that so-called miscegenation and inter-racial marriages are violations of the 5th Commandment because they dishonor the heritage of one’s father and mother. Asserting superiority, he wants “to exercise this racial superiority for the other races’ good.” His curious claims remind me of one that I heard when I first arrived in Indianola: “It’s not racism, it’s segregation.” People say the darndest things. Thankfully, the author cited above was regarded as unqualified to teach and therefore was divested of ministry by his denomination.
Which makes one wonder just how commonly held the notions represented above are in 2025. Sure, we can find plenty of historical examples of racial distinctions and claims of supremacy. But, what are people declaring today? Moreover, what is being said by Christian conservatives – those who seek conformity to historical orthodox biblical teaching? As a Presbyterian minister, a student of Reformed Theology, I’m interested in what is being taught in Presbyterian churches. Given that the Bible reveals that we are all one race – every one of us a child of Adam (and Noah) – shouldn’t we all be declaring a common brotherhood and rejecting “Kinism”?
Last week in Chattanooga, at my denomination’s annual nationwide meeting, more than 2,000 pastors and elders voted to affirm this statement that had been adopted earlier this year by two other Bible-believing Presbyterian denominations:
“That the 52nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America does hereby join with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (221st General Synod) and with the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (193rd Synod) in condemning without distinction any theological or political teaching which posits a superiority of race or ethnic identity born of immutable human characteristics, and does call to repentance any who would promote or associate themselves with such teaching, either by commission or omission.”
The wording might be clunky, but the message of these three Presbyterian denominations is clear: we publicly, unitedly, and unequivocally reject racism. Why? Because a) we are all created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) and b) Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39).
Okay, but why make a public statement? Because people say and think the darndest things. But God says: “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”
This Independence Day weekend, celebrate our nation by publicly declaring our unity and repenting of any imagined superiority.
And love those who say silly things.
