No, Christians Should Not Be Racists

But some seem to be

Love and acceptance should be part of religion

After writing an article about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints condemning racism, I received a thoughtful comment from a reader. He asked, “Why is a Christian church condemning racism noteworthy?” He is right. It should not be noteworthy because Christians should love and accept all types of people. The sad reality is that all Christians do not. They need to be reminded.

At the General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which was held the first weekend in October, President Russell M. Nelson said he wanted to talk about the important topic of racism. He asked people to listen carefully to his words before he said the following:

“God does not love one race more than another … Your standing before God is not determined by the color of your skin.”

He issued a call to the millions of people watching to take leadership in ending racism.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a worldwide Christian church. Thousands of missionaries are preaching the Gospel throughout the world. Although there have been some changes since the coronavirus pandemic when many were sent home from other countries, missionaries at still being sent out. It should be and is an all-inclusive church.

With all the racial turmoil throughout the United States and the world, President Nelson expressed what all Christians should already know. Racism is bad and should not be tolerated.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with other members as friends on social media, I see some posts full of hate from active members. Although most of the hateful posts are toward people in politics, there has also been distain shown for the Black Lives Matter Movement. Some people are reluctant to admit that there is a problem of racism in the United States.

These are Christian people who profess to believe that everyone deserves equal treatment. They would not, for the most part, admit that they are racist.

President Nelson expressed love for all people and encouraged everyone to do the same. He felt that it was important to remind all the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about that important principle to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

The early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints indicates that its members faced extreme discrimination, prejudice, and hatred simply because of their religion. They were driven from place to place before they finally settled in Utah. Members should understand the feelings of people who experience discrimination and hatred for no logical reason.

Racism is a terrible type of discrimination and has no place in society.

Although the majority of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are loving and accepting of all races, President Nelson apparently knew that his message on racism was important for the entire membership and the world to hear.

[Sources: Deseret News, KSL TV, Wikipedia]