Sunday, December 30, 2007

Thoughts on racism (part 3)

[To read the entire series, click on "racism" on the sidebar under "POSTS BY CATEGORIES".]

Racism takes many forms. One form that has invaded my world lately is something called "kinism". The advocates of this philosophy claim that it is not racism at all, although some of them, when pressed, might go so far as to admit that perhaps some kinists are also racists.

At the same time that kinist leaders are being named, discussed and exposed in an online forum, a number of kinism websites are suddenly being "cleaned up" or password protected. But here is a sample of some of the statements from Kinism.net:

[WARNING: This is really offensive, ungodly, anti-biblical, and ugly stuff. I post it for the purpose of exposing the deeds of darkness and warning fellow believers about a philosophy that is insidiously creeping into a small but growing number of Christian circles.]

"Kinism is the belief that the God-ordained social order for man is tribal and ethnic rather than imperial and universal. Mankind was designed by its Creator and Law Giver to live and to thrive in extended family groups, and all other “alternatives” to this pattern are inhibitory of the chief end of man, which is to Glorify God and to enjoy life with Him forever."

"Extended blood ties are the only natural and workable basis for a healthy society not subject to the horrifying ideologies of fallen man, be they socialist or capitalist, autocratic or democratic. We believe that an extended tribalism is the normative system for our people, the White races of Europe, the Americas, South Africa, Australia, Transcaucasia, or wherever our extended family finds itself in its modern diaspora."


"We at Kinism.net believe that our White peoples have an inalienable, that is, God-given right and duty to seek their own prosperity and existence as distinct nations, apart from all other genetic and ethnic families."

"When Kinism.net publishes materials disparaging of other ethnicities and races, it is for the sole purpose of exposing the incompatibility and essential uniqueness of the cultures of different racial-ethnic groups. "

"This seeking of prosperity and distinctness for our European peoples is primarily to be achieved by conversion to the religion of our only Savior, Jesus Christ. We therefore, we denounce the sin of miscegenation as a violation of God’s created order which has permanent consequences for every heritable trait. We appeal to God’s creation mandate of “kind after kind.” It is the obligation of both church and state to forbid mixed unions according to biblical laws prohibiting unequal yoking."

"Nevertheless, we stand or fall with no other but the White peoples of Europe, and their standards of beauty, their cultural achievements, the achievements of their civilization, established through the confluence of pagan and Christian traditions, are both irreplaceable and vital to our survival as a people."

"Kinism.net advocates an end all non-white immigration. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the worth and value to God of all ethnic division of men and would labor diligently to establish godly, honorable relations with our ethnic neighbors. The borders of a Kinist nation would be secure, and sensible anti-miscegenation laws would be enacted, while suffrage would be restricted to landed white males 21 and older, as we work toward a godly, free republic."

This is the "cleaned up" version of what kinists believe. (Compare their statements to what Scripture actually teaches; for starters, read my previous post.) Until recently, on the same website, it used to say:

“We will work to end all non-white immigration, We believe that all aliens (to include all Jews and Arabs) should be removed to their own areas and separated in due course from Kinist held territories, without respect to persons.”

There is no indication, especially in light of what they still posts as their beliefs and goals, that they no longer believe the above statement.

When I first encountered kinism on a few blogs about a year or so ago, I thought it was just a small group of racist nutjobs who had some disagreements with the so-called "Christian Identity" movement and had decided to go off and do their own thing. While there may be some merit to my initial reaction, I think the situation is far more dangerous and insidious than that.

So I'm posting this as a warning to my fellow Christians, especially those in conservative and/or private/homeschooling circles: this "white-washed racism" (a term coined by a friend of mine) may very well be insidiously creeping its way into your world. I've been surprised to discover a growing number of professing Christians who go out of their way to embrace kinists (even, I've been told, to the point of making sure kinist visitors to their church will not be made "uncomfortable" by the presence of mixed race couples) or to chat them up on their blogs or to defend kinists or to sympathize with their teachings, etc. One leading kinist has attended the church (and was welcomed to join in a picture of the "church family" that was posted online) of James McDonald who, along with his wife, is becoming increasingly more prominent in patriarchal and homeschooling circles. In an online debate, one kinist sympathizer who, while insisting she was not a kinist herself and admitting that some kinists were racists, stated, "Now, I think you are asking me if those at kinism.net are racist. I don’t quite know how to say this, but I don’t see that." She saw nothing racist in the statements I quoted; apparently in her mind, they were just not hateful enough.

What is the antidote to kinism? It's actually simple. Love God. Read His Word. Ask Him to give you a love for the lost. Ask Him to give you a love for the Body of Christ. Ask Him to remove any trace of racism and prejudice from your heart. Be humble. Pray and work for the unity of His Body. Let the mind of Christ dwell richly in you.

Love. The golden rule. Asking God to turn your heart of stone into a heart of flesh. That will go a long way in avoiding sin against your brothers and sisters in Christ.

And...speak out. Expose the deeds of darkness. Don't give a stamp of approval to kinists...don't let them or their sympathizers speak at your churches or homeschooling conventions...mark them as the divisive people that they are. Just because kinists may not have the power to enact their goal of dividing us all along ethnic and racial lines, does not make them any less divisive. Titus 3:10 tells us, "Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him."

That's what we need to do with unrepentant kinists, no matter how nice they may appear to be, and how neatly they may have managed to white-wash their racism. Warn them twice, plead with them, pray for them --- and then, for their sake and for the sake of the Body of Christ --- have nothing to do with them.

12 comments:

  1. Rebecca, now I am a kinist sympathizer? :-) Perhaps I said that I didn't see the racism on that site because of the quotes you conveniently left out:

    “We believe this right extends to all other genetic and ethnic families, be they Oriental, African, or otherwise. … We further recognize the value, uniqueness, and preciousness of all the Families of Man to God, and their equal theoretical participation in the salvation offered by God through election. This insistence distinguishes us from Christian Identity groups that hold to the belief that other people groups are either not in need of salvation (all have fallen short of the glory of God), or are in any sense subhuman, or worthy of less than the decency owed by all Christians to all men.”

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  2. The quote you mentioned, Jen, in your ongoing attempts to defend kinism against any charge of racism, do not negate what is said elsewhere on the very same site. Your quote does not negate what I quoted. It does not change the fact that kinists are separatists, that they are white-washed racists, and that they are divisive within the Body of Christ.

    And, yes, you certainly do act like a kinist sympathizer and/or defender.

    What this, found on the same site? An article about the negative socialization found in public schools, the climax, the whole point, turns out to be the following:

    It gets even worse when your family’s beliefs don’t run to the multi-culti norm these days. The first time Little Sam or Little Miss avoids the crowd fawning on the athlete with the permanent tan, someone’s going to notice, and that someone is most likely a fine young barbarian. “What’s the matter, Sam? You jealous or something?” The pretty girl hanging off the tan guy’s arm is White, and she squeals with obvious pleasure when he pulls her closer and plants one on her. After all, didn’t he make the most number of points in the last game?

    Seeing her kiss his thick, dark lips turns Sam’s stomach, but if he gives the slightest hint of what he’s feeling, someone will notice, someone will say something, someone might call him a...a bad name.

    So he doesn’t flinch. He smiles, and tries to fit in. “Hey, Maurice, great game!” He exclaims, and wonders why he really wants to cry.

    Two weeks later he’s over it.

    Two weeks later he might be walking to the movie theater with Maurice and his date, a nice girl really, once you got to know her. After all, it certainly doesn’t matter what color a guy’s skin is, what matters is his personality, his ethics, his…

    He might be wondering why he can’t get the sour taste out of his mouth each time he sees Maurice plant one on Lisa’s pale cheek or painted lips.

    He might be wondering why he can’t forget his daddy’s advice to leave those people to their own kind, to not meddle in the business of other races.

    He might be wondering what that pretty girl sees in Maurice, how she could possibly find him attractive.

    But he won’t say anything.

    Someone might call him a bad name.


    Is this kind of writing, this obvious disgust for the very appearance of a young man of color, the utter disdain --- is this an example of how we, in the Body of Christ, are to think about others who are made in the image of God?

    Note that the person in this story was not upset about public displays of affection, or the inappropriateness of romantic entanglements in high school, or any sort of moral issue. No, the problem was a white girl and a black boy kissing. The problem, really, is the utter contempt the author of this article holds for people of color.

    I'm sure you don't see this as racism. Kinists and kinist sympathizers don't.

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  3. OOPS! In introducing the quote in my above comment, I meant to write, "What ABOUT this..."

    I know I'm the typo queen, but leaving out entire words?

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  4. Rebecca, I can see why you would see racism in this article. Truly. But can I ask you something? If you believed that the Bible said that is was a sin to marry someone of another race, how would you see this article? As racist, or as supporting your view on interracial marriage? And BTW, I do NOT agree with that article.

    However, if that same article were about any other issue other than interracial dating (which leads to marriage), but a similar scenario, then it would definitely be racist. I'm just trying to understand why they would say something like that, and from my perspective, they see interracial marriage as a sin, therefore they are going to speak out against it by using examples.

    So, if you attack this article as being racist, you won't begin to make a dent in their beliefs. But, if you start teaching what Mike taught us about the Law, then you will undermine their basis for believing this is a sin, since we all hold very high views of the Scriptures.

    Does that make any sense at all?

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  5. Jen, I still see that article as racist because of its utter disdain for people of color (e.g., "leave those people to their own kind"). I am strongly opposed to same-sex marriage, yet I don't disdain women. If I were to describe a homosexual couple, I would not speak with disgust of the very features that are characteristic of their gender.

    Even if I could convince the author of the above quoted article that she/he was no longer under the OT Law or that his/her application of law was wrong, it would not fill his/her heart with love for others. It would not remove the hate and disdain. Only Christ can do that.

    Re-read my post, especially this:

    "What is the antidote to kinism? It's actually simple. Love God. Read His Word. Ask Him to give you a love for the lost. Ask Him to give you a love for the Body of Christ. Ask Him to remove any trace of racism and prejudice from your heart. Be humble. Pray and work for the unity of His Body. Let the mind of Christ dwell richly in you.

    Love. The golden rule. Asking God to turn your heart of stone into a heart of flesh. That will go a long way in avoiding sin against your brothers and sisters in Christ."


    There is a reason that I didn't put theological discussion in there.

    What did Jesus say were the most important commandments? Doesn't it all boil down to loving God and loving our neighbor as ourself? And who did Jesus teach us was our neighbor --- didn't the parable of the Good Samaritan teach us that the concept of neighbor crosses racial and ethnic barriers?

    Love God. Love our neighbor as ourself. Love of our own race is never mentioned. Hhhhmmmmm.....

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  6. And you will recall, hopefully, that the parable of the Good Samaritan is the one I used in stating what I believe as well. :-) I'm glad we're really on the same sheet of music on this issue, Rebecca. I just also believe that part of loving your neighbor is standing up for someone who is being falsely accused or maligned.

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  7. We're not on the same page, Jen. You believe in befriending kinists. I believe in warning them as directed by Scripture. You believe in defending them. I believe in confronting their sin and false teaching. You sympathize with their beliefs. I do not.

    I hate racism in all its forms. You claim that kinism is not necessarily racist.

    That hardly puts us on the same page.

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  8. Well, Rebecca, you're right. We are on the same page regarding our personal beliefs about racism at least. That's a good place to start.

    I'm sorry that I interpret Scripture to mean that loving your neighbor includes standing up for those who are being unfairly attacked. I have been on the receiving end of that too much and I have great empathy for those who are being kicked at and spat upon.

    I also have a deep, deep sense of wanting to know the truth. That is what drove me to do Mike's study. That same drive is what compels me in this situation as well. If the truth is that all kinists hate people of another race, then I will speak out against that. But I have not seen any evidence of that yet.

    And the truth is that each kinist has his/her own views, so I am going to treat each one as an individual. Those kinists who are already my friends I hope I can impact by loving them.

    One thing I learned from you, Rebecca, was how judgmental I was. Your story broke me. I was in tears for days. I have come to learn that when I hammer on people about how wrong they are, they just put up defenses. I don't have to pretend that I agree with them either. My kinists friends know that we don't agree. BUT, they also know that I will love them anyway, and that goes a LONG way.

    I'm learning this same principle with my children. Rather than telling them how wrong they are all the time, I've tried just loving them when they are deep in sin. I don't have to say a word because they already know exactly how I feel. I am moved to tears every time they decide to change on their own because I didn't say anything about it.

    Is that always the right approach, Rebecca? No. But, I know that if I had been hammered over the head in my theonomic beliefs a year ago, I would have dug my heels in and refused to listen.

    So, I guess we're not on the same page after all, but I hope that you can at least understand why I choose love instead.

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  9. "We are on the same page regarding our personal beliefs about racism at least."

    No, Jen, we're not. You have already shown that by claiming that kinism is not necessarily racist.

    "So, I guess we're not on the same page after all, but I hope that you can at least understand why I choose love instead."

    You chose love and sympathy for the kinists over any sort of compassion for those that they offend.

    I believe that God commands us to love. I also believe that God commands us, as part of that love, to speak truth into people's lives, to hold them accountable for sin, to warn them when they are divisive and even --- when they do not repent --- to have nothing to do with them.

    Sin is that serious. Divisiveness within the Body of Christ is that serious.

    I too chose love instead --- but in my case it was love for the very Body of Christ that your friends would like to see divided along racist lines.

    And, since you cannot give me the tiniest bit of evidence that your friend, one of the owners of the Kinist Institute, has since repudiated his former views and has broken company with the kinists, I have to believe that he still holds the beliefs that his Kinist Institute does. I have no reason to think otherwise.

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  10. Rebecca, I don't have any friends with the Kinist Institute. Actually, there is no such thing.

    I also don't think it's an either/or proposition. I can be friends with and love the kinists in their sin just as much as I love my best friend, who is black and married to a white man and has 6 mixed children whom I have spent literally hundreds and hundreds of hours with and we disagree on most everything theologically. Or it is no different from my other very good friend (I literally only have these two friends in town) who is white and has two black children with whom I have spent countless hours as well, who has done some very grievous sins against me, yet I refuse to turn my back on her.

    I guess that's just who I am, Rebecca.

    I don't have your current email address, Rebecca. Could you please email me so I could tell you something I can't put online?

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  11. "Rebecca, I don't have any friends with the Kinist Institute. Actually, there is no such thing."

    A simple Google search tells an entirely different story. I've already linked to the fictitious business name statement for the Kinist Institute in one of my comments. Then there is the kinism.net website. Anyone who searches for "Kinist Institute" will find much more. Yes, a lot of the web pages that used to show up have vanished or been password-protected since the discussion began on the True Womanhood blog, but I think it is misleading to say that there is no such institute. If it had disbanded, changed its name, or morphed into some other group --- don't you think there would be some evidence of this?


    Frankly, I'm not interested in the games or the soap opera.

    My purpose in writing this series of posts was as to encourage all of us to examine our own hearts about racial issues --- and to expose some of the racism that exists even in Christian circles. It's easy for those of us who haven't been targeted directly by racism and prejudice to think that it doesn't exist.

    I don't want that purpose hijacked or sidetracked.

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  12. By the way, my email address hasn't changed.

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