The lynching of black bodies is a sacred American tradition with theological roots, and it’s one of the oldest religious rituals in this country.
The late Dr. James Cone in his book “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” wrote:
“The claim that whites had the right to control the black population through lynching and other extralegal forms of mob violence was grounded in the religious belief that America is a white nation called by God to bear witness to the superiority of white over black.”
I’m once again saddened to be writing about black death. It’s heartbreaking to know that my daughters saw more images of another black man murdered by white supremacy believers. I’m angry we had to have yet another conversation with them about this! But my deepest despair comes from knowing that modern faith leaders aren’t helping us.
Dr. Cone also cited 19th-century church historian Phillip Schaff of Union Theological Seminary as saying:
“The Anglo-Saxon and Anglo American of all modern races possess the strongest national character and the one best fitted for universal dominion.”
Dominion is the word that the writer of the Genesis poem used to describe how God expected the newly formed humans to interact with the lower species. They were to have dominion over the fish, birds, and every other creature that roamed the earth. (Gen 1:28)
It’s no wonder that armed with the belief that Black people were sub-human, white Christians felt no inkling of conviction about lynching black bodies.
Lynching is an extension of the belief that God has given white people the authority to subdue the “black animals” that roam the earth — in the same way a person would lure fish out of water or shoot a bird out of the sky. What fisherman has any remorse for catching fish or what hunter weeps with regret after shooting quail?
“They treated him worse than they treat animals,” Philonise Floyd lamented in an interview with Don Lemon. He, of course, was talking about the State-sanctioned lynching and murder of his brother George Floyd.
George Floyd is the latest victim of America’s sacred ritual of white supremacist violence. The officers who killed him exerted their dominion over him. They subdued him. They appeared to feel no sense of conviction over slowly choking the life out of a human being. Like their ancestors before them, they felt endued by God with the power to enact their religious rite.
Christian leaders in droves have disavowed racism through social media posts and statements from their pulpits over the last several weeks. Many of whom were relatively mute on the subject before Ahmaud Arbery’s lynching.
Faith leaders have had trouble finding the theological framework to address white supremacy’s social wickedness. Most have found words to condemn blatant one-off acts of racism, but very few find the endurance to work toward dismantling the systemic racism that continues to vex our society and cost black people their lives.
Enduring campaigns cost money. Perhaps that’s why modern Christian leaders lose their nerve after the initial wave of anti-racist outcries die down. Those who secretly believe Schaff’s theological position help keep the lights on in churches across America.
These wealthy people who grew up with white supremacy as a foundation for their beliefs, behaviors, and political inclinations fund churches and ministries. They believe whiteness is a virtue — holding to it as a theological framework.
Theology led to the lynching of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and unfortunately, the platitudes masquerading as theological retorts aren’t strong enough to combat its roots.
People who believe in the theology of white supremacy put action to their beliefs. They practice their faith in how they manage employees, vote, teach students, preach sermons, respond to sermons, and police communities. They preach often and sometimes use words.
The power of white supremacist theology is that it becomes the lens through which those who wield white power see the world. Believers don’t have to say black lives don’t matter. They say all lives matter. They may choose to wear a hood and burn crosses or decide to wear a badge and lynch black bodies with impunity.
All are welcome to participate in upholding white supremacy as Divine regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, age, or other religious orientations. People have been members both wittingly and unwittingly for centuries.
Any person who attempts to disrupt the sacred tradition of lynching Black humans must do so with a willingness to oppose ideology that is as old as America herself.
