Christianity And White Nationalism: A Response To Pope John Paul

by Paul Grubach

Author's Preliminary note: The following essay is not intended to promote or discredit Christian doctrine. Its purpose is simply to show Christians and non-Christians that white nationalism is consistent with Christian ethics, the traditional morality of European civilizations.

I. Many atheists contend that death is the ultimate end of life. But to the believing Christian, death is just the beginning. For at death, so it is believed, God can bestow eternal happiness on those who obey His moral dictates, eternal torment on those who disobey them. This is certainly one of the main reasons why Christian morality holds such sway over the masses of believing Christians.

Which brings us to Pope John Paul II and his recent visit to Israel. When the Pope speaks, millions of Catholics listen...and obey. For it is believed the Pope is a conduit from God to man, an intermediary who interprets God's will for man to follow. Ergo, for many Catholics, disregarding what the Pope says is tantamount to disobeying God's will.

Pope John Paul II

While in Israel, John Paul II was quoted as saying: "The [Catholic] Church rejects racism in any form as a denial of the image of the Creator inherent in every human being."¹ Elsewhere he stated: "I feel it my duty to emphasize that every form of racism is a sin against God and humanity, since every human person bears the stamp of the divine image."²

Does this mean that the Bible commands racial integration, multiculturalism and the breakdown of all racial and national barriers?

It's unclear exactly how the Pope defines "racism." But there are those who drew the conclusion that he meant that white nationalist movements are, by their nature, contrary to Christian ethics, and thus, "evil." Firmly entrenched in the psyche of the masses, this belief is a major reason why a significant number of white people reject a white nationalist agenda.

First, let me define the appropriate terms. "White nationalism" is not to be confused with "white supremacy." The former implies that Caucasian/European peoples have the right to self-determination and to preserve their unique genetic and cultural identity. The latter implies that whites should dominate, lord over, rule and/or oppress non-whites. What is being defended in this article is white nationalism, not white supremacy.

In Acts 17:26 it is written: "From one stock he [God] made every nation of mankind to dwell on the face of the earth. It is he who set limits to their epochs and fixed the boundaries of their regions."

God did not integrate the peoples of the earth, but rather established boundaries between them. The passage also states that God created "nations." In other words, despite the fact that all men came from one stock, the Supreme Being separated humanity into groups which are different from one another in a social, political and racial sense.

In Gal 3: 26-29, we read: "Each one of you is a son of God because of your faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, if you belong to Christ you are the descendants of Abraham, which means you inherit all that was promised." Many falsely believe this passage is to be interpreted in a social and political sense. That is, all racial barriers must be broken down, all different races must forcibly integrate and negate their unique identities. After all, so this reasoning proceeds, mankind is one!

Christian authors repeatedly stated that all who accept Jesus Christ as their savior are one in Christ. Yet, this is meant in a mystical/spirtual sense, not in a social, political or racial sense. That this is indeed the case is proven by the fact that the New Testament accepts the institution of slavery (Col 3: 22-25). The master and slave could both attain eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, but in the earthly realm there is still the distinction between them. (This writer believes that human slavery is an evil institution which should be abolished for all time.)

In a spiritual/mystical sense, New Testament Christianity is indeed "multiracial." It teaches that all men and women, regardless of their race or nationality, will be granted eternal life if they adhere to the teachings of the Bible. However, the New Testament in no way implies that whites -- or any race for that matter -- must forcibly integrate with other races and negate their collective racial/cultural identities.

The beliefs -- that separate racial/cultural groups have the right to self-determination and to preserve their distinct racial/cultural identities -- are not only cardinal tenets of International Law, but are also consistent with Christian beliefs. Accordingly, a white nationalist can also be a Christian.

II. An official Vatican document has stated: "Pope John Paul II has often recalled that Palestinian people have a right to a country as do the Jewish people."³

Consider the philosophical consequences of such a policy. One of the proposed solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a binational political entity in which Arabs and Jews would be joined in one racially integrated state and both ethnic groups would function as social and political equals.

By giving their blessing to the "two-state" solution -- a separate Jewish and Palestinian state -- the Vatican has condoned a policy of allowing Jews and Arabs to live in pockets based on ethnic identity. But remember, we previously saw that the Pope condemns all forms of racism. One characteristic of racism is discrimination -- to grant special rights and privileges to some racial groups and then to deny the same rights and privileges to other racial groups. In order that the Pope does not engage in racial discrimination, he must treat all ethnic groups equally, and thus, grant all of them the right to homelands of their own, if they so demand it.

The upshot of the argument is this. If the Vatican is to apply their moral code in a non-discriminatory manner, they will have to recognize the right of Europeans to societies of their own. If the Vatican demands that Europeans forcibly integrate with non-Europeans, the Holy See is then guilty of racial discrimination; they granted Israeli Jews the right to separate themselves from Palestinians and other non-Jews, but then denied Europeans the right to separate themselves from non-Europeans.

PAUL GRUBACH

Footnotes

1. THE NEW YORK TIMES, 24 March 2000, p.A-8.
2. GENERAL AUDIENCE: AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM AND XENOPHOBIA, 28 October 1992.
3. See THE CHURCH AND RACISM; TOWARDS A MORE FRATERNAL SOCIETY, THE PONTIFICAL COMMISSION JUSTICE AND PEACE, p.49.