For nearly two decades I have had the opportunity to teach on the issue of creation, the family, and the Bible. Throughout this time I have had the privilege of preaching on the subject of “race” and marriage before thousands. I have always addressed the question the same way. This weekend at the Father and Daughter Retreat the question was asked again. Here is how Dr. Voddie Baucham and I answered the question:

QUESTIONER: “...How does race fall into you and your daughter’s choice in a man?”

DOUG: “I’ll give you my answer. The Bible teaches that there is only one race. And that is the human race. So, consequently because there is only one race (and that’s the human race), we’re all of one blood.” Therefore, all men and women are qualified for marriage—not on the basis of their melanin count—but on the basis of other things all-together.”

“So from my perspective, anti-miscegenation laws are unbiblical and are wrongful. Prejudices which prohibit inter-marriage based on so-called skin color are deviant, ungodly, and unscriptural. That’s my perspective. Would anybody else like to add to that?”

VODDIE: “In What He Must Be if He Wants to Marry My Daughter, notice a couple of things: On the cover of that book you cannot tell the ethnicity of the man. That’s intentional. The last chapter of the book—the conclusion—is addressing this question directly right from the perspective that Doug just echoed. I really felt like that was an important issue. So it’s addressed on the cover and it’s addressed in the conclusion of the book, What He Must Be if He Wants to Marry My Daughter.

There are two types of people who hate this answer.

The first are bigots.

Bigots come in all different stripes. Some are “white” and some are “black.” Some are red, or yellow, or brown. (Perhaps some are polka-dot—I don’t know.) Some claim to be Christian, and some don’t. But the ones who claim to be Christians usually have an errant perspective on the book of Genesis—a perspective which is often linked to a clear theological compromise with evolutionary thinking. The ones who don’t claim to be Christian tend to have pagan views of culture and ethnicity. Alternatively, they may simply harbor ill-will in their heart to those who are different from them.

The second group who hate answers like the one that Voddie and I gave includes people with an agenda to smear Christians and Christian ministries. Not content to address real ideas and real positions, they resort to perverse fact-twisting, bizarre analogical reasoning, outrageous straw men—anything to appeal to those silly and undiscerning individuals who can be easily taken captive by the fear-mongering tactics of the kook-brigade. This point becomes clear should you find yourself surfing the web and stumble across “Christianswholovebabiesareracists.com,” or “womenwhoareatleasttentimessmarterthanourweaklinghusbands.com,” or even “holyfeministswiththespiritualgiftoflying.com.”

When all else fails—call your enemy a racist.

Like the first group, the second group includes individuals of different stripes, but the common denominator here is hatred for Christians and Christian ministries, not concern for people with a different melanin count.

The Bible has the answer to bigots, Internet hate-mongers, and those who genuinely inquire about the truth of His Word. While God does classify men along the lines of “kindreds and tongues and nations,” there is no “white race,” nor “black race.” God has “made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). Praise the Lord!