This Saturday, hatred is coming to my hometown of Athens, AL.
A short, 30 minute drive north on Interstate 65 will take you to Pulaski, TN, the hometown of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In recent weeks, the KKK have been requesting a permit to protest and march in downtown Athens. You can read the local news by going here, here, and here. The bottom line is that both the city (mayor) and county did not want to issue a permit to the KKK, but according to law, they were required to do so. The organizer of the KKK rally goes by the name J.L. Thomas of a nearby town, and it is said that the purpose of the rally is to protest illegal immigration.
When I got word that the KKK received a permit, I began investigating the matter, finding info about Mr. Thomas, what the KKK is up to these days, and how they plan to use illegal immigration as a gateway to hate. History reveals that the KKK has declined from 4-5 million in the 1920’s to roughly around 5,000 people today. However, the KKK has found a new party platform in order to “brainwash” (see video) young white males through the issue of illegal immigration. Check out this alarming clip from CNN about the KKK tactics of illegal immigration from the nearby town of Russellville, AL.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJWhQuwzXs]
The application passed out at these rallies have this qualifying paragraph below as a person signs up:
I am a White Christian man or woman. I am not married to a nonwhite. I do not date non-whites nor do I have nonwhite dependents. I practice my belief in a racial integrity. I believe in the ideals of the Western Christian Civilization and profess my belief in jesus Christ as the Son of God. I understand that The Knights is a legal and law abiding political movement and that I will never be asked to commit an unlawful act. I understand that I can resign at any time.
As you can see, the application is clearly racist and attempts to cloak the KKK within the garb of Christianity and “the ideals of the Western Christian Civilization.” Already there has been talk about how to handle the protests of the KKK and the inevitable hatred that will be spewed from the center of the town. Lee Roop of The Huntsville Times says that there are three options for Athens: ignore the Klan, protest the Klan, or try to run the Klan out of town on stretchers. Karen Middleton of the Athens News Courier reports that several local church leaders are planning to stage a silent counter-protest where they will hold up a sign spelling “love.” Needless to say, the emotions are high and responses varied in exactly what to do with the unwelcomed visitation of hatred to my hometown.
I have been sitting on this issue for almost a week as it has taken several days to allow my emotions to subside, think clearly on the matter, and respond in a way that (I hope) would honor Jesus and reflect the gospel which he has entrusted to us. For the sake of length, I will post some of my thoughts in future posts, along with resources and biblical texts that speak to race, the gospel, and the church.
For now, let me ask you this question.
If the KKK came to your town, bringing hatred and recruiting racists, how would you respond? If you are a pastor, minister, or leader in your church, how do you counsel your members to react in a Christ-like, gospel-centered way?
Think about that, and please share your thoughts. How we apply the Gospel and Scripture to race, immigration, and hate groups is a reality for those of us in the South, and such a situation requires more than a knee-jerk reaction and emotive rhetoric.
This is always a tough issue because of the natural emotions associated with it, but a well thought out post. I think looking at Scripture that deals with race issues is important especially when dealing with people who claim Christianity, In Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses for marrying a Cushite; while God does not punish them specifically for racism, God makes it clear that a Jew married to an African is His prophet, and He speaks with Moses face to face. If God thought of interracial relationships as sinful, He wouldn’t let Moses live in such sin. And the passages in the OT commanding Jews not to marry the people of the land is a cultural and religious issue, the people were pagans: Rahab was not a Jew, but she is in the lineage of Jesus. Jesus teaches in Samaria, the nation of “half-breeds;” this flies in the face of the statement on the membership application of the KKK. Jesus, himself a Jew, crosses cultural and racial boundaries all the time. Romans 1:16 says salvation comes first to the Jews and then the Gentiles (which white supremacists are; Gentiles), knowing no bounds, we see the Holy Spirit show up at Pentecost for the Jews, and then with the Samarian Pentecost (when Philip preached in Samaria in Acts 8), and then with the Gentile Pentecost (at Cornelius’ house). Peter’s vision in Acts 10 also shows that God is a cross cultural God, salvation is open to all races, and the apostles hated no race. The apostles were open and loving to all races; this is what the KKK lacks entirely: love.
We have had visits by the kkk in our town, Brooksville, FL every so often. It’s not Biblical necessarily, but I like how Jerome Brown (died several years ago- former Philadelphia Eagles player and from Brooksville) handled the situation: while the clown in bedsheets was talking Jerome parked his car with the bass turnned all the way up and they could not be heard. I guess it could be considered a counter-protest of sorts. THere was no noice ordinance at the time, and i doubt the Sheriff’s office or Brooksville PD would have ticketed him if there was. Most of the long-time Brooksville natives are tired of being considered backwoods or part of the “good old boy” network.
David,
Nicely said. You brought out several texts which I will be posting later. One of the difficult things for Christians when exposed to such hatred and vitriol is to respond with vindictive or retributive hatred. I am thinking specifically about the kingdom ethic Jesus prescribes in the Sermon on the Mount when he said:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:44-45)
Or how about Paul when he wrote to the Romans,
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. . . . Beloved never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'” (Rom. 12:14, 19).
Loving your enemies, blessing rather than cursing, never avenging yourselves all run contrary to human nature. Honestly, there is nothing in me that wants to love the KKK. I don’t want to bless robbed cowards who desecrate crosses and claim the name “Christian,” Yet the exhortations and commands of Scripture are not suggestions or conditioned upon special circumstances. This past week, I have been wrestling with that in me and whether my obedience is grounded in the gospel and whether my actions are consonant with a kingdom ethic that marks me as a true disciple and Christ-follower. As a person who is described as quite passionate, it is a challenge for me to have my affections refined by Scripture and tempered by the convicting work of the Spirit.
Pregador27,
North Alabama seems to be a frequent stop for the KKK. As the video shows, they were recently in Russellville, and the guy organizing this protest is from a town 15 minutes away from Athens. I personally know the mayor of our town, and I recall him saying something (in a newspaper write up) to the effect that Athens has come so far, and we do not want to revisit the sins of the past.
A big concern that I have about this protest is that is will be like the high-speed chase on television or the high school fight in the hallway. People are drawn to public spectacles, and though they do not care at all about the substance of what is said or the outcome of the individuals, they like a good show. The KKK admittedly state that the chants, robes, and rhetoric serves precisely that point: to draw a crowd. I just hope the good people of Athens will not be so duped to legitimize the illegitimacy of an organization that props itself off of Halloween costumes and appeals to depravity.
The KKK is a passing evil. I think the best response to them is to intentionally and completely ignore them.
Protests just legitimize and draw attention to them, and attention is their lifeblood.
The best response of the church to the KKK is to overcome evil with good – preach on and act on racial reconciliation, promote a colorblind society, preach the gospel. And completely ignore these misguided nutcases.
This might be a situation where ridicule is the most effective response. Churches might just ignore them. Society at large (e.g., newspapers, DJs, blogs) should present them as backward hicks with slack jaws and six toes whose family trees don’t fork. Make them into a group no one wants to be associated with.
Gentlemen,
I pastor in Huntsville and I have folks in my congregation from every town you mentioned in your post (including Athens). To be honest this is largely a non-issue and has only been exacerbated by the media. The KKK have been holding demonstrations like this for over 100 years and to what end? Record declines and no meaningful influence at government or policy levels (something that has not always been true). I have lived in Alabama for 28 of my 32 years and I have yet to meet anyone who was brought over to the dark side by one of these rallies. They serve to convince the already convinced.
The people who go to such rallies typically go 1) to show their support or 2) to scream at the participants until the cops come. As a follower of Christ I am reminded that my role in this world is not to stage concerts or counter-protests but to proclaim the gospel. No amount of marching or protest will ever change the depraved hearts of wicked men. Change will come as the church acts like the church and carries the gospel mission to every segment of society including those who some may judge to be “backward hicks with slack jaws.” I think we need to be careful not to make the same mistake and make distinctions as to who we will minster to and who we will not. I rarely see anyone talking about being missional to more rural areas. Could this be an inconsistency in philosophy of ministry?
Thanks for the post and your excellent blog.
For the record, my neck is very red. Also for the record, I want to see these folks come to Christ.
But I don’t think there’s anything constructive the church can do in these situations.
I only mention the ridicule idea because of the concern (stated above) that the group may have found a topic that will attract many new members. Ridicule is often more powerful than arguments. But that’s a job for the secular society or individuals, not the church proper.
Thank you for this thoughtful post. A question: why Athens (or Russellville earlier and Montgomery in November)? Whaat’s going on in North Alabama to encourage these folks? Have y’all been keeping up with the hate speech coming from “respectable” quarters, not just coat-and-tie Klan folks like American Renaissance or the Council of Conservative Citizens, but from elected officials of both major parties?
40 or so years ago, many people expressed outrage and horror at the words and actions of white supremacists, but failed to acknowledge their own racism. Last week, at a luncheon in Huntsville a woman who identifies as a Democrat and I’m sure has criticized the Klan, said “This is an English country,” meaning both language and culture. She took strong issue with my response asking if she knew that she was saying exactly what overt White Nationalists and front groups such as FAIRUS, Numbers USA and other pseudo-mainstream groups with extreme-white connections.
It’s insidious, especially the code talk about “legal,” “illegal” “criminal aliens” (crossing the border once is a misdemeanor, a felony the second time).
It is also ironic that the video about Klan extremists is aired by the network that glorifies Lou Dobbs’ hysteria on the issue.
Bill and Chris,
I am curious to see how the non-Christian public will respond to the KKK. My hunch is that they will likely them. Now if they protested in front of Wal-Mart, I think that would be altogether another scenario! 🙂
Paul,
Thanks for chiming in. It’s nice to hear from someone in Huntsville. Your question about being missional in a rural setting is a valid one, and if I am not mistaken, Scott Slayton brought that up on his blog earlier this year. I agree with you that I don’t think the KKK will make any headway with this protest; however, I do find this situation an opportunity to understand and apply the gospel to race, society, and culture. I have lived in Athens for 16 years and aware of the need for racial reconciliation in our community. I think that part of the church being the church and carrying out the gospel mission has huge racial implications, much like it did in the churches of Galatia Ephesus and Colossae. The churches in Athens, I believe, have an opportunity to express the racial implications of the gospel in how they respond to such groups as the KKK.
Helen,
I am not familiar with the daily political grind in North Alabama as I have been removed from the area (currently living in Louisville, KY). The purpose and perspective I have attempted to bring to the situation is not to assess partisan politics but to reflect on this as a Christian who wants to honor Jesus and communicate the gospel. What concerns me more than the presence of racists in the political parties is the racists in the church.
Dear All,
I am Jeremy Lucas the priest who is organizing the silent witness during the KKK rally in Athens. I am originally from Birmingham. While I respect the opinions expressed here about how to respond to the Klan I cannot and will not act like they don’t exist. Hate is like a virus, it is all of us and it doesn’t go away because we don’t pay attention to it. I think we should all go back and look at how Dr. King responded, as a Chirstian to hate groups. My hope is that each and every one of the KKK will be dancing in heaven. That they find their way to see the gospel of Jesus Chirst and live a life of freedom . These people are literally being drowned in their own hate. Our witness will be totally silent except for carrying signs that say love. We will literally encircle hate with love. Maybe it will have no impact on the Klan but it will impact those who show their love.
This is an important issue. People around the country already think Alabama is full of Klansmen and if we don’t stand up and make a statement they will be left with their uninformed opinions. People will choose not to movee to Alabama because they don’t want their family exposed to that kind of hate. If we do nothing the virus will continue to spread. We have been overwhelmed with the response to our witness. I expect over 500 people to be there. How will that look on CNN?
And one more comment, to say that it is not a Chirstian’s job to protest or counter protest seems to fly in the face of 2000 years of history. How do you think people throughout history became martyrs (witnesses) It was because they stood up and proclaimed in word AND DEED the gospel. If we are not preaching the gospel with our hands and feet we are just clanging cymbals living in ivory towers. Jeremy
Rev. Lucas,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I agree with the need to stand up and proclaim the gospel in word and in deed. My hope is that stand will be one that continues when the cameras are off and the KKK are no where to be found.
The perpetuating issue that is before Christians today is whether what we believe in theory is going to affect how we live and do church in practice. Racial reconciliation and integration is something that churches in Athens and throughout the United States have either ignored or struggled to achieve. The church is not a building or location but a body of believers living in covenant community together seeking to glorify Christ by making disciples and reaching their world. That indiscriminate purpose inherent in the gospel is something I (and I believe others commenting here) long to live out in our lives. My hope is that through events like this, we will be awakened of our need to not only go across the street and outside the camp (Heb. 13:13) to reach our unbelieving neighbor regardless of the color of the skin, but we will also go across the world to reach all tribes and peoples with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Jeremy,
Since you seem to be responding to something I said in the comments let me offer a line or two of clarification. First, as a “Protestant” it would be absurd for me to say I don’t believe in protest and I never have said such a thing. Context is everything.
You also misquoted or misrepresented what I actually did say. You said, “to say that it is not a Chirstian’s job to protest or counter protest seems to fly in the face of 2000 years of history.” I also understand the historical realities of this since the larger evangelical tradition has been protesting for over 500 years. However what I said was, “As a follower of Christ I am reminded that my role in this world is not to stage concerts or counter-protests but to proclaim the gospel. No amount of marching or protest will ever change the depraved hearts of wicked men.”
What I hope you will understand is that the preaching and communication of the gospel is a protest against all that would seek to exalt itself against the Triune God. I too believe that preaching must never be divorced from a real and living faith that communicates the truth in love. However that is something very different than saying we will show up at a KKK rally and , “literally encircle hate with love.” It is statements like this that are far from clear as to what you hope to accomplish.
However, if what you mean by all of this is that you will attend the rally and lovingly preach that the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ died once and for all on behalf of sinners and that He now reconciles such people by faith alone in His finished work on the cross and that no amount of good works could ever merit such grace then I applaud your efforts. I hope you will also understand that this is what we try to do everyday as we seek to be salt and light for Jesus Christ in this world, even when the cameras aren’t on.
Thanks for the interchange Jeremy.