Racism, Sin, and the Republican Party: A Christian Response

By Eric M. Wallace, PhD

Recent reports about racist messages in a group chat involving young Republicans in Miami have sparked outrage across the political spectrum. If the reporting is accurate, the language described is reprehensible and should be condemned without hesitation.

Racism is not merely a political problem. It is a sin problem.

Scripture is clear: every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27, ESV). To demean another person because of their race is to demean the Creator whose image they bear.

But Christians should not be surprised when sinful ideas appear in political movements. Human beings are fallen. Political parties are made up of sinners.

That is why our ultimate hope is not found in parties, platforms, or politicians. Our hope is found in Jesus Christ, the only one who can transform the human heart.

I am a Republican, but not because I believe the Republican Party is morally perfect. I am a Republican because the party’s platform more closely aligns with my biblical worldview than the alternatives currently available.

That platform affirms principles that resonate deeply with biblical teaching:

1. The sanctity of life
2. The importance of religious liberty
3. The central role of the family
4. Personal responsibility and economic opportunity

These principles are also reflected in what I call the R.I.S.E. Principles: Responsible Government, Individual Liberty and Fidelity, Strong Family Values, and Economic Empowerment.

But acknowledging the strengths of a platform does not mean ignoring the failures of the people who claim to represent it.

Let’s be honest: not everyone in the Republican Party shares a biblical worldview. There are Republicans who support abortion. There are Republicans who affirm same-sex marriage. And, if these reports are accurate, there are also individuals who harbor racist and antisemitic ideas.

Their views do not define the party platform.

But they do create a serious threat to the party’s credibility.

Racism is not just morally wrong; it is politically destructive. It undermines the Republican Party’s claim to stand for freedom, equality under the law, and opportunity for all.

And history reminds us that this struggle within the Republican Party is not new.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a faction known as the “Lily Whites” attempted to purge Black Americans from the Republican Party in the South. They sought to replace the multiracial coalition that had emerged during Reconstruction with a whites-only political movement.

They were wrong then, and anyone who embraces similar ideas today is wrong now.

The true history of the Republican Party is far more noble than the ideology of the Lily Whites.

It was the Republican Party that:

• Led the fight to end slavery
• Passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery
• Passed the 14th Amendment guaranteeing equal protection
• Passed the 15th Amendment protecting Black voting rights
• Advanced numerous civil rights laws throughout American history

Those achievements reflect the best impulses of the party: the conviction that freedom and human dignity belong to all people.

If individuals within the party promote racist ideas, they are not defending the Republican tradition. They are betraying it.

The correct response is not denial. Nor is it political opportunism from opponents who pretend racism exists only on one side of the aisle.

The correct response is moral clarity.

Republican leaders should publicly condemn racist ideology, remove those who promote it from positions of influence, and reaffirm the party’s historic commitment to liberty and equality under the law.

At the same time, Christians must remember that racism cannot be legislated out of existence.

It must be repented of.

Political reform is important, but spiritual renewal is essential. Only the transforming power of the Gospel can change the human heart.

That is why the ultimate solution to racism is not found in ideology, activism, or party politics.

It is found in the words of the Apostle Paul:
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave7 nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
— Galatians 3:25–28 (ESV)

The Republican Party, like every human institution, will always be imperfect.

But if it hopes to remain faithful to its best traditions—and worthy of the trust of a diverse nation—it must reject racism unequivocally and stand firmly for the dignity of every person created in the image of God.

Dr. Eric M. Wallace, author of the new book, The Heart of Apostasy: How The Black Church Abandoned Biblical Authority for Political Ideology--And How to Reclaim It, is a trailblazing scholar, dynamic speaker, and passionate advocate for faith-based conservatism. With a distinguished academic background and an unwavering commitment to biblical truth, Wallace has become a leading voice challenging cultural and political narratives that conflict with a biblical worldview.

Wallace holds postgraduate degrees in biblical studies (M.A., ThM, Ph.D.), Wallace is the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in biblical studies from Union-PSCE (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). His scholarship and ministry experience equip him to address today’s most pressing sociopolitical issues through the lens of faith, reason, and historical accuracy.