Ask the Scholars

As we've already suggested in talking about the curse on Ham or Canaan, the Bible has been interpreted to justify slavery and racism. Another story that's been used by people who don't accept the idea of the curse on Ham, but want to say that there are innate differences that should require people to be segregated is the story of the Tower of Babel. The story of the Tower of Babel has been interpreted as meaning that cultures should not mix, languages should not mix. The Afrikaaners used...

In some places in the South, slave children were forced to memorize the catechism. And it would go, "Who gives me my master? God gives me my master. Who says you should obey your master? God says I should obey my master." There were ministers who argued to slaveholders, it's very important for you to Christianize your slaves, make sure that they are God-fearing people. Because that will make them easier to handle, make them less violent, and you can do your duty to God and also provide p...

I would say that the Bible played no role initially in the construction of racial inequalities, but I think it's people who have misused the Bible to justify one way or another their racism, for example. And this is the problem with how people have misinterpreted the Bible.