One Blood (1)

This is the first in a series of sermons being preached in the light of events in the UK and the United States. It is occasioned by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman in Minneapolis, and the protests which have followed. This has brought to light questions about race and, very importantly, racism.

Questions about the police in the US and the UK, have given rise wider questioning? Are they racist? This has been particularly asked of white majority culture. Is it intrinsically racist?

How are we to understand our origins? Paul answers it for us in Acts 17:26. He is preaching to the supposedly wise people of Athens. So Paul takes them back to basics including the origin of man. He tells the people that we are descended from one blood.

The Bible is sounding the death knell for racism. It has no place for it. The teaching that we are all descended from one blood spells the end of racism, if followed logically and as God intends
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In Charles Darwin's second book, 'The Descent of Man', he offered some thoughts about different races. Some races that he had encountered, he had called 'savages'.

Although Darwin would perhaps not have agreed where his followers eventually took things, but some followed the logic of what his theory was pointing to and advocated more vigorous efforts to persuade, what were seen as inferior races, from breeding and continuing. This logic eventually led to Nazism and the forced extermination of the Jews. His theory enabled racism to flourish and even gave it scientific credibility. Even supporters of Darwin admit that his theory allowed racism to move ahead.