Do black deficiencies disprove God’s creation of man?

David J. (who yesterday posted a very interesting confessional comment in the Good Samaritan thread) writes:

I deeply appreciate the profound discussions (here and here) on feral blacks and the image of God. I wish the discourse would continue forever, as it offers piercing insights that I shall probably ruminate on for the rest of my natural life.

Of all the many excellent posts regarding the subject, I believe that Mark L. had the most incisive response, from which I excerpt below:

I believe that for some people, the very existence of this underclass of apparently un-reformable feral blacks seems incompatible with the biblical teaching that God created mankind in his image and likeness. Furthermore, it would seem to lend support to the Darwinian idea that mankind has evolved from apes, and due to the forces of environment and heredity, some (Asians, whites) more than others (blacks).

Pious Christians largely ignore or reject the racial aspects of human biodiversity (HBD), while proponents of HBD largely ignore or reject Christianity. They appear to be two mutually exclusive, diametrically opposing schools of thoughts and most people treat them as such. You and other VFR followers uniquely dare to reconcile them from a traditionalist point of view. However, as Mark L. indicates, the presence of a major race containing a non-trivial population of seemingly uncivilizable, morally depraved, mentally deficient humans may indeed frustrate the credibility of the VFR position. Just as philosophers and skeptics challenge believers with the “problem of evil” [i.e., how could God have created a world that contains so much evil], secular Darwinists and even mainstream Christians will take conservative traditionalists to task regarding the “problem of blacks.” Why would an omniscient God allow (or cause, whatever is one’s interpretation) such a large race to be so bereft of general capabilities that other groups take for granted? Would not such deficiencies imperil blacks to lives of failure, lack, resentment, danger, and moral darkness?

The onus lies on VFR conservatives to answer these glaring questions that your unusual position begs. The deep contemplations in the “feral blacks and image of God” posts were a worthy attempt to address this seeming pink elephant, for which you have my applause.

LA replies:

First, how is it that HBD—a term which Steve Sailer coined about 15 years ago and which goes well beyond the idea of human biological differences and is a kind of ideological movement—has monopolized the idea of racial differences, an idea that precedes HBD by centuries? I have nothing to do with HBD. In this discussion I speak about racial differences, not about HBD.

Second, the “Feral blacks and the image of God” discussion addressed the question whether men can become so depraved that they lose the image of God. Here you are addressing a very different question, whether the intellectual and civilizational deficiencies of the black race are compatible with God’s creation of man.

Third, you asked the same question two months ago and I answered it as best I could at the time.

You wrote:

I intend no disrespect to the Highest as His ways and thoughts are higher than mine, as Isaiah beautifully put. May God forgive me if I am out of line. However, I cannot help but think that a kinder act of divine beneficence towards blacks would have been to grant them with at least minimal ability to build decent societies for themselves instead of their forever depending on the mercy, largess, and whim of other races. Their civilizational deficiencies always make them vulnerable to easy conquest, enslavement, and colonization by others, as history attests. Even today, their global numbers would precipitously fall by millions (if not by many tens of millions) if foreign aid were ceased. Manifold problems arise when they interact with other groups, leading to a host of unpleasant responses like apartheid, affirmative action, political correction, urban flight, development of ghettos and favelas, heightened police forces, ad nauseam. In short, their egregious inadequacies pose intractable troubles for both themselves and others. I believe that this situation must somehow fit into God’s grand plan, but I indeed struggle with fleshing out the rhyme and reason of it all.

I replied:

This reminds me of the question you asked me a few months back that I never answered, how do I reconcile belief in God with blacks’ inadequacies.

A correspondent suggested to me an answer, which is not a full answer, but at least a partial one. God wanted the black race to exist because they have their own particular qualities which are a needed part of the whole. Blacks are more basic, more immediate, more primal, and they bring those qualities also into their love of God. Whites are more dry, more abstract, colder. God wanted the warmth and spontaneity of blacks as part of the human picture.

However, this does not answer the very tough problem that you have just raised, which is that given blacks’ limited abilities, ANY interaction between blacks and other races would have to lead to terrible problems and conflict.

Did God then want blacks to be left alone in Africa, without white influence, without the light of Christ brought to the dark continent? That’s also hard to believe.

Here’s a possible answer: Perhaps God is a traditionalist conservative! Perhaps he wanted and expected mankind to be able to deal with inequality much better than we have done—to recognize and accept the fact of inequality and not, on one hand, bend ourselves out of shape trying to make the unequal equal, nor, on the other hand, use the lesser abilities of others as an opportunity to oppress and enslave them. Obviously we have failed the test. Perhaps the test can only be passed when mankind reaches a higher level of evolution. I’m not speaking of Darwinian evolution, of course, but of spiritual and civilizational evolution.

[end of earlier exchange]

Here are some further thoughts, which are, of course, speculative, given that the question (Why would God create a certain race?) deals with issues that are beyond our knowledge.

I have previously stated, as an intuitive speculation, that the main life forms—such as fish, lizards, amphibians, birds, bulls, lions, and men—are archetypes that exist potentially in the genome from the start of life and are activated by the right circumstances. In the same way, I would suggest that the respective races of man are archetypes which exist from the beginning and are activated by the right circumstances.

Why God might have wanted to have the black race, with its particular qualities, is addressed above. Yes, black are more basic, more primal, more immediate. They have less intelligence and foresight. But they are still men. They have the noble human form which is a reflection of God, as discussed here. But because they are less intelligent and more primal, when they fall, they are in worse shape than other races when they fall.

I have often said that while the Sixties Revolution hurt whites, it hurt blacks much more.

Well, in the same way, while the Fall of Man (meaning man’s turning away from God which debases human nature) hurts all men, it hurts blacks more. Because of their greater impulsivity and lesser intelligence, they are closer to primitive violence.

But that still fails to answer the question, why would God allow for the creation of different races, one of which must always be so far behind the others, thus engendering endless social problems, resentment on the part of blacks, guilt on the part of whites, and so on?

Perhaps because such experiences of inequality, imperfection, confusion, conflict, and folly are part of what human beings must pass through in order to learn from their mistakes and become wise.

But would God want our civilization to destroy itself in order to placate blacks and equalize the races, as is happening now? No. But God is not doing that. Imperfect, foolish man is doing that. And he will keep doing it, until he learns the lessons he needs to learn. And (as I’ve said many times) it is entirely possible that he may not learn those lessons until he has destroyed the greatest civilization that has ever existed.

- end of initial entry -

John P. writes:

It occurs to me there is another possible angle on the subject of God’s plan and blacks. We live in a complex, abstract, and indirect society, more so than any previous society. It seems apparent that blacks on average are less well suited to such a civilization, but a fair portion of whites, even those of better than average intelligence, also find it difficult to maneuver through this labyrinth we have built. What if all of this is a form of rejection of God’s order, what if Man is intended to live at the level of hunter-gatherers? Blacks have what it takes to survive in that world as evidenced by the fact they DID survive.

This is not an argument I personally would favour but I’m not sure a Christian can simply dismiss it. The purpose of this life is to be a test for the hereafter, not to be free from suffering and death. Antibiotics have saved millions but have led to antibiotics resistant bacteria. Everything we do to reduce suffering and increase comfort seems to produce a counter-reaction from the world. What if our real purpose is to lead godly lives and suffer and die nobly when that time comes? And that this fully achievable in a paleolithic state, without 747s and PCs?

Wondering what you think?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 06, 2012 01:31 PM | Send