Could God Be Blamed for Racial Inequality in America?

Vienna Kwan, Year 11, Keller

In the year 2020, racial inequality still exists. Despite not presenting itself in the form of slavery or laws, it has not disappeared: it has merely shifted into other forms under a veneer of normalcy. Through the advancement into modern society, racial inequality has manifested itself in new areas: poverty, unemployment and crime just to name a few. From the recent murder of George Floyd by law enforcement to the subtle denial of education due to the colour of your skin, racial inequality is arguably still present.

What is racial inequality, in the context of the United States?

It refers to the imbalances in distribution of power, economic resources and opportunities due to one’s race. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which led to the 13th and 14th amendment, racial inequality continues to dominate American society. One can’t help but ponder the role of God within this context, exploring how he could be involved in the racial disparities within wealth and wages to the discrimination faced in jobs and education. How could the presence of racial inequality, something that arguably contributes to evil and suffering in this world, simultaneously co-exist with an all-loving, all-powerful God? Viewing from another perspective, one could argue that racial inequality, now more than ever, is tied to the way capitalism works. Typically, billionaires thrive off the exploitation of the working class, and yet the wages are still distributed differently due to the colour of someone’s skin. For example, a white male of the working class makes around $19.23 per hour, whereas a hispanic woman makes around $12.5 per hour - which is clear evidence of systematic inequality toward both race and gender. The labour of workers improves a country’s GDP and stimulates economic development, but they (especially people of colour) are simultaneously manipulated by the inherently unequal system. As more billionaires are produced, the country prospers. However, the reality is that only by depending on these racial disparities in income, wealth, education and family structures are they able to flourish.

The origins of racial inequality is a widely discussed topic. It could be argued that one’s intransigence is an inherent trait and therefore contributes to systemic or institutionalised racism. Would this be valid seeing that many people of all races spend their life fighting for the equality of others? Many people are empathetic for those who suffer and strive to do everything in their power to make a change.

Does this not mean there is a glimmer of hope for this societal injustice? Alternatively, one could argue that racial inequality is rooted in the early years of colonialism and slavery, when colonists viewed the colonised as inferior.

As most would agree now, mercantilism was an act of greed and selfishness. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the notion of doing something for personal gain - it’s part of one’s survival instinct. However, the moral integrity of one’s action starts to disintegrate when personal gain is set at the expense of others.

What caused humans to have condoned such dire things like slave trade? Although it may seem a little far fetched at first, some people would argue it is the fault of God. But if God granted us free will as an act of omnibenevolence, then the choice to colonise or be involved in a slave trade means he should not be held accountable, seeing as these later actions have not been controlled by God. That would be paradoxical: to do so would be to contradict the notion of free will. On the other hand, if God did not grant us free will, then every choice we make is predetermined and thus racial inequality is caused by God, posing an invisible yet significant threat on our freedoms. That is to say the nearly implausible argument is another conversation. One could say that colonisation and the slave trade have caused a series of stereotypes that still cast their shadows over American society (like suggesting a particular race has more violent tendecies), inducing antipathy and fear towards other races. Yet, this idea is not usually associated with any opinions which suggests that God bears malice. This could be reflected by the fact that even the Bible declares that there is only one race - the human race. The Bible tells us that ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ The God that Christians worship is certainly omnibenevolent. That is to say they would blame any form of racial inequality on actions of the human kind - moral evil. In other words, believing humanity is the liability that should be held accountable for racial injustice.

Of course, the above argument assumes that we live in a world created by an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving God. An interesting theory that could contradict this argument is this: why don’t we think there is an all powerful yet malicious creator set on wreaking havoc? The existence of the universe is used as a theodicy to prove the existence of God. William Paley once mentioned that every design must have a designer and creator, therefore our universe must have a necessary being and creator. But why do we suppose that such a creator is all good? Afterall, the presence of evil and suffering in the world does urge one to question the characteristics of God.

From the past slave trades to the present social hierarchy, a world without any sort of inequality almost seems impossible. This raises the question: if racial inequality is considered morally evil and something that threatens survival, why does it exist? Theoretically, couldn’t we agree on changing a system to eliminate disparities in order to benefit the majority? It may sound that simple, but from a pragmatic perspective, inequality can never be fully eradicated in any standard political system. Optimistically, we could move forward into establishing a more just and free society by advocating justice and promoting equity - with or without the belief in God. Thus, it is only through human actions that equality can be achieved.