It's Time to Stop Using Religious Phrases that Sound Holy but are Historically, Theologically, and Spiritually Problematic.
“I’m Christian Before Black?” Why This Statement Is Not as Holy as it Seems.
When you study history and religion deeply, you notice patterns. Ideas that seem harmless or “spiritual” today often echo ideologies that once caused real harm. Recently, I’ve seen pastors, often without historical or theological grounding, promote the idea that Black people “idolize their race” and should declare, “I’m Christian before I’m Black.”
The intention may be to remind believers that Christ and the Kingdom come first. That truth stands on its own. There is no question if God is first.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
As kingdom citizens regardless of our racial identity, we should be exuding Gods culture outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 and Matthew 22:37–40, but we do not need to whitewash, minimize, or dishonor the ethnic identity God intentionally placed us in to affirm our allegiance to Christ. Affirming your race, culture, the community you come from is not idolization. Scripture itself highlights Jesus’ Jewish identity, and He carried out His divine assignment fully rooted in His heritage. He never exalted His ethnicity above His mission, but He also never erased it. He is the best example of being a part of a people group and embracing it while obeying God completely.
When I hear “I’m Christian before I’m Black,” I recognize it as more than a casual statement. It carries deep historical implications, especially for African Americans.
The Historical Pattern: Erasing Identity in the Name of Christianity
During slavery, Black people were:
Barred from reading the full Bible, especially passages about liberation.
Given twisted theology that demanded they erase their African identity and embrace whiteness to please their enslavers.
Prevented from worshiping with white Christians, reinforcing a false hierarchy of humanity.
Enslavers attacked African languages, names, hairstyles, religions, and family structures. Erasing identity made domination easier. It also allowed white supremacy to present itself as “God‑ordained,” even though it contradicted everything God reveals about justice, dignity, and the value of every nation and people.
Anti‑Blackness did not end with slavery. It was woven into American institutions in ways that shaped culture, psychology, and self‑perception.
Schools taught that whiteness was superior and Blackness was backward.
Churches often preached a theology that aligned God with whiteness, reinforcing racial hierarchy.
Media portrayed Black people as less intelligent, less beautiful, and less worthy.
Laws and policies—from Jim Crow to housing discrimination—reinforced the message that Blackness was “less than.”
In response, enslaved Africans gathered in hush harbors, where they reclaimed the true God of liberation and dignity. Out of this resistance emerged the Black Church, which became the spiritual, cultural, and political backbone of Black life. From the Black Church came the Civil Rights Movement, which reshaped the moral landscape of America. To tell Black people today to erase their identity is to echo the very theology that once justified their oppression.
Despite centuries of erasure, Black communities have continually reclaimed identity through culture, creativity, and collective resistance.
The Harlem Renaissance redefined Black art, music, and intellectual life.
The Civil Rights Movement reclaimed dignity, humanity, and political power.
The Black Power and natural hair movements affirmed that Blackness is beautiful and sacred.
Modern cultural movements, from literature to music to Afrofuturism it continues to celebrate Black identity as powerful, creative, and world‑shaping.
Reclaiming identity has always been an act of liberation. It is a refusal to accept the lies white supremacy tried to impose. It is a declaration that God’s design is good.
Why This Matters for the Church Today
When someone says, “I’m Christian before I’m Black,” it may sound spiritual, but historically it echoes the same patterns used to silence, suppress, and erase Black identity. It unintentionally aligns with the very systems that tried to strip Black people of their God‑given dignity. God never asked anyone to erase their ethnicity to follow Him. In Scripture, He consistently honors the identities He created and confronts those who weaponize ethnicity against others. Loving who God made you to be is not idolatry, it is obedience. And loving others across ethnic lines requires honoring the fullness of who they are, not erasing it.
Let’s talk about God’s Consistent Response to Ethnic Oppression in Scripture
Scripture shows repeatedly that God takes ethnic injustice seriously. He sees it, confronts it, and judges it.
Miriam and Moses’ Cushite Wife — Numbers 12
Miriam and Aaron criticize Moses because of his Cushite (Ethiopian) wife. Their complaint is rooted in ethnic bias. God responds immediately, striking Miriam with leprosy. The message is unmistakable: ethnic contempt is sin, and God will not tolerate it.
Israel Under Egyptian Oppression
Israel’s enslavement was built on ethnic hierarchy. God hears their cries and overthrows an empire to deliver them. Liberation in Scripture is not only spiritual—it is ethnic, social, and political.
Hagar, the Egyptian Woman — Genesis 16 & 21
Hagar is a foreign, enslaved Egyptian woman mistreated by Sarah. Twice she flees, and twice God meets her personally. He protects her, speaks to her, and promises to bless her son. Hagar becomes the first person in Scripture to name God—El Roi, “the God who sees me.” God honors her ethnicity, her suffering, and her story.
The Good Samaritan — Luke 10
Jesus intentionally chooses a Samaritan—a group despised by Jews, to be the hero of His parable. He elevates the very people society rejected to teach what true neighborly love looks like. Jesus confronts ethnic prejudice head-on.
What This Reveals About God and Identity
Across Scripture, God consistently:
Defends those oppressed because of their ethnicity
Judges those who weaponize ethnic identity
Honors the cultural distinctions He created
Uses marginalized ethnic groups to reveal His character
Ethnic identity is not an obstacle to your calling, it is part of the intentional design God placed you in. It honors Him when we love ourselves as He made us (Matthew 22:39) and when we love one another rightly, without diminishing or erasing the identities He crafted.
Why “I’m Christian Before Black” Misses the Mark
The statement becomes harmful when it:
Silences conversations about racial injustice
Pressures Black people to downplay their lived experiences
Mirrors historical patterns of forced assimilation
Implies Black identity is inferior or idolatrous
Aligns Christianity with whiteness rather than Christ
Honoring Black Legacy Is Not Sin—It Is Wisdom, Memory, and Stewardship
It is not only harmful but deeply ignorant to arrogantly dismiss our Blackness or to discount the sacrifices of our ancestors; as if our freedom was not fought for, bled for, prayed for, and died for. To tell Black people to “forget” who they are is to trivialize the generations who endured unimaginable suffering so that we could stand, worship, learn, vote, and live with dignity.
Honoring that legacy is not idolatry. It is not pride. It is not sin. It is biblical.
Scripture is full of legacy, remembrance, and honor:
God repeatedly commands Israel to remember their ancestors and what He brought them through.
Genealogies are preserved with care because identity matters to God.
Festivals, memorial stones, and rituals were established so future generations would never forget who they were or where they came from.
Hebrews 11 honors the “great cloud of witnesses”—a lineage of faith and sacrifice.
If God honors legacy, why shouldn’t we?
To diminish Black identity is to disrespect the people who carried the weight of oppression so that we could walk in freedom. It is to ignore the spiritual resilience, cultural brilliance, and generational strength that God Himself preserved through centuries of violence and erasure.
Remembering our story is not rebellion, it is stewardship. Honoring our ancestors is not elevating race above Christ; it is acknowledging the very real history God brought us through. Loving our Blackness is not idolatry, it is gratitude for the way God crafted us and sustained us. Erasing that is not humility. It is historical amnesia. And it aligns more with the logic of white supremacy than with the heart of God. At the heart of this entire conversation is a simple but profound truth: God never asked anyone to erase the identity He intentionally gave them. Throughout Scripture, God honors ethnicity, confronts prejudice, defends the oppressed, and preserves the dignity of every people group He created. Jesus Himself lived, ministered, and died as a Jewish man; fully rooted in His heritage while fully surrendered to His divine mission.
When people say, “I’m Christian before I’m Black,” they may mean well, but the statement carries the weight of a painful history. It echoes the same distorted theology used to silence enslaved Africans.
But God does not require erasure for unity.
God does not require assimilation for holiness.
God does not require self‑hatred for discipleship.
It is not only theologically incorrect; it is historically dangerous.
And beyond that, it is deeply uninformed to dismiss our Blackness or to belittle the sacrifices of our ancestors. To dishonor our identity is to dishonor the people who carried the weight of oppression so that we could stand in the fullness of who we are today. Honoring that legacy is not sin, it is stewardship. It is biblical. Scripture is full of remembrance, lineage, and the sacred duty to honor those who came before us.
Black identity is not a threat to Christian identity.
Black identity is not idolatry.
Black identity is not something to repent of or hide.
Acts 17:26 — “From one blood He made all nations… and determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.” God intentionally created nations, cultures, and ethnic groups.
Revelation 7:9 — “Every nation, tribe, people, and language” worship before the throne. Ethnic identity is not erased in heaven—it is celebrated.
Psalm 139:14 — “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Your physical and cultural identity is part of God’s design.
It is a God‑crafted expression of His creativity. It is a story God Himself preserved through centuries of violence and erasure. And reclaiming that story is an act of liberation; spiritually, psychologically, and generationally. So, the call is not to choose between being Black and being Christian. The call is to reject the false theology that ever told us we had to. The call is to stand fully in Christ and fully in the skin and culture He placed us in. To be Black and Christian is not a contradiction. And it is time we honor it with the dignity God intended.
Love, Gab
-Wife, Mom, Theologically trained Bible teacher, Licensed Minister