Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

Author was called to action by hearing KKK leader describe his racist ‘Damascus Road experience’

NewsJeff Brumley  |  July 7, 2021

Author Susan K. Williams Smith was sickened to learn that a passage from the New Testament inspired Samuel Bowers’ to launch the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.

Smith’s new book, With Liberty and Justice for Some: The Bible, the Constitution and Racism in America, examines how sacred texts are used to rationalize and justify Christian nationalist and white supremacist world views. And Bowers, who died in 2006 while serving a life sentence for the 1966 murder of an African American grocery store owner, was one of the catalysts for bringing the project to life.

Susan K. Williams Smith

“I knew I would write this book the day I read that this former grand wizard of the KKK said he had a ‘Damascus Road experience’ in which God called him to save white supremacy,” said Smith, an ordained United Church of Christ minister and former pastor. “Here is a Christian man who goes to church on Sundays but trains people to kill Black people. And he would tell them to pray and fast before they went out to kill.”

How, she wondered, could someone like Bowers see in the Bible a blueprint for racism and murder?

“It just bugged me, this reality that so many people could go out and lynch somebody on a Saturday night and go to church Sunday and take Communion,” said Smith, the author of six books and founder of Crazy Faith Ministries in Columbus, Ohio.

In part, it bugged her because such racist and hate-based expressions of Christianity so glaringly contradict the faith Smith learned growing up in the pre-UCC Congregational Church in Detroit, Mich.

“The God I grew up with — and my mother was my first theologian here — held that if you are Christian, you have to do what Jesus said and do what Jesus did and you have to love people and forgive.”

A conversation in high school was especially memorable for Smith because it drove home the fact that white supremacy resides deep within people. “It was in a political science class, and I remember a student saying, ‘You can make laws all you want, but you cannot legislate the hearts of people.’”

That struggle subsequently took on spiritual dimensions, she explained. “There is the age-old theodicy question: Why is this evil allowed to last and cause so much pain and suffering to so many people? I began to wrestle with that.”

In With Liberty and Justice for Some, Smith said she alighted on an answer to that disturbing question: “In this book I decided there are two Gods. There is the God of white supremacy and white nationalism, and the God of other people.”

Her conclusion helps explain why the Damascus story in the Book of Acts, in which the Apostle Paul moves from darkness into light, can be transformed into a story of progression from good into evil, she said. “When I read Bowers’ story, it made me physically ill because that’s a sincere faith on his end and for him it’s what the Bible is all about.”

Just as sickening are the attitudes and behavior those interpretations and experience condone and motivate, she added. “I think white supremacy takes the souls of people. It is a disease — an illness that is in people’s pores and enables what Martin Luther King called the ‘thingification’ of Black people — to see and treat Black people as less than human.”

The U.S. Constitution also provides language that historically contributed to the dehumanizing of African Americans, Smith said. “In the Declaration of Independence — ‘all men are created equal’ — the founding fathers and the founding preachers never meant that to refer to Black people because they were not viewed as fully human. The founders believed they were creating a country of white people for white people and even then, only for white male wealthy landowners.”

The founders believed they were creating a country of white people for white people and even then, only for white male wealthy landowners.”

America also has a tradition of disregarding constitutional protections, including the 15th Amendment that granted voting rights to Black men in 1870. White-only primaries, poll taxes and intimidation were routinely used to bypass those voting rights.

“There is a history of white nationalists absolutely ignoring the Constitution just like they ignored Brown v. Board of Education for a number of years,” Smith said about the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the racial segregation of public schools.

The pushback to white supremacy requires the interest and mettle to confront America’s racist history, she said. “If we don’t have the curiosity about the truth and the courage to listen to it, this thing will kill our country.”

 

Related articles:

What does Pelagius have to do with Josh Hawley and white nationalism? | Analysis by Matt Dodrill

Christian nationalism provides cover for white supremacy, BJC leader says

White hysteria, Critical Race Theory, and eyes that dare not see | Opinion by David Gushee

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
Tags:Crazy Faith MinistriesSamuel BowersRaceracismKKKwhite supremacyChristian nationalismwhite nationalismSusan K. Williams Smith
More by
Jeff Brumley
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina loses president and board chair in same week

      News

    • Remembering Pulse nighclub and the power of affirmation

      Opinion

    • Coalition urges White House not to overlook Black immigrants

      News

    • What I learned from Taylor Swift

      Opinion


    Curated

    • Survey: Drop in Eastern European antisemitism may be due to Zelenskyy effect

      Survey: Drop in Eastern European antisemitism may be due to Zelenskyy effect

    • Street scrolls: The beats, rhymes and spirituality of Latin hip-hop

      Street scrolls: The beats, rhymes and spirituality of Latin hip-hop

    • ‘Felt like a year’: Worshipper describes fear during gunman’s deadly attack on Pittsburgh synagogue

      ‘Felt like a year’: Worshipper describes fear during gunman’s deadly attack on Pittsburgh synagogue

    • Near the Western Wall, Jewish radicals shout at Christian Evangelicals to ‘go home’

      Near the Western Wall, Jewish radicals shout at Christian Evangelicals to ‘go home’

    Read Next:

    Southwestern trustees affirm their leadership and repudiate two trustees who raised alarms

    NewsMark Wingfield

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • What I learned from Taylor Swift

      OpinionBill Wilson

    • Remembering Pulse nighclub and the power of affirmation

      OpinionMaina Mwaura

    • A primer on why Southern Baptists are fighting over women in ministry once again

      AnalysisMark Wingfield

    • Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina loses president and board chair in same week

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Faith-based immigration advocates hopeful about new bill in Congress

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Coalition urges White House not to overlook Black immigrants

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Working and waiting with people and plants

      OpinionBob Newell

    • Gay Christian man says he was kicked off BWA commissions

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Let’s reclaim the real Baptist identity

      OpinionJustin L. Addington

    • Southwestern trustees affirm their leadership and repudiate two trustees who raised alarms

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • How to fix anemic U.S. rural health care? Learn from Africa and look to the churches, Birx says

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • To the mother who complained about Amanda Gorman’s poem

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • Medical professionals address myths and misconceptions about transgender kids

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Focus on the Family affiliate is the unifying force behind campaign to restrict transgender rights

      AnalysisSteve Rabey

    • Opal Lee may be the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ but she’s not done working for justice yet

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Rising from the ashes: God’s empowering message for displaced women

      OpinionRosaly Guzman

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • How the Progressive National Baptist Convention plans to put faith into action

      OpinionDarryl Gray

    • Believe me: The struggle of Black pain

      OpinionZachary Barber

    • They’ll know we are Christians by our what?

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • U.S. Department of Education issues guidance on religious expression in schools

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • How to celebrate Pentecost without balloons, plastic doves or salsa

      OpinionJack Levison

    • Ten Commandments bill dies in Texas Legislature

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • The generational pain and hope of the Southern Baptist witch trials

      OpinionWill Raybon

    • Leader of Assemblies of God student group at Baylor arrested on child sexual abuse charges

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina loses president and board chair in same week

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Faith-based immigration advocates hopeful about new bill in Congress

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Coalition urges White House not to overlook Black immigrants

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Gay Christian man says he was kicked off BWA commissions

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Southwestern trustees affirm their leadership and repudiate two trustees who raised alarms

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • How to fix anemic U.S. rural health care? Learn from Africa and look to the churches, Birx says

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • Medical professionals address myths and misconceptions about transgender kids

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Opal Lee may be the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ but she’s not done working for justice yet

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • U.S. Department of Education issues guidance on religious expression in schools

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Ten Commandments bill dies in Texas Legislature

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Leader of Assemblies of God student group at Baylor arrested on child sexual abuse charges

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • BJC and Interfaith Alliance applaud first-ever national strategy to counter antisemitism

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • New documentary series shows how churches that close can keep ministry open

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Southwestern Seminary trustees called to special meeting next Tuesday

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Transitions for the week of 5-26-23

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • 8-year-old’s death in CBP custody highlights Biden’s ‘system of death,’ immigration advocates say

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Evangelical worldview ministries seek to promote ‘proper’ thoughts, beliefs and actions

      NewsSteve Rabey

    • Here’s another angle to corporate DEI work: Increased support for ‘faith friendly’ workplaces

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Amid Sudan war and elsewhere, water scarcity threatens lives

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Gap widens on American confidence in vaccines

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Seven graphs that show the state of American religious attendance today

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Tim Keller was a really nice guy, but that wasn’t enough for everyone

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • In Mozambique, informal economies are springing up around Pentecostal pilgrimages

      NewsDegracias Kalimo

    • What I learned from Taylor Swift

      OpinionBill Wilson

    • Remembering Pulse nighclub and the power of affirmation

      OpinionMaina Mwaura

    • Working and waiting with people and plants

      OpinionBob Newell

    • Let’s reclaim the real Baptist identity

      OpinionJustin L. Addington

    • To the mother who complained about Amanda Gorman’s poem

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • Rising from the ashes: God’s empowering message for displaced women

      OpinionRosaly Guzman

    • How the Progressive National Baptist Convention plans to put faith into action

      OpinionDarryl Gray

    • Believe me: The struggle of Black pain

      OpinionZachary Barber

    • They’ll know we are Christians by our what?

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • How to celebrate Pentecost without balloons, plastic doves or salsa

      OpinionJack Levison

    • The generational pain and hope of the Southern Baptist witch trials

      OpinionWill Raybon

    • Why demographic shifts haven’t yet swamped the Republican Party

      OpinionRobert P. Jones

    • Tina Turner kept the divine flame burning

      OpinionJustin Cox

    • Remembering Bob Seymour: Being wise as serpents and harmless as doves

      OpinionCurtis Freeman

    • Here’s why Ron DeSantis has gone to war with Disney

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Yes, Tim Scott is a Black man, but he’s still promoting Christian nationalism

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • Why ‘affirming’ churches need to speak up

      OpinionSusan M. Shaw, Senior Columnist

    • Five things Southern Baptists should do now to address clergy sex abuse

      OpinionChrista Brown and David Clohessy

    • Why we must be cautious about understanding what’s going on at Southwestern Seminary

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • On graduation and the priesthood of all believers

      OpinionVal Fisk

    • Here’s how to force SBC entities to be accountable to people in the pew about their finances

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • These are some of the best pastors I know

      OpinionJustin Cox

    • Worshiping guns, weaponizing God    

      OpinionScott Spreier

    • Of two minds: Iain McGilchrist and the tyranny of left hemisphere religion

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • Faith freedom for all calls for justice and reconciliation

      OpinionSabrina Dent

    • Survey: Drop in Eastern European antisemitism may be due to Zelenskyy effect

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Street scrolls: The beats, rhymes and spirituality of Latin hip-hop

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • ‘Felt like a year’: Worshipper describes fear during gunman’s deadly attack on Pittsburgh synagogue

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Near the Western Wall, Jewish radicals shout at Christian Evangelicals to ‘go home’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Playing a religious character without making faith the punchline

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Jewish settlers erect religious school in evacuated West Bank outpost after Israel repeals ban

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • How the practice of Nichiren Buddhism sustained Tina Turner for 50 years

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Connecticut lawmakers absolve accused colonial-era witches, apologize for “miscarriage of justice”

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • ‘Avatar’ Franchise Expands Ideas About Spirituality Beyond A Western, Christian Lens

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Catholic Church in California grapples with more than 3,000 lawsuits, alleging child sex abuse

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Canadian Christians Launch Collective for Climate Action

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • As ‘The Marvelous Mrs Maisel’ ends, will its Jewish legacy be more than a punchline?

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US Slavic Churches Booming with Ukrainian War Refugees

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • What is ‘ethical AI’ and how can companies achieve it?

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Russia acknowledges Vatican peace initiative, says no steps yet for a mission to Moscow

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • What we need to understand is that fascism is intersectional and erotic — ’thy rod is thy gun,’ with a hip-thrust

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Our Beloved Ones Don’t Become Angels When They Die

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Turkey’s Christian Sites: Visiting The Seven Churches From The Book Of Revelation

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Firewalkers in Greece honor Saint Constantine in mystery-shrouded, centuries-old rituals

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • In fight against ‘tyranny,’ Michigan board declares itself ‘constitutional county’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Montana acts to protect Native American priority in adopting Native children

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • A new documentary takes a deep dive into the ancient and modern practice of Sabbath

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Priest killed in Mexico; 9th slain in country in past 4 years

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Fewer Christians Know Families Who Foster or Adopt

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Wikipedia disciplines editors in Holocaust distortion dispute but sidesteps debate over Polish complicity

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2023 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS