Sir Winston Churchill famously said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” This could be applied to propaganda, as it is often based on blatant lies or embellishments.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines propaganda as the systematic dissemination of information, especially in a biased or misleading way, in order to promote a particular cause or point of view, often a political agenda.
Racist propaganda, then, is the systematic dissemination of misinformation intended to perpetuate the ideology of white supremacy. Racist propaganda is rooted in the Big White Lie that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.
Joel Bowman
Genesis 1:26-27 affirms that all humanity, regardless of race or ethnicity, has been created in the image of God. The New Living Translation says it this way, “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.’” Using the Latin language, some theologians call this the Imago Dei principle. I contend this is one of the most neglected areas of theology and Christian ethics.
Humans are co-equally unique and valuable among all of God’s creation and should be treated as those who have inherent worth and dignity. Therefore, any propaganda that targets nonwhite people dishonors the image of God borne by such people.
From the beginning of Donald Trump’s rise to political power, he has trafficked in the sordid world of racist propaganda. The racist birther conspiracy concerning former President Barack Obama was the launching pad for his political career.
Whether it was in his 2015 speech announcing his first bid for the presidency or the myth of rampant voter fraud in large, mostly Black cities, Trump has been highly effective in the spread of racist propaganda about Black and brown people.
Perhaps the most pernicious example of Trump’s racist propaganda is the one currently capturing the media’s attention. Trump has been aggressively forwarding the baseless rumor that Haitian migrants have been eating peoples’ pets in Springfield, Ohio. He even brought this racist propaganda into his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Vice presidential nominee JD Vance was told these rumors were false before the debate, yet he and Trump have continued to shamelessly push them.
The most reprehensible aspect of the racist propaganda targeting Haitians has been the deafening silence of many conservative Christians (including white evangelicals and Roman Catholics). While some white evangelical leaders such as Russell Moore have repudiated this lie, they are in the minority.
As has been well documented, conservative Christians are among Trump’s most ardent supporters. They often reference protecting the “sanctity of life” when discussing their opposition to abortion. Some even employ the Imago Dei principle when arguing their position.
“Such Christians cannot rightly bear the pro-life moniker, since they are not governed by a consistent life ethic.”
However, when it comes to repudiating racist propaganda that is reminiscent of Nazi Germany, they have little or nothing to say. Such Christians cannot rightly bear the pro-life moniker, since they are not governed by a consistent life ethic. They are merely anti-abortion. One who is authentically pro-life is committed to protecting all human life, including those who because of their race or ethnicity have been marginalized in society.
Regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum, Christians and other people of faith must be committed to loving their neighbors. After all, they bear the very image of God. How we treat our neighbors is, in essence, how we treat God.
This is a transcendent truth around which people of various faith traditions can mobilize.
Neighbor-love involves defending the image of God in those who are vulnerable to anti-immigrant rhetoric. As evidenced by bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio, racist propaganda can result in the lives of God’s image-bearers being in danger.
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught the importance of coming to the aid of our neighbors who have been harmed. If we remain silent when it comes to how racist propaganda is harmful to our fellow image-bearers, we are complicit in that harm.
Joel A. Bowman Sr. is a native of Detroit who has served as a senior pastor in Louisville, Ky., for 25 years. He also is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of experience as a mental health clinician. Follow him @JoelABowmanSr and atacompellingvoice.com.
Related articles:
‘Who is my neighbor?’ | Opinion by Greg Garrett
I grew up in Springfield; here’s the real story on what’s happening there | Opinion by Steve Rabey
Conservative Christian Trump supporters: I want to understand | Opinion by Susan Shaw