Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 8
December 20, 1956
NUMBER 33, PAGE 3a

"Segregation, What About It"

Bill Echols, Goliad, Texas

In the Gospel Guardian of October 18, 1956, Brother Driskill wrote an article with the above title. He said that he wanted others to speak out on this issue and I want to do so by answering some of the things that he said in that particular article.

In the article he makes this statement:

Since the ruling (of the Supreme Court) however, there has been at least one radio sermon and several articles in the papers condemning segregation and urging compliance with Supreme Court ruling on two grounds (1) we should comply with the rulings of our highest court and (2) the Bible teaches against segregation.

The first of course would be true if the ruling is in harmony with our Constitution; many deny the constitutionality of the decision.

Reason number one that he gave IS true and is adequate to end segregation. The only way we could refuse to obey the decision of the Supreme Court is to show that what the Court said is contrary to the Law of Christ. As Brother Driskill examined "some of the passages used by integrationists" I got the idea that he was doing just that. I wish he would answer these questions. Is the decision of the Court contrary to the Law of Christ? If so, where is the passage it violates? If not, are we not compelled as Christians and citizens to accept it and defend it as much as we are to defend the supreme law of the land, the Constitution of the United States.

A second heading of the article asked, "Is forced integration right?" The word force has been tossed into the segregation issue too many times. It is USUALLY used to arouse prejudices. Is FORCED segregation right?

The Constitution says:

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall ABRIDGE THE PRIVILEGES OR IMMUNITIES (Emp. mine, B.E.) of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction EQUAL (Emp. mine, B.E.) protection of the laws.

Brother Driskill's statement that some deny the constitutionality of the decision of the Court is also used by some to arouse prejudice and destroy confidence in this branch of our government.

Brother Driskill said God himself segregated the races. Where did he read it ? Segregate in my dictionary means, "to set apart from others; ISOLATE; specif. to COMPEL (racial groups) to live, go to school, etc., apart from each other." Where is the passage in the Book Divine that said God did it?

To deny segregation we do not have to join the Communists as the author under examination said.

No one is deprived of segregating himself from others because of their color. You can stay out of their way, but no one has the right to deprive them of equal privileges just because he doesn't want them around him. Brother Driskill said, "I would not deprive them of the gospel." How are they going to get it, if you want to stay away from them?

The statement that struck me the hardest was: "To take from me the right to choose my children's associates is evil." How will integration do it? The fact that your children (I suppose you have some) go to school now with other children, many of whom you do not approve, kills this statement, unless you approve of any white child and no black child. You have no say so whatsoever as to who will be a student with your children in their classes. Would you allow them to go to school with Orientals? To do so would be integrating two races. Does the fact that one child is black make him evil?

The old segregational dodge of marriage between races instilled in the last paragraph of the article is a prejudice arousing issue. Brother Driskill thinks that such is terrible and then hopes to see his brethren in the church faced with just such a problem. If something is evil I do not hope that my brethren will experience it.

May I say with love in my heart for all men that the article, to me, was filled with prejudice, bred from prejudice, and will only produce prejudice. That is not the answer to the question.