So Who Believes the Bible In This?

[With regard to the logical distinction between slavery and racism] But we are not positing a separate existence for the two back then. We are positing a separate existence for them in our thinking. A century later, we have a better perspective on some things than they did, and we believe that racism is a sin to be repented of. But we do not believe that for Virginia to think she had the right of secession because she had expressly reserved that right to herself when she ratified the Constitution (as also did Rhode Island and New York) is a sin to be repented of as well. We do not think it was a sin (malum in se) to own slaves, provided they were treated scripturally — as that old cotton planter the apostle Paul once taught. And we did maintain, following the Scriptures, that the slave trade was an abomination” (Black and Tan, p. 105).