by MJ Olahafa
Christian Identity is a particularly obscure strand of Christianity which came out of the nineteen century religious/social movement British Israelism, and holds that only the white race is salvation worthy. It advocates racism and violence as part of ‘Christian’ norms and is centered upon the belief that Jesus, Son of God and God, was a White man, descendant from an equally White, Caucasian Adam, made to the likeness and resemblance of God.
Christian Identity goes on to spread the fantasy that the Anglo-Celt-Saxons are the true Israelites, descendants of the Lost Tribes, and sons of Abraham. According to this ideology and with complete disregard of the teachings of Christ, salvation is strictly race-based and reserved to God’s Israel, i.e. the White, Caucasian, Anglo-Saxon, Nordic, Germanic and kindred race. All the other races – except for Jews – are ‘mud-people’, created prior to Adam and without souls. And even though they have a purpose here on Earth [to be sub-servant to the white race which is to have complete dominion over them], they are to take no part in salvation for they are not of AWDAWM [or Adam] and cannot “show blood in the face.”
To make things worse [or clearer, however you choose to look at it], Christian Identity shows its true colors in the blatant anti-Semitism displayed in its concoction of the origin of the Jewish race. Once again shutting its eyes to the Scriptures [Genesis 4:1], Christian Identity advocates that Jews are descendants of Cain, who is the product of an unholy union between Eve and the Serpent, otherwise known as Satan. In other words, Jews are demonic in nature, offspring of the Devil himself, and direct enemies of God and His chosen people – the whites.
As if its theology of racism, anti-Semitism and white supremacy wasn’t enough, Christian Identity has also been known to dabble in violence and other acts of terrorism. Christian Identity believers view the Apocalypse as a racial battle, genocidal, with White people on one side and Jews and persons of color on the other. This period of Tribulations, which is upon us, will usher in the Millennium [a thousand years of peace on Earth] and climax in the Second Coming of Christ. “For identity believers, human action to precipitate this violent and chaotic period is key to their salvation, and the sooner White Christians can precipitate the Tribulations, the sooner they will inherit the Kingdom.” [Ostendorf, 2002]
Now, as chilling as this view of Christianity is, it takes an even more disturbing turn in the concept of the Phineas Priesthood, set forth by Richard Kelly Hoskins in his 1990 book Vigilantes of Christendom. Putting his own twist on the story of Phineas in the Bible [Numbers 25], Hoskins teaches Christian Identity believers that it is their duty to kill anyone who disobeys God’s Law, with a special regard to race-mixers. For according to Christian Identity, no sin is quite as unholy, reprehensible and unforgivable as that of polluting the chosen race, because it is a slap in the face of God and can only be sanctioned by death. Phineas Priests are self-elected and self-anointed to do just that.
As mind-boggling as this all seems, Christian Identity is not a thing of the past as most people might think. It is alive and well and quietly growing in numbers. The Anti-Defamation League estimates a following of 25,000 to 50,000 people, and the Southern Poverty Law Center recognizes 36 active Christian Identity organizations in the United States – most of them are located in the Southwest/Midwest area. This ideology is alive and well and its followers are doing whatever it takes to spread their message of hate to the unsuspecting population. Christians everywhere, beware.