CREATION SPEAKS: On the Bible, Created Kinds and Racism

I want to thank Lee's Birdwatching Adventures for guest posting this blog! Lee's website is about birding from a Christian perspective and has years of articles and content from Lee and other creationists and birders. 

William Wise Photography’s Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9

White Winged Zenaida asiatica Dove in Driftwood, Texas. June 21, 2012.

​“What kind of bird is that?” my young daughter asked, pointing up into the tree. “It’s a White-winged Dove.” After giving a short species account, I went on to explain, “For many, the dove represents peace. And in the Bible it often represents the Holy Spirit.”

​“And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him...” - Luke 3:22

When she asked what kind it was, I knew what she meant: she was asking what species of bird sat perched before us. But being a Christian that believes in the six-day creation account of Genesis, her use of the word “kind” brought another thought to my mind.
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The Bible reveals that on Days Five and Six of the creation week, God created all the living creatures. The text of Genesis one divides them into groups, or kinds, such as sea creatures, winged creatures, cattle, and beasts. And within those broad groups were a further breakdown of kinds. In other words, within the winged fowl, the birds could be categorized into smaller groups.

​“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind:” - Genesis 1:21 

While Baraminologists (scientists that study created kinds) aren’t sure of the specific groupings, perhaps  the kinds of birds are similar to what you find the index of your favorite Field Guide: long-legged waders, ducks, seabirds and gulls, raptors, passerines, etc. Modern day science labels them by genus and species. The Bible calls them kinds.
But when it came to the creation account of mankind, the language of the Bible makes a change. As Adam awoke from the dust of the earth, the repeated phrase “after his kind” did not appear. Instead, we read, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27). From the very beginning, we can see the truth that humans are not broken down into different kinds, but all mankind is one kind! There was only one man in the beginning, and all others have descended from Adam.

Grouping people into kinds, or races as we call them today, is purely a human invention. And racism is most certainly a human invention! The Bible is quite clear that all humans are related; all are of one blood. “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26).

While most people know Charles Darwin’s book is titled, The Origin of Species, many do not know the full title: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.” It was evolutionary theory that propelled the idea to divide human beings into races. Evolution teaches that the different “races” of people evolved at different times and rates, so some groups are more like their ape-like ancestors than others.

That is man’s system of taxonomy. But in God’s system, all men and women are of the same kind; all are of the same standing and worth no matter the differences in appearance. No single people group is better than another. All are equal. In fact, the value of something is based upon the price someone is willing to pay for it. Jesus Christ paid the price of His life and blood equally for all human beings.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” -1 John 3:16  

​Race is purely a discriminatory classification system concocted by humans themselves. In God’s order, there is no such thing as race, and therefore absolutely no grounds for racism! “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:12-13).