One Blood, a book by Ken Ham, C. Wieland, and D. Batten (see detail at bottom) is a creationist attack against “racism.” The burden is to argue that the biblical account of creation entails recognizing the common descent of all men, and that because of this common descent, all stereotyping, prejudice, or forbidding of marriage on the basis of race is misguided if not sinful. The arguments of the book may be divided into three main categories: (1) exposition of a model by which a literal reading of Genesis may be regarded as compatible with modern genetics, and (2) some scriptural exegesis, and (3) anecdotal and sentimental narratives meant to reinforce the anti-racism of the first two categories. As a bonus, the book even concludes (4) with instructions on how to get saved — presumably aimed at now-penitent racists.
The first category (chap 1-4) undertakes to show how in view of the science of genetics, it could be that the vast racial diversity of mankind can be explained in view of a single starting pair of parents (Adam and Eve) and could do so in a relatively short period, on the order of a thousand years. To jump to the punch line: Adam and Eve must have been mulattos. A simplified model of genetics is explained to show how the various distinguishing marks of the races could emerge naturally, and quickly, by separation into groups containing a subset of the genetic pool. The analogy is made to selective breeding of dogs from the common genus that includes wolves.
From this, the authors conclude that there are no races. Racism is based on the false view that races exist.
Since race does not exist, any view that presupposes that it does is not just erroneous but probably involves sin such as acceptance of evolution, or pride.
The second category (chap 5-7) continues the attack with shorter arguments from Scripture, focusing on the question of inter-racial marriage. Scripture gives a criterion for marriage that is color-blind, and teaches that inter-racial marriage is not sinful by virtue of the example of Rahab and Ruth in the genealogy of Christ, and the marriage of Moses. The curse on Ham or Canaan is not allowed to be invoked in this regard either.
The third section (chap 8-10) contains appeals to emotions — or perhaps more fairly, one should say, to moral intuition — in the story of some Pygmies and other anecdotes. This section adds color but need not be interacted with as to substance.
The remainder of this review discusses the most important specific arguments critically, gathered under thematic rubrics. These are listed here, and will be turned into hyper-links as each section is discussed — coming soon.
- Adam and Eve as Mulattos
- The reason for the incest prohibition
- Racism and Evolution
- Does Scripture deny the existence of Race?
- Racism and the H-word
- The “minor” extent of genetic difference
- Miscegenation
- Rahab, Ruth and the genealogy of Christ
- Moses married a Negress?
- Concluding remarks
Ken Ham, Carl Wieland, Don Batten. One Blood: The Biblical Answer to Racism (Green Forest, AR: Master) 1999
This whole idea is very odd. I’m glad someone is critiquing the book. Waiting for more…
[...] Posted by TJH on June 15, 2009 Current Discourse, Eschatology, Man, Salvation This continues the review of Ken Ham et al, One Blood: I continue with item 1 of the list of topics: the hypothesis that the genetic diversity seen today [...]
[...] good friend Tim at First Word is doing a big review on Ken Ham’s ridiculous book, One Blood. In the first part, he parses Ham’s race-mixing [...]
Love the Table in your analysis of Adam and Eve as mulattos, which clearly shows that ‘2b’ or not ‘2b’ – THAT is the question!
(sorry, couldn’t resist)
[...] Ham on Incest Posted by TJH on July 20, 2009 Biblical, Current Discourse, Ethics Ken Ham and his associates regard the Mosaic commandment against incest as a contingency brought about as a response by God to [...]
Thank you for taking on this yuck of a topic — creationism prostituted to the twisted purpose of anti-”racism”. Anybody who looks honestly at it will have to see it’s way off base: just a few decades ago virtually all Christians (and everybody else) embraced racialism (the belief, shall we say, that race is real, fundamental to all sentient existence, and not to be messed with). Nowadays Christian radio, which purports to serve as the voice of orthodox Biblical wisdom for today, takes a berserkly opposite view — that race *doesn’t exist* and that to disagree with this obviously crazy, tendentious proposition means you’re an evil sinner! Somebody HAS to be paying Ken Ham and company off behind the scenes. They don’t have to pound this anti-”racism” theme, but they all do it in unison as central to their ministry…… Anybody’s free to contact me for my MLK Day blast against Jack Hafer on this ground. Write torpenhow at charter dot net.
[...] Evolution Posted by TJH on September 01, 2009 Current Discourse, Judaica Notably absent from a book purporting to be a refutation of racism is a definition of either race or racism. There is the ominous hint that racism is evil, and the [...]
[...] of genetic differences between the races Posted by TJH on September 17, 2009 Current Discourse Ham et al. claim that there is only 0.2% genetic difference between any two races, and that the same percentage of [...]
[...] the Hitler Posted by TJH on October 05, 2009 20th century, Current Discourse, History In the book under review, Ham et al. make the inevitable appeal to [...]
[...] Posted by TJH on November 09, 2009 Current Discourse Ken Ham and his associates in the book under review favor interracial marriage, provided it is between two Christians or two [...]