You hate to hear about things like this coming out of Alabama, a state that has a problematic history with race, but here it goes: A church group called Christian Identity Ministries (CIM), led and founded by Rev. Mel Lewis, is getting together for an all-white Christian conference in Winfield, a small town in the western part of the state. That’s right — no Blacks allowed.

Alabama news station WAFF reports:

Among the Ku Klux Klan flags and white supremacy slogans, a small group of so-called "white Christians" contend they have been treated unfairly — that they have the right, like any other American, to worship how they wish. 

"We are not breaking any laws. We're not violating any ordinances. We're bringing the Word of God to people who want it, obviously, or they wouldn't be here," said Lewis.  

When asked who white Christians are, Lewis said that "they are part of the chosen race."  Lewis is the founder of Christian Identity Ministries.

As you might imagine, Lewis’ conference is making quite a splash in a state that’s struggled for decades with racial tension. But luckily many residents are solidly against CIM’s message of white supremacy. Winfield’s mayor, Wayne Silas, has condemned the event, saying, "Business people are upset. The city is upset. The city of Winfield does not condone this.”

Perhaps the strangest part about an “all-white Christian group” is how oxymoronic it is. Many people disagree about how to interpret more complex aspects of the Bible, but one thing most Biblical scholars can agree on is that Jesus very often preached a message of tolerance and kindness to your fellow man. It would probably be wise of Lewis and his ilk to go back to their Bibles and read Galatians 3:28. It says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Oddly, I couldn’t find any passages about white power in the Bible.

The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of BET Networks.

BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: Courtesy waff.com)