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Miscegenation laws have been in existence since the colonial period in America and still affect America today in terms of the legacy they leave behind. Miscegenation laws, and cases to overturn are often grounded in the Christian faith and both in favor and against cite the Bible in their arguments. Perhaps one of the most important cases against miscegenation, the overturning of miscegenation laws, and one of the court cases most grounded in Christianity is Loving v. Virginia.
In Christianity, the Bible is God’s Word. There isn’t a single place within all sixty-six books that condemn people from marrying a person of another skin color for racial reasons. There are figures in the Bible who actually did marry outside their race.
Many people use the Bible in the case against interracial marriage. One person would be Judge Bazile when he said "...Almighty God created the races, white, black, yellow, malay, and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interferences with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix. The awfulness of the offense is shown by the fact...[that] the code makes the contracting of marriage between a white person and any colored person a felony. Conviction of a felony is a serious matter. You lose your political rights, and only the government has the power to restore them. And as long as you live you will be known as a felon. 'The moving finger writes and moves on and having writ/ Nor all your piety nor all your wit/ Can change one line of it.'”
Although he uses it in that regard, the Bible actually leans more the other way. The Old Testament banned interracial marriage for RELIGIOUS reasons. Here are some quotes from the time the Isrealites came out of Egypt:
Exodus 34:16: “‘And “‘''And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and daughters and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same''.’” Deuteronomy 7:3: “‘Do “‘''Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons''.’”
God gave this command because when the Israelites moved into Canaan, they would be surrounded by neighbors who worshipped other things and not the Lord. Skin color had nothing to do with it. There are even a couple key figures who married interracially: Moses and Solomon.
Exodus 2: 21: “Moses agreed to stay with the man who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.”
