Racism without the sheets...

December 29, 2007 10:54 AM

Kinism Kinism is the belief that the God-ordained social order for man is tribal and ethnic rather than imperial and universal. In other words, they are segregationists. Can YOU tell the difference?

Kinists are a small but disturbing faction in the Reformed subgrouping of Christianity (or in this case, in my humble opinion, "Christianity." Nothing remotely really Christian about it.)

posted by konolia (41 comments total)

"White Christians" is enough to make my irony meter shut down from overload. Jesus was a Semite; early Christians were converted Jews. There's nothing even slightly racial that I've ever discovered about Christ's message.

The only difference I can see between these people and the Klukkers I'd occasionally meet in SC is that they can spell and use blogging software competently. Presumably they have somewhat better dental work, too.

In the "Notebooks of Lazarus Long," Robert Heinlein once noted that whoring is [perceived socially] like military service: okay in the upper ranks, not so good lower down. I think to that I'd add racism.
posted by pax digita at 11:10 AM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Do these racists need any more publicity? I mean, it's one thing if you're pointing out a disguised racism that isn't apparent for all to see, but these idiots proudly proclaim to be for "White Christians," and their news commentary leads with the American racists' favorite hobby horse--minority fertility rates. It's like linking to Stormfront, and I don't think it even remotely resembles what MetaFilter should be about.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 11:20 AM on December 29, 2007

Don't they know Jesus was black?
posted by cazoo at 11:25 AM on December 29, 2007

Monju_bosatsu, I had never even heard of these people before recently. Some of us out here needed to know what they were. There is some evidence that some of these types are infiltrating homeschool groups and not being upfront about what they really believe.
posted by konolia at 11:30 AM on December 29, 2007 [3 favorites]

I'm all for segregation. I don't want to be anywhere near these idiots.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:45 AM on December 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

I also don't especially like FPPs that have an editorial tone, even if the issue's a no-brainer. It's only a small step from there to the New York Post headlines that scream "Sicko" about anyone who's even been accused of a violent or sexual crime.
posted by Epenthesis at 11:48 AM on December 29, 2007

But do they support Ron Paul?
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:56 AM on December 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

I confess given the summaries here I won't bother clicking the link, but am at a loss to imagine how they take the gospel message of Christ and come up with the tribal and ethnic bit. I would have thought one of the distinctive elements of the Christian message was that it was universalist and there's all that in Matthew about a man's foes being of his own household.
posted by Abiezer at 12:01 PM on December 29, 2007

This is hardly new.

You know who else was a Christian and a racist?
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:02 PM on December 29, 2007

I -- in complete seriousness -- would enthusiastically support giving these people their own "tribal" homeland, setup something between an Indian reservation and a Federal district (like DC). No congressmen, no senators, but give them some meager Federal aid, similar to what the Bureau of Indian Affairs provides the reservations.

Within the reservation let them set up their own racially-inspired bigoted laws. Won't matter, no one other than whites will be there.

I predict that within ten years, the White Reservation will be run by a cult-like leader, most inhabitants will move back out, and the most dangerous hotheads will be contained or so dispirited by the failure of their "Whitopia" as to no longer be a threat to our society. Just in case, the setup would dictate that they are not allowed to do any military training on the reservation, and that it would be open to Federal police.

Seriously: as long as they are part of our society, they're going to be embittered and toxic and dangerous. Give them what they want (within their own trial homeland) , and let them experience lots of fail.
posted by orthogonality at 12:04 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

BitterOldPunk writes "But do they support Ron Paul?"

Probably they do. And their rhetoric about "race-traitors" suggests that like you, they also believe in guilt-by-association.

But why they support Paul isn't why I and many others support Paul. I'm too desperate for real change to let that fact that racists also want change, make me embrace the status quo.
posted by orthogonality at 12:07 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

orthogonality, I always felt the same way about the idiots who used to have that compound in Hayden Lake, ID. You want a white nation? Put a wall around them and see how well they do.
posted by maxwelton at 12:11 PM on December 29, 2007

Nothing remotely really Christian about it.

Well, there's nothing good about it.

But nothing Christian? I don't know. Jesus himself supposedly refused to cast a demon out of a woman's daughter because the woman was Greek, not Jewish, saying that "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."

In fairness, he eventually gave in, but only because she had her wits about her enough to give him a snappy comeback.
posted by Flunkie at 12:30 PM on December 29, 2007

Not only do I think free speech should be a right, meaning individuals and organizations should be free from external censorship, I also think it should be mandatory for public figures and organizations to speak free from internal censorship. That way I can tell exactly who my enemies are without having to guess at their motives.

For personal relationships, not so much.

I know, dream on.
posted by vapidave at 12:30 PM on December 29, 2007

I'm perfectly okay with the editorial tone here. I thought it wasn't too heavy-handed. Being too concerned with avoiding appearance of editorial tone can result in an inability to call spades spades, and this is one spade that could stand a good identifying.
posted by JHarris at 12:39 PM on December 29, 2007 [3 favorites]

JHarris writes "to call spades spades"

Who you calling a spade, cracker?
posted by orthogonality at 12:42 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Can YOU tell the difference?

Well, to answer your rhetorical question, yeah. It might actually be useful to differentiate between shades of racism, because there might be a nugget of insight that we can work with.

It's a so-so reasonable assertion to say that you are worried about the death of your traditions and culture and the statement, "a relentless campaign is now underway throughout the world to eradicate racial and ethnic distinctions," could just as easily be read in anti-racist literature.

What these fuckbrains fail to realize is that their traditions and culture are dying because of their own actions, their own failure to adapt and their own inability to get along with others. A lot of really successful tribes celebrate xenogamy. If you have faith in the value of your traditions, then you don't have to force it down your progeny's throats with threats and fear.
posted by Skwirl at 1:05 PM on December 29, 2007

Beyond simply being white and Christian, what are the unique and imperiled cultural elements of white Christianity, anyway?
posted by "Tex" Connor and the Wily Roundup Boys at 2:00 PM on December 29, 2007

Racism without the sheets...

Oh, of course. Traditional far-right models, based on the old-time Klan or the various Next Reich grouplets, won't go anywhere in this day and age, except among the more backward and ignorant layers of the population.

So you recast your beliefs, give them new names: "kin-ist", "white nationalist", "white separatist" etc.

It's all about the marketing.
posted by jason's_planet at 2:15 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

cazoo: "Don't they know Jesus was black?"

Jesus Christ is a jew. Santa Claus is black. Easter Bunny is hispanic, and the Tooth Fairy is a lesbian. I know some think she's a male cross-dresser. Sorry to burst that bubble.

Short answer to this thread: White Supremacy is neither. Thank you drive thru.

Long answer:

I have been dissed before in these boards regarding my opinion of blue blood. I'm exactly opposite in my racist views and that may make me just as bad. I don't care.

In order to improve humanity genetic destiny and speed up evolution, people should be fucking people who are different from them. I wanna see whites and blacks and browns and yellows and reds fucking each other as often as humanly possible. If you can find orange and purple people, throw them into the orgy too. If the end result comes out to be polka dots and paisley stripes then yer doin' sumphin right.

Whites fucking whites only increases the odds that the offspring will be more like their parents. You seen the parents. They ain't superior to nuthin.' Most single-colored people can't tie their own shoelaces. I'm a mutt, and damned proud of it! I only wish I was more of a mutt. I'm ashamed to admit I'm mostly white, but there's a smidgen of other stuff in there. I'm part Cajun for cryin' out loud. God knows what all's in me to be honest. I hope I'm part Klingon. I ain't black enough cuz I ain't got rhythm. I want rhythm, dammit, but it's too late for me. I ain't smart enough cuz I got too much white in me. I'm so ashamed. I wanna be more Indian so I can wear those cool cotton outfits without people looking at me funny.

The idea of purifying the blood of a 'family line' by keeping it 'in the family' is wrong. I hope someday fucking your own skin color will be as frowned upon as fucking your own cousin. It should be taboo. The more different your sex partner is, the more awesome the sex should be. At least that's what I wish marketing types would start brainwashing into the masses.

The more IMPURE a bloodline is, the better, because then it has MORE genetic code sequence variance to pass on to ITS offspring. It may take several centuries of science to prove my theory right, but you can't build a superior race from inferior stock.

And ya can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
posted by ZachsMind at 3:05 PM on December 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

I think one of the reasons that liberals hate Hitler so much is because he revealed their big secret of mass hypnosis: if you tell a lie big enough and often enough, most people will come to believe it.
They've Godwin-ed themselves - the thread will be ending soon, right?

But seriously folks - that's some nasty stuff there.
posted by smartyboots at 3:10 PM on December 29, 2007

Tex I'd guess they consider the existence of non-Christians, non-whites, homosexuals, women who aren't slaves, etc to be a threat to themselves. That's the usual gripe that sort of group has: OMG the evil other *EXISTS*!!!

Note that none of the groups the twits fear actually have to do anything threatening, their mere existence is apparently enough to send these bold Christian warriors into a spasm of pantswetting terror.
posted by sotonohito at 3:11 PM on December 29, 2007

I completely agree that all the bullshit hatred spewed in the name of Christ is awful. That against homosexuals no less than that against Blacks. I certainly don't think that a given Christian's response to Christ-quoting hatred should be governed by who they do and don't like.

The problem I have with the editorial tone here is that konolia is a well-known, though recently quiet, hater in the name of Christ. That she finds some Christ-inspired hatred distasteful makes her a hypocrite, as well.
posted by OmieWise at 3:19 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

We are all hypocrites in who we hate and who we tolerate. Some of it is just a matter of taste.

Me, I say hate who you want to. I don't care. It's only an issue for me when you try to turn that hatred into law. Otherwise, it's just opinion, and everybody else's opinion is already wrong anyway.
posted by Astro Zombie at 3:43 PM on December 29, 2007

The problem I have with the editorial tone here is that konolia is a well-known, though recently quiet, hater in the name of Christ. That she finds some Christ-inspired hatred distasteful makes her a hypocrite, as well.

Hey, konolia's ideals generally and usually make me tear my liberal grey hairs by the tuftful, but I think she's being both ingenuous and consistent here. She's a Christian and she's calling out some fuckheads who sully her religion with pseudochristian beliefs.

That she herself espouses some antichristian, homophobic views is irrelevant: I think she's making baby steps toward a "let you who are without sin cast the first stone" philosophy, and one that may ultimately be more wholly Christlike than what she currently believes. Such a change in weltanschau doesn't happen overnight.

Could MetaFilter be having a positive influence on konolia?
posted by John of Michigan at 4:00 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Well, of course the problem with Christianity is that it basically turned the subjugation and hatred of others into institutionalized law for much of Western civilization. Not that any Christian is ever willing to admit what a filthy institution the whole farce is. The Crusades anyone? The Spanish Inquisition ring any bells? The relentless genocid eof the New World's inhabitants?

Fascism in the name of religion is nothing new, it's the norm.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 4:06 PM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

See, this is why I don't like hanging around with fellow white people.
posted by Deathalicious at 4:54 PM on December 29, 2007

It's not new, but it's an interesting variation on the same old same old, and is therefore worth looking at.

In 20 years or so, gene-typing technology will have reached the point where it will be an ordinary part of one's medical treatment. That is, the first time you visit a doctor, along with your name, residential address, etc, they'll ask for a drop of blood or something to sequence your genome. It'll be interesting to see how that affects racist politics.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 5:06 PM on December 29, 2007

In order to improve humanity genetic destiny and speed up evolution, people should be fucking people who are different from them. I wanna see whites and blacks and browns and yellows and reds fucking each other as often as humanly possible. If you can find orange and purple people, throw them into the orgy too. If the end result comes out to be polka dots and paisley stripes then yer doin' sumphin right.

Alas, that is not how evolution works. You cannot improve humanity's genetic destiny, you can only be part of it. Evolution is never an improvement, merely an easier way to breed. If you're that concerned about what comes next - donate genetic material.
posted by Sparx at 5:11 PM on December 29, 2007

The problem I have with the editorial tone here is that konolia is a well-known, though recently quiet, hater in the name of Christ. That she finds some Christ-inspired hatred distasteful makes her a hypocrite, as well.

I doubt that, on balance, hate could be legitimately be described as "Christ-inspired" (=) anymore than a forge can be called an inspiration to warfare.

Questioning, to use your term, "Christ-inspired" hatred seems healthy to me, especially for Christians.
posted by vapidave at 5:46 PM on December 29, 2007

It's a so-so reasonable assertion to say that you are worried about the death of your traditions and culture

This standpoint, which is seemingly quite popular these days, is in fact utter nonsense. Culture evolves and tradition is nothing but stupidity with a pedigree. If the best one can say in defence of something is that it is "traditional" (rather than functional, nice, or intelligent), then you just know it's frigging dumb.
posted by Skeptic at 3:43 AM on December 30, 2007 [2 favorites]

The Jacobin doctrine of Equality is destructive

Jacobin? Are we in the 18th or 19th century?
posted by ersatz at 10:33 AM on December 30, 2007

ZachsMind: "In order to improve humanity genetic destiny..."

Excellent!

"....and speed up evolution"

*head explodes*
posted by Baby_Balrog at 12:44 PM on December 30, 2007

The Sweet Aroma Of Sanctimony at MetaFilter

I love the “democratizing” force that is the internet. It reinforces my already rather low opinion of the intellect of the lumpen proletariat. The “blogoshpere” seems to be primarily composed of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. The self-righteous sans culottes at MetaFilter found our happy home and commenced denouncing Kinism, a philosophy they know nothing about ....

They appear to have noticed, and they are not pleased. ;)
It always amazes me the creative lengths racists will go in a vain attempt to hide or give some veil of legitimacy to their naked racism. Nice post konolia.
posted by caddis at 7:06 AM on December 31, 2007

If anyone has seen my culottes, please drop me a line. I am lonely without them.

And, having read caddis' link, I am amused at the high dudgeon our gimlet-eyed appraisal seems to have caused.

"Race and ethnicity are precious and worth preserving."

Um, no. Tribalism sucks, no matter how you dress it up and parade it about.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:52 AM on December 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

BitterOldPunk Damn skippy.
posted by sotonohito at 9:03 AM on December 31, 2007

They really should read more of Paul's letters, of which one of the major themes is the breaking down of barriers between ethnic groups (specifically Jew and Gentile), and the unity that all people have in the church.

Also, this story makes me very sad.
posted by jpdoane at 10:28 AM on December 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

To any kinists who have followed the link back here:

I am a Christian. I have a biracial grandchild. My white daughter is married to a black man. I love them all. I approve of their marriage. And my grandbaby is out of this world cute.

Go back and crack open that Bible you claim to believe in and see what God did to Miriam when she objected to Moses marrying outside of his race.
posted by konolia at 11:13 AM on December 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

It's never a good idea to use the so-called "Bible" as a template for behaviour, because it sucks.

Exodus 21:20-21 "When a man strikes his slave, male or female, and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money."
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 1:19 PM on December 31, 2007

I can't help but notice that the bold, brave, Kinists don't have comments enabled on their blog... Guess they're scared of dissenting opinions.

PareidoliaticBoy Why "so-called" and Bible in scare quotes? The word means "book", and it is indeed a book. Nothing so-called about it.
posted by sotonohito at 2:48 PM on December 31, 2007

Tribalism sucks, no matter how you dress it up and parade it about.

This needs to be said, again and again and again, and taught to the youth and adults of every country, culture, race, and tribe.
posted by John of Michigan at 3:22 PM on December 31, 2007