To King and many other Christians, racial justice was core to the biblical message. Racial segregation and the other ills it created \u2014 like the wealth gap, unemployment and under-education \u2014 were an affront to the image of God in all people. Christians had an obligation to transform the systems and laws that allowed racial inequality to persist.<\/p>\n
Many white evangelicals agreed with King\u2019s affirmation of racial equality. They may have believed all people should be treated fairly. They objected to the notion that the government should play a role in bringing about equality and that Christians should concern themselves with material issues rather than simply focusing on conversion.<\/p>\n
This difference in approach continues to the present day. In \u201cDivided by Faith<\/a>,\u201d sociologists Michael Emerson and Christian Smith describe how many white evangelicals emphasize personal salvation and tend to view themselves as individuals rather than members of a race, which affects their view of racial issues overall.<\/p>\n