(The following – unless otherwise referneced – is taken from an article entitled “Is Racism Biblical?” by Rich Wendling)
Racism is alive and well. Consider the following:
In January, two men were found guilty of the racist murder of a black teenager in London and were sentenced to more than 14 years in prison each.
After Jeremy Lin, the NBA’s first U.S.-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, committed several turnovers during a game, ESPN published an article about the game with the headline “Chink In The Armor.” ESPN later issued a formal apology and announced the firing of the editor responsible for the headline.
An all-white Appalachian church in rural Kentucky has recently voted to ban interracial couples from joining its flock. The resolution states that the church “does not condone interracial marriage.”
“ Racism has touched every institution in the United States—the armed forces, public schools and universities and, yes, even the church. After the civil rights movement, a number of religious denominations began to racially integrate. In the 21st century, several Christian factions have apologized for their role in supporting slavery, segregation and other forms of racial injustice. The Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church are just a few of the Christian denominations that have admitted to engaging in discriminatory practices and announced that they would instead strive to promote social justice.
The Southern Baptist Convention arose after Baptists in the North and the South clashed on the issue of slavery in 1845. The Southern Baptists are the largest Protestant denomination in the country and are known for not only backing slavery but also racial segregation. In June 1995, however, the Southern Baptists apologized for supporting racial injustice. At its yearly meeting in Atlanta, the Southern Baptists passed a resolution “to repudiate historic acts of evil, such as slavery, from which we continue to reap a bitter harvest.” In June 2012, the Southern Baptist Convention garnered headlines for making racial progress after electing a black pastor, Fred Luter Jr., its president.” (about.com)
“Unfortunately, many racist groups deceive others by trying to claim a biblical basis for their hatred of ethnicities/cultures/people-groups other than their own. These groups pull passages of the Bible totally out of their context and twist the true meaning of these passages to support their sinful racist ideologies. Some racist groups that make this absurd claim [that racism is] biblical are: “the Aryan Nations,” “the Klu Klux Klan”, “Neo-Nazism”, “the Covenant,” “the Sword,” “the Arm of the Lord,” and “the Order.” These organizations are not Christian and there is absolutely no biblical support for the hatred of Jews, African-Americans, and other “non-white” ethnicities/cultures/people-groups. The Bible does not teach that non-aryans are a “pre-Adamic race” or that the curse of Canaan is dark skin. These are misinterpretations of God’s Word, fairy tales invented by warped minds in an attempt to give the appearance of divine sanction for sinful prejudices which have no place in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I t should also be noted that racism can be found on both sides of the spectrum. “The Nation of Islam,” headed by Louis Farakhan, perverts the teachings of the Islamic faith in order to justify this organization’s anti-white and anti-Jewish rhetoric.”
(instituteofbiblicaldefense.com)
Many atheists claim the Bible promotes racism, citing passages such as Nehemiah 13:23-25:
23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: 24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
First, note that the passage mentions different nations, not ethnicities/cultures/people-groups. The issue was not physical characteristics, but spiritual. The Nehemiah 13 passage continues:
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
The issue was that the people of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab were pagans – they worshipped false gods. The Israelites were to worship only the One True God. Nowhere in the Bible is Israel told to separate itself from other peoples because of physical traits or race – the issue is always spiritual.
So, what does the Bible actually say about racism? First, the Bible teaches that there is only ONE race. [The Scriptures teach that all people were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27)]. In Genesis 2-5, the Bible describes all of humanity as having descended from one literal man and one literal woman – only one race. In Genesis 8-9, all of humanity, except for Noah’s immediate family, was destroyed in a global flood. All humans after the flood were closely related – one race. At the tower of Babel, God confused the languages – not the “ethnicities/cultures/people-groups” – and humanity was divided into different people groups or nations – not ethnicities/cultures/people-groups. Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
What about Christian churches that claim interracial marriage is unscriptural? Again, the Bible passages they use to justify such a position are always taken out of context, and usually refer to not marrying someone who is not a Christian (or, in the Old Testament, not Jewish). 
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
God hates racism. Racism comes straight from the pit of Hell, in order to divide people and lead them away from God. From God’s perspective, there is only one race. God created all people through Adam and Eve, and the entire human race descends from Noah and his sons. From God’s perspective, there are only two kinds of people: Sinners who have received forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ, 
and sinners who have not received forgiveness. “Race,” culture, skin color, and ethnicity have nothing to do with our standing before God; the only thing that matters is whether we have received the forgiveness and reconciliation with Him available only by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Although the Jews are described as God’s chosen people, God did not choose them as the only people with whom He wanted to have a relationship. Even as God’s chosen people, the Jews were warned not to oppress people of other [ethnicities], but there was to be one standard and one law for all people in Israel. In fact, the Old Testament commands Israelites to love foreigners and strangers. The choice of the Israelites on God’s part was not one that was made with regard to race or any superiority. In fact, God did not choose the Israelites because of their righteousness [or superiority], but because of God’s love. God’s choice was not simply to play favoritism, but He chose one people through whom the Messiah would come to offer salvation to all peoples of the world.
Ruth the Moabitess married Boaz the Hebrew. Many would say that they were of different ‘ethnicities/cultures/people-groups’ (well, definitely different cultures, ethnicities, and belief systems). The line of Ruth and Boaz led directly to King David, and, of course, eventually to the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
The New Testament is the story of the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that He was sent to minister only to the Jewish people. Even so, He healed both Jew and Gentile, including Canaanites, Syrophoenicians, and Samaritans. In addition to healing those of other ethnicities/cultures/people-groups, Jesus proclaimed the gospel to those of other ethnicities/cultures/people-groups when He met them. The woman at the well is a prime example. When Jesus asked her for a drink, her first reaction was disbelief that he would even talk to her, since she was a Samaritan. When Jesus’ disciples came back, they were surprised that He was talking to her. Jesus’ behavior would have been thought to be unusual, since the Jews at that time considered it unlawful to associate with non-Jews.
Jesus gave several examples of heaven, some of which included references to race. In one example, He compared heaven to a net cast into the sea, which catches many “kinds” of fish. The Greek word for “kinds” is genos (Strong’s number G1085), from which we get our words “gene” or “genetics.” Those that are good (righteous) are saved, while the others are discarded.
Before leaving [the Earth], Jesus told the apostles to make disciples from every nation, reaffirming the value of all people. Following Jesus’ return to 
heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent on Pentecost. Since it was a major Jewish holiday (celebrating the giving of the law), people from many [people groups] and nations were present when the Holy Spirit was given. The Holy Spirit led the apostles to witness to many people of other ethnicities/cultures/people-groups, as described throughout the book of Acts. One example was a black Ethiopian eunuch from the court of the queen of the Ethiopians.
Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
[Oh what wonderful ‘race relations’…witnessing to other ‘races’ about the love of Jesus Christ!]
(godandscience.org)
The Cursed Canaanites
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
When Noah, and his wife, and their 3 sons, and their wives, were the only ones left on Earth, they were told to in Gen. 9:1 to be “fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” This would be with ‘their kind’. It is still of Adam and Eve’s kind. God could very well bring variety here, and probably did, with Shem, Japheth, and Ham and their offspring.
In Gen. 9:22-27 we see a prophecy for each of Noah’s son’s lineage. Shem shall be specially blessed and appears to be God’s chosen people, Israel. They are today called the Semetic peoples, which includes Asians. Japheth would be blessed in their size and would share God’s blessings of Shem. Japheth is believed to be the Gentile nations, and specifically Eurpeans…and some say Caucasians.
The name Ham means ‘dark’ or ‘black’. Ham, however, was not the cursed one. It was Canaan. The term ‘younger son’ (24) is a common literary Biblical 
term that often refers to the grandson. Canaan was Ham’s 4th son. Ham was responsible for all his sons and grandchildren. It is apparent that it was Canaan, not Ham, that did this sin. The sin could have been seeing Noah’s body improperly covered; or seeing Noah’s wife’s body improperly covered; or lying with Noah’s wife; or exploiting what he saw to others. Nonetheless, it was grievous to God and to Noah.
The descendents of Canaan were to be cursed in the sense of being servants to the peoples of Shem and Japheth. “Slavery” is immediately thought of here. The blacks have been taken slaves in times past, but so has many other peoples (including white people). The descendents of Ham included Negroes, but also included the early Babylonians, the Egyptians, and the Abyssinians (all generally not black). Later on, the Canaanites occupied the land of Israel (Canaan) and were involved with an idolatrous religion based on gross sexual immorality and perversions (see Lev. 18).
When Israel got ready to enter the Promise Land, God told them to totally destroy the Canaanites, including the women and children, the animals, and the cities themselves! It actually took the Jews over 1500 years to totally destroy these Canaanites from their land. Now, they are basically an extinct group of peoples.
Thus, the Canaanites are not with us today. They were occupying the land of Israel, not Africa. They had moderate skin color, not black. The curse was them being in servitude to Israel (Shemites) not to Europeans (modern day slavery concept).
Furthermore, Jesus Christ died for everyone, no matter what their color or ethnicity.
Are you racist? Do you consider certain peoples inferior to you. Unless you are a true Jew, you are the inferior one! Most of us today are Japhethites, not Shemites!