Arizona pastor Dale Partridge is facing fierce backlash online after saying he would not allow his daughter to marry a Black Christian man because he believes interracial marriage could lower the intelligence of his descendants. The Arizona pastor’s controversial take has also gone viral, as he even likened his anti-interracial marriage stance to that of America’s Christian forefathers.
During a recent episode of his America Glory program, Partridge, described as a Christian nationalist pastor, argued against interracial marriage and claimed that differences in IQ between racial groups should influence decisions about marriage and family.
“IQ is remarkably stable across generations and it’s highly heritable,” Partridge said, before presenting some IQ figures for Black and white Americans and arguing that interracial marriage could result in lower average IQ scores among future generations.
Partridge went on to say that he would answer “no” if asked whether he would allow his daughter to marry a Black man, even if the man were a devout Christian. He also claimed that Black men have higher rates of leaving their wives and physical abuse, suggesting that those alleged patterns were connected to average IQ.
Partridge further invoked historical anti-miscegenation laws in the United States, saying that “our Christian forefathers” had treated interracial marriage as illegal. “I’m not saying that it must be illegal. I don’t think that it should be illegal,” Partridge said. He added, “I’m saying that it is not normative and not natural.”
The Pastor’s Views Drew Outrage
Partridge’s comments quickly sparked a debate online, with critics accusing the pastor of using racial stereotypes and discredited ideas about intelligence to justify opposition to interracial relationships. “This is why some Christian’s will never make it to heaven. This hatred is crazy. This is hate,” claims one angry commenter.
Another outright accused him of racism, stating, “Jesus would disagree with Partridge’s insane and racist translation of the scriptures,” challenging him to show where Jesus condemned interracial marriage. Others focused on what they saw as hypocrisy, given that Partridge himself is married to a Mexican-American woman. One commenter joked that “race is his idol,” while another asked why Partridge cites the behavior of his forefathers only when it supports his views.
The backlash extended to Reddit, where users mocked the pastor‘s argument and questioned his authority over his adult daughter’s romantic choices. “If his daughter is an adult, she can marry whomever she wants,” one commenter wrote. “His permission is not required under the law.”
Another simply called Partridge’s comments “openly racist,” while a different user wrote, “There’s no hate like Christian love.” The controversy also revived attention to Partridge’s previous statements. Earlier this year, he reportedly used a church sermon to advocate for the recolonization of Africa by “white Christians,” adding further scrutiny to his views on race and Christianity. In any case, Partridge’s latest comments have renewed debates over racism, religion, and the use of IQ statistics to justify racial preferences in marriage.
