MacArthur is typical of White Evangelical Christians in the U.S., particularly of his generation. I grew up in mainstream Baptist churches where pastors of MacArthur's generation routinely reviled King from the pulpit ... as sinful, un-Christian and even Satanic.

When Congress passed the law establishing MLK Day as a federal holiday, White Evangelicals behaved as if the Day of Judgement had finally arrived and the Earth was about to be destroyed by fire . That's how much they hated King. Even today, many refuse to honor the holiday.

Things are slowly changing, but we often forget how invested White Evangelical Christians in the U.S. have been in the idea that racism or racist segregation is religiously important.

When old men like MacArthur speak on the subject, it's easier to remember.