RACISM - what does GOD say about it??

LindaC781

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Question: "What does the Bible say about racism, prejudice, and discrimination?"

FROM: http://www.gotquestions.org/racism-Bible.html

Answer: The first item to understand in this discussion is that there is only one race – the human race. Caucasians, Africans, Asians, Indians, Arabs, Jews, etc., are not different races. Rather, they are different ethnicities of the human race. All human beings have the same physical characteristics (with minor variations, of course). More importantly, all human being are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). God loves the entire world (John 3:16). Jesus laid down His life for everyone in the entire world (1 John 2:2). The “entire world” obviously includes all ethnicities of humanity.

God does not show partiality or favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9), and neither should we. James 2:4 describes anyone who shows discrimination as “judges with evil thoughts.” Instead, we are to “love our neighbors as ourselves” (James 2:8). In the Old Testament, God divided humanity into two “racial” groups: Jew and Gentile. God’s intent was for the Jews to be a kingdom of priests, ministering to the Gentile nations. Instead, for the most part, the Jews became proud of their status and despised the Gentiles. Jesus Christ put an end to this, destroying the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). All forms of racism, prejudice, and discrimination are affronts to the work of Christ on the cross.

Jesus commands us to love each other as He loves us (John 13:34). If God is impartial, and loves us with impartiality, that means we need to love others with that same high standard. Jesus teaches at the end of Matthew 25 that whatever we do to the least of His brothers, we do to Him. If we treat a person with contempt, we are mistreating a person created in God’s image; we are hurting somebody that God loves and Jesus died for.

Racism, in varying forms and to various degrees, has been a plague on humanity for thousands of years. Brothers and sisters of all ethnicities, this should not be! To victims of racism, prejudice, and discrimination – you need to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 declares, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” No, racists do not deserve your forgiveness, but we deserved God’s forgiveness far less! To perpetrators of racism, prejudice, and discrimination – you need to repent and “present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). May Galatians 3:28 be completely realized: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Any more thoughts on this subject???
 
Beautiful. Thanks for posting, Linda!

I cant believe how people can be racists. Its just being narrow-minded.
Same with prejudice to other people not in the ethnic aspect but to poor people, to the handicapped, to the elderly, to the sick, etc... and how people judge other people's entire lives based on just an insignificant thing like color, how much they have, etc...
I always catch myself almost judging someone and before I say something stupid, I step back and think: "this is exactly what people do to Michael and I hate it. I WONT do the same to others".
We also ougth to think "What would Jesus think of me judging this person? Would He judge them?".

We gotta be brothers! :yes:

All nations sing, lets harmonize all around the woooorrld...ok I got carried away Im almost falling asleep now...

Rep points for u, Linda! :flowers:
 
nice post Linda but I have to ask if that's what god says.... what does Buddah say? or Santa Clause?


cause not everyone believes in a god.... :p
 
How about god chosing ONE race as his chosen and special people/Doesn't that smack at racism to you? Just asking.
 
nice post Linda but I have to ask if that's what god says.... what does Buddah say? or Santa Clause?


cause not everyone believes in a god.... :p

Well then it's pretty simply... follow evolution back... and it comes to the same result... one human race... one and the same origin! ;)
 
^ I know :p I was just being a smart ass :trish:

I guess I just find the whole race issue silly and an embaressment of our so called intelligent species.

But you know I have it pinned down to the reason why racisim still exists is because people are just LAZY.
It's much easier to blame a race of people for a problem. "Black people are the reason for the economic crisis, Oh an asian person must have caused that car accident, jewish people have tight wallets" etc etc
 
if people may feel stronger about the subject with the help of a make-believe being's "words", then i'm all for it.

in reality, however, this list is not what people get in their different religions and denominations. there exists a lot of racism and prejudice.
 
See?? God not only has a DESKTOP but a LAPTOP as well.....

latestspace4_god_at_his_computer.jpg


Hell, I think the guy even has a BLACKBERRY...

blackberrybold.jpg


I am telling you....the man is NOT a Happy Camper about what is going on in the United States right now!
 
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But that's if you believe the "man" exists to begin with. :p

Waving the "god is not happy with some people right now" flag might scare some religious folks.... but what about those who don't believe that any god exists? ... does that mean that they get off scot free?
Plus if I was catholic I can be racist and then go and repent my wicked ways....

What about all those people who don't think they're racist .... who in one breath say.... "Oh but I have black friends" and then in the next breath say "oh, Obama is so articulate" ... :ermm: excuse me?
 
The crux of my post deals with those religious people who say they aren't RACIST yet GO AGAINST ALL OF GOD's teachings. They need to have this pointed out to them!! It's just not okay in God's book. I really wasn't addressing Atheists here - but what ties them to not practice racism? Any thoughts?
 
I would think common sense and simple ethics would tie people to not practice racisim... but sadly when we look at the general public we realise that the thing about common sense is that it isn't that common to begin with :lol:
 
Maybe we could put this into Darwinian terms. Charles Darwin believed in the "survival of the fittest"...maybe we are made stronger if we mate with someone from a different race. If we practice racism, our race - the HUMAN RACE - will die off faster..??
 
Regardless of whether you bring God into the subject or not, racist people are simply uneducated. Racism exists and it will forever exist because we've been taught, through society, to discriminate and stereotype.
 
Good post. I'm sure God doesn't condone racism. It's sickening when I see really religious folks who are racist.
 
Maybe we could put this into Darwinian terms. Charles Darwin believed in the "survival of the fittest"...maybe we are made stronger if we mate with someone from a different race. If we practice racism, our race - the HUMAN RACE - will die off faster..??

hmm interesting question.... I'm inclined to believe that mating with someone who has a different skin pigmentation or facial features isn't really going to effect the longetivity of the human race.
The differences between groups of people in regards to longer life or strengths and weaknesses don't really come about due to their skin colour or physical characteristics, but rather outside factors. For example working life, home life and access to education... along with social factors of stereotypes.

Regardless of whether you bring God into the subject or not, racist people are simply uneducated. Racism exists and it will forever exist because we've been taught, through society, to discriminate and stereotype.

Exactly :yes:


This thread has reminded me that I never replaced our sticky thread about race related discussions that we had in GDv3 before we lost everything that time... I had a great post in there but I'll post it here instead. :)

TEN THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RACE

Our eyes tell us that people look different. No one has trouble distinguishing a Czech from a Chinese. But what do those differences mean? Are they biological? Has race always been with us? How does race affect people today?

There's less - and more - to race than meets the eye:

1. Race is a modern idea. Ancient societies, like the Greeks, did not divide people according to physical distinctions, but according to religion, status, class, even language. The English language didn't even have the word 'race' until it turns up in 1508 in a poem by William Dunbar referring to a line of kings.

2. Race has no genetic basis. Not one characteristic, trait or even gene distinguishes all the members of one so-called race from all the members of another so-called race.

3. Human subspecies don't exist. Unlike many animals, modern humans simply haven't been around long enough or isolated enough to evolve into separate subspecies or races. Despite surface appearances, we are one of the most similar of all species.

4. Skin color really is only skin deep. Most traits are inherited independently from one another. The genes influencing skin color have nothing to do with the genes influencing hair form, eye shape, blood type, musical talent, athletic ability or forms of intelligence. Knowing someone's skin color doesn't necessarily tell you anything else about him or her.

5. Most variation is within, not between, "races."
Of the small amount of total human variation, 85% exists within any local population, be they Italians, Kurds, Koreans or Cherokees. About 94% can be found within any continent. That means two random Koreans may be as genetically different as a Korean and an Italian.

6. Slavery predates race.
Throughout much of human history, societies have enslaved others, often as a result of conquest or war, even debt, but not because of physical characteristics or a belief in natural inferiority. Due to a unique set of historical circumstances, ours was the first slave system where all the slaves shared similar physical characteristics.

7. Race and freedom evolved together. The U.S. was founded on the radical new principle that "All men are created equal." But our early economy was based largely on slavery. How could this anomaly be rationalized? The new idea of race helped explain why some people could be denied the rights and freedoms that others took for granted.

8. Race justified social inequalities as natural. As the race idea evolved, white superiority became "common sense" in America. It justified not only slavery but also the extermination of Indians, exclusion of Asian immigrants, and the taking of Mexican lands by a nation that professed a belief in democracy. Racial practices were institutionalized within American government, laws, and society.

9. Race isn't biological, but racism is still real. Race is a powerful social idea that gives people different access to opportunities and resources. Our government and social institutions have created advantages that disproportionately channel wealth, power, and resources to white people. This affects everyone, whether we are aware of it or not.

10. Colorblindness will not end racism. Pretending race doesn't exist is not the same as creating equality. Race is more than stereotypes and individual prejudice. To combat racism, we need to identify and remedy social policies and institutional practices that advantage some groups at the expense of others.


:cheers:
 
If we truly think about it...

Racisim really has nothing to do with God, and EVERYTHING to do with the Human Element - Human Nature..!

God has given individuals - human beings the ability - power to make our OWN CHOICES in life;

Racisim is UGLY...no if, ands, or buts about it...
It's all about the power, control, ignorance, money, and greed..!

Whether YOU are Black, White, Green, Blue, Purple, Female, Male, Budist, Catholic, Jehovah, Jewish, Muslim ect....

It is up to US, as individuals to "Come Together" and STOP the REGENERATION of RACISIM, HATE, and the INJUSTICE (s) that derives from it..!
 
in an english tranlastion of the quran that I have read, it says that allah made us of diverse nations to test whther or not mankind can come together under the worship of allah, i cant remember the exact quote, but it was one of the things that stuck in my mind lol
 
Maybe we could put this into Darwinian terms. Charles Darwin believed in the "survival of the fittest"...maybe we are made stronger if we mate with someone from a different race
its better to do that interms ofdisease etc. like mongrel dogs it dilutes any genes that causes certain problems
 
in an english tranlastion of the quran that I have read, it says that allah made us of diverse nations to test whther or not mankind can come together under the worship of allah, i cant remember the exact quote, but it was one of the things that stuck in my mind lol

All I remember is God saying in the Qur'an that we're created like this to recognize each other.
[Quran 49:13] O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous.

More than anything, I think it explains that we're all the same and were created in the same process.
 
except for the kafiroon ("infidels").. accounting for,,,, 40% of the world? lol
... And that's why I don't consider myself a Muslim.

I don't want to offend any Muslims here (my mother is one), but I believe there's parts in the Qur'an that have been altered and/or changed to fit the standards of those in power after the Prophet Muhammad passed. A lot of these holy books contradict themselves.
 
I really don't care if racism exists and shouldn't have. Racial prejudice and discrimination not only disrespects to the people and it also disrespects to the good lord himself. I was never born to be racist and I never will be. In my country, we were proud to have in all race to love and respect each other no matter what. I'm all about love and respect to the people.
 
its better to do that interms ofdisease etc. like mongrel dogs it dilutes any genes that causes certain problems

Exactly. What I am saying is that say, for example, Black Americans are more prone to High Blood Pressure. And European Americans are more prone to, for example, gastrointestinal problems. When the Black American mates with the European AMerican, the tendency to develop high blood pressure is reduced, and so is the incidence of GI problems. So, the race would be stronger, because there wouldn't be as much high blood pressure OR GI problems....do you understand what I'm trying to say?
 
This post has nothing to do with religion...and everything to do with Darwinism!! I found this video on youtube....apparently CHARLES DARWIN, SCIENTIST was a Racist!!



 
^ ridiculous and petty distraction effort by anti-evolution, anti-knowledge, anti-progressionists who'd try anything in order to curb infallible scientific theories that they see unfit to suit their backward beliefs.

Darwin was an abolitionist whose scientific work refuted the commonly held racist beliefs of his time. without his work, evolution couldn't have overturned the widely held belief in the divine superiority of the "white race".
 
^ ridiculous and petty distraction effort by anti-evolution, anti-knowledge, anti-progressionists who'd try anything in order to curb infallible scientific theories that they see unfit to suit their backward beliefs.

Darwin was an abolitionist whose scientific work refuted the commonly held racist beliefs of his time. without his work, evolution couldn't have overturned the widely held belief in the divine superiority of the "white race".

And maybe it was his scientific work that refutes the racist beliefs that brought about the case of the "Scopes Monkey Trial"??
 
Most religions state equality but it seems there is a certain limit to it.

What bothers me the most is when God states that we are all equal. Yet in contrast, God also tells us to discriminate and hate few groups/ethnics because they are downright evil people since the creation of Earth.

God is having fun playing game board with the angels. We are the checkers.
 
And maybe it was his scientific work that refutes the racist beliefs that brought about the case of the "Scopes Monkey Trial"??
and what a brilliant moment of embarassment in US history that was.

in that particular case, Darwin's brilliance would have suggested a common ancestry between black and white - breaking the KKK's notion of God-given supremacy to whites. of course, the Scopes trial was all about the KKK influence.
 
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