Interracial Marriage

Crossing fingers and praying no one's vote will make baptists look like ignorant bigots.

Joshua

 

The only mandate we are given as Believers is that we are not to marry an unbeliever. [ 2 Cor. 6:14 ] The color of someone's skin is not an issue in the Bible.

Joshua, for once, I agree with you. Wonders never cease!

 

Joy,

Believe it or not I look forward to those moments when I can find unanimity with the more conservative BB Members. If we all agree on something, then it must be true.

 

I do not think there is anything wrong with interacial marriage.

 

As a child of a mixed race marriage, anyone I marry would make me involved in a mixed race relationship.

I don't have a problem with mixed race marriages.

I do have a problem with mixed marriages with red necks, though.

 

CNM: I voted with the herd. I took the word "wrong" to mean sinful, which would be absurd. While I agree that there are times and circumstances where marrying "interracially" (as it were) is difficult and awkward, I didn't like the poll choices that referenced this difficulty. (The wording could've been better.)

I am a white euro-mix Heinz-57 male, with only the vaguest notion of my ancestry and even less interest in it. I married a white woman whose family is all German ancestry, which also holds no interest for me. When I say "interest" I mean it has no bearing on why I married her. I do like German food, as I like all sorts of ethic foods and music and such things of other cultures. I also find feminine beauty in all races.

Thus, if widowed, (and I were to marry again) all races would be a possibility in my courtship. My parents wouldn't have been able to handle it (years ago) if I had married a non-white, but me being in excess of 40 years of age now, their opinion would have little consideration. I would counsel (anyone asking me for advice) to assess the social and famial difficulties and if those are understood and bearable, then the only real issue is does that person love Jesus Christ first and foremost, and is it obvious? Of course that requirement is also top priority for SAME race marriages.

[ March 14, 2002, 02:48 AM: Message edited by: CorpseNoMore ]

 

I agree; the wording of the poll is awkward. I see nothing Biblically wrong with interracial marriage whatsoever.

However, I have some dear friends who have been married going on 35 years. He is black; she is white. Things were much more difficult in society for an interracial couple when they got together, and they have weathered some rough times.

They would be the first to tell you that it takes a special kind of fortitude to make an interracial marriage work. There are cultural differences that have to be surmounted, not the least of which is the attitude that many black men grow up with, that it is OK and even accepted for them NOT to be monogamous. (I'll probably be accused of being prejudicial for making that statement, but most honest people will agree with me.)

However, I truly don't believe the color of a person's skin should be a factor in love and marriage. My husband and I have discussed what our feelings would be if one of our children fell in love with a person of a different race. Our chief concern would be: does this person love the Lord? is he/she genuine in desire to serve Him? Will this person love and treat our child well and be a good spouse? Are they a person of integrity and good character? Ultimately,that's the bottom line.

As far as children of interracial marriages facing any kind of social stigma, I find that is becoming less and less so. Look at all the successful children of interracial marriages in the popular culture: Mariah Carey, Derek Jeter, Halle Berry, just to name a few.

Elizabeth

 

Kinda tough to choose from those options.

I don't see ANYTHING biblically wrong with it.

And my response means literally, I personally wouldn't do it. Then again, if I had fallen in love with someone who was of another race, I might feel differently.

Doesn't mean it wouldn't work for some people. I have several friends who are mixed race. I don't see it causing problems in their families, besides, a little gene pool variety never hurt anyone. All of us inbred racist Baptists could use a little multiculturalism

 

The very question is based on a flawed evolutionary premise, namely there are different "races" of humans on this planet. There is only one race, the human race! We are all children of Adam, and all "of one blood" and "one flesh" according to the bible. The only "race" in the bible is the race we are to run for the Lord. The entire concept of "race" is the very basis of "racism!"

 

Wow,Doc Cass! If you had said that over at http://www.fundamentalistforums.com, I would have definitely given it Quote o' The Day!

Elizabeth

 

I had to get in on this being the product of a so called mixed marriage myself. Some parents worry more about the skin color of the person their son or daughter brings home than if they are saved or not. I read a book that puts things so plainly, the only unscriptural marriage in the bible is a child of the first Adam (Adam) marrying a child of the second (Jesus).
CC

 

There's a book called FROM ONE BLOOD, or something close to that that addresses the issue of the different races. If I can find my copy, I'll give the exact title & author. Anyway, it posits a believable (to me anyway) scenario for the differing physical traits among the diverse peoples of the earth.

The basic conclusion is, that except for the obvious external differences, all are the same for the most part. The real differences are cultural far and above any other. These differences CAN, but do not HAVE to be, a major criteria in any interracial marriage!

 

The bible doesn't say anything about interacial relationships being wrong or right, that I have been able to find.

 

Well, I hate to be the one to say it, but the discussions on the BB tend to have a little more depth than the discussions on the FFF.

 

I have often wondered why there are so many different races. Like Asian, African, etc. If we all came from Adam/Eve, I wonder when and how the changes in appearance occured, and why God allowed that to happen.

Just thinking out loud....

 

Found the book I mentioned earlier!
ONE BLOOD (The biblical answer to racism)
Authors: K Ham, C Wieland, D Batten
by Master Books
ISBN 0-89051-276-0

 

Just-want-peace, that is the book I read. It is called 'One Blood' by Ken Ham, Carl Wieland, and Don Batten. It tells how all the different "people groups came about" A good website that speaks to this issue is www.onehumanrace.com
CC

 

As Thomas C. said, there aren't "many" races of human beings. There is only one race: the human race! Science proves what the Bible has said all along: we are all related originally by Adam & Eve, and then by Noah & his sons.
Gen. 11 states how people got scattered all over the earth at the time of the Tower of Babel. It would make sense that, with melanin in our skin reacting to the amount of sunlight & ultraviolet rays, that those who lived in more direct sunshine & heat would grow darker than those who lived in cooler climates.
I think it was Henry Morris who pointed out that in Adam & Eve there was the DNA to have brown eyed children, blue eyed children, brown, blonde, brunette & red haired children...etc. Present day science speaks of how genes can "jump" generations, so if you are Spanish/Italian/English mix by heritage the gene may "jump" so you don't truly have any Spanish in you at all!
At any rate, it's beautiful to see how people of differing cultures & backgrounds can love & accept each other with Christ as their center. He truly does break down the barriers (Eph.2:14-17)!

 

Just-want-peace, you found it one minute before I did!
CC