A Biblical Response on Race

[Revmitchell]

 

[JonC]

He's right. The issue (insofar as Christians are concerned) is that people start with their culture and "work it up" rather than with God's Word and "work it down". We are Christians first, and when we identify with Christ first and foremost I believe our racial perspectives change.

 

[Zaac]

He's right. The issue (insofar as Christians are concerned) is that people start with their culture and "work it up" rather than with God's Word and "work it down". We are Christians first, and when we identify with Christ first and foremost I believe our racial perspectives change.

And one of the primary things Christ commanded HIS people was that they love their neighbors as themselves.

The radical right can't do this because they've either lost or don't care to be able to empathize with their neighbors.

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[JonC]

And one of the primary things Christ commanded HIS people was that they love their neighbors as themselves.

The radical right can't do this because they've either lost or don't care to be able to empathize with their neighbors.

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I agree. The radical left seems to have the same problem. Do you have that love for those on the "radical right"? Are you able to empathise with them?

 

[Zaac]

I agree. The radical left seems to have the same problem.

Not nearly as much as the radical right. The left at least attempts to do things that, though often misguided, are to benefit others. The right just doesn't seem to care.

Do you have that love for those on the "radical right"?

Sure do. That's why I call their foolishness what it is and call them to repentance.

Are you able to empathise with them?

I empathize with their ability to feel the need to be against everything and so nasty and all about self because before coming to Christ, that's how I and a lot of Christians were.

Problem being that a lot of folks on the right who call themselves Christians haven't gotten past that stage and have amped up their nastiness.

So can I empathize with a Christian treating others the way that purported Christians on the right do? Absolutely not. That's nothing of which to empathize as Christians above all others should be looking to spread the Gospel instead of their own brand of truth based in their politics.

 

[Smyth]

I can see why that preacher has a mega-church. He's very talented and knowledgeable. But, his sermon is a testament to the dismally racist nature of African-American culture. The sermon panders to and concedes to the racism of the blacks in his audience.

 

[JonC]

Not nearly as much as the radical right. The left at least attempts to do things that, though often misguided, are to benefit others. The right just doesn't seem to care.



Sure do. That's why I call their foolishness what it is and call them to repentance.



I empathize with their ability to feel the need to be against everything and so nasty and all about self because before coming to Christ, that's how I and a lot of Christians were.

Problem being that a lot of folks on the right who call themselves Christians haven't gotten past that stage and have amped up their nastiness.

So can I empathize with a Christian treating others the way that purported Christians on the right do? Absolutely not. That's nothing of which to empathize as Christians above all others should be looking to spread the Gospel instead of their own brand of truth based in their politics.

No, evil is evil. Racism on the right is no better or worse than racism on the left. The racism and self interest of the David Dukes is not better or worse than the Jesse Jacksons. And when we lump such racist ideologies into political classes we are no better as well. The white victim of affirmitive action is no more or less a victim than the black man who cannot find a job because of the color of his skin. Evil is evil and the only vantage point that offers a true remedy is the Cross.

 

[Zaac]

No, evil is evil. Racism on the right is no better or worse than racism on the left.

And I have denied neither. But we weren't talking about racism but rather the inability of those on either side to empathize with the plight of the other.

The racism and self interest of the David Dukes is not better or worse than the Jesse Jacksons. And when we lump such racist ideologies into political classes we are no better as well.

Again, you and I weren't talking about racism. But about the inability of folks to love their neighbors in part because they refuse to empathize with what others are going through.

The white victim of affirmitive action is no more or less a victim than the black man who cannot find a job because of the color of his skin.

See you're talking about something else. And a point of clarification. Affirmative Action is based in all things being equal. SO how does one get a white victim of affirmative action if all things are equal?

Evil is evil and the only vantage point that offers a true remedy is the Cross.

Absolutely.

 

[Zaac]

I can see why that preacher has a mega-church. He's very talented and knowledgeable. But, his sermon is a testament to the dismally racist nature of African-American culture. The sermon panders to and concedes to the racism of the blacks in his audience.

Gosh your comments get more stupid every day. If African American culture is dismally racist, then they learned it from the dismally racist White American culture.

And if they have learned to pretend as though it doesn't exist, then they must have gotten that from White American culture too.

 

[JonC]

Affirmative Action is based in all things being equal. SO how does one get a white victim of affirmative action if all things are equal?

I have been talking about racism. The OP is concerning a biblical response to racism, and I have taken your comments in line with the OP (if you were talking about something else, I don't know why you did it here).

Affirmative action is meant to level the playing field, but all things are never equal. I have seen men passed over for promotion and jobs in favor of less qualified people of minority. I've even been tasked to offer positions to minorities when better qualified persons were seeking the same job. Those persons who were passed over because of their race were victims of racism. Not only that, but society suffers and we are all victims of the same racism.

In my experience, if a man offers another a job based on that person being a minority race then that is called "affirmative action". If the same man refuses to hire a person because he is of a minority race then that is called "racism". In truth, both are examples of racism. And it is foolish to think affirmative action a "victimless crime." Maybe it is the "lesser evil", and maybe it even is necessary to break certain barriers (just because I don't like that solution does not mean I have a better one), but it is still racism and there is no need to pretend otherwise.

 

[Jedi Knight]

Saw it.....was spot on.

 

[Smyth]

Preach it Steve Harvey!

I thought he was bald.

 

[Zaac]

I have been talking about racism. The OP is concerning a biblical response to racism, and I have taken your comments in line with the OP (if you were talking about something else, I don't know why you did it here).

Affirmative action is meant to level the playing field, but all things are never equal. I have seen men passed over for promotion and jobs in favor of less qualified people of minority. I've even been tasked to offer positions to minorities when better qualified persons were seeking the same job. Those persons who were passed over because of their race were victims of racism. Not only that, but society suffers and we are all victims of the same racism.

In my experience, if a man offers another a job based on that person being a minority race then that is called "affirmative action".

That's NOT affirmative action.

If the same man refuses to hire a person because he is of a minority race then that is called "racism".

It could be. Not necessarily so.

In truth, both are examples of racism.

Again. Not necessarily so.

And it is foolish to think affirmative action a "victimless crime." Maybe it is the "lesser evil", and maybe it even is necessary to break certain barriers (just because I don't like that solution does not mean I have a better one), but it is still racism and there is no need to pretend otherwise.

It's only foolish if you're confused about whay is and is not affirmative action. You haven't mentioned a right definition of affirmative action as affirmative action deals with candidates being EQUALLY qualified based on the requirements given.

Like a lot of folks, your confused about whay AA is. What you described, folks being passed over for LESS qualified candidates is not affirmative action.

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[JonC]

Zaac, we are talking about two different things. You are speaking of an idealistic version of affirmative action where race is not a factor (all things really are equal). I like that idea. Unfortunately, that is not AA in the real world. And that is a different topic.

More to the OP, race should not be a factor. We are Christians. That should not be the "primary" driving factor in our lives, it should be the only driving factor in our lives.

 

[TCassidy]

There is only one race on this planet. The Human Race. If everyone, and especially Christians, could just get their heads around that we would all be much better off!

 

[Zaac]

There is only one race on this planet. The Human Race. If everyone, and especially Christians, could just get their heads around that we would all be much better off!

Amen.That was part of my sermon. Unfortunately, the time coming out of the church, as evidenced by this board, has not been that.

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[Zaac]

Zaac, we are talking about two different things. You are speaking of an idealistic version of affirmative action where race is not a factor (all things really are equal).

That's affirmative action. All things are equal and the nod is given to the person who traditionally hadn't been afforded the opportunity.

If you're complaining about something else, your not complaining about affirmative action.

I like that idea. Unfortunately, that is not AA in the real world. And that is a different topic.

Yes it is AA in the real world. You and a lot of folks who aren't cheat about what aa is have blamed it wrongly.

More to the OP, race should not be a factor. We are Christians. That should not be the "primary" driving factor in our lives, it should be the only driving factor in our lives.

Yes it should be. But if THAT were the case, Christians wouldn't be supporting a man or woman for the office of President who is at odds with God's word.

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[Smyth]

In my experience, if a man offers another a job based on that person being a minority race then that is called "affirmative action".

Liberalism (the art of dishonesty) will flat out lie and deny Affirmative Action is about giving less qualified minorities a job (or school admissions, or whatever). "Non-discrimination" is the term for hiring without regard to race. It's not much of a secret that government AA programs consist of giving extra points to minorities. And, statistics show the result of those racial preferences, such as *black police officers are much more likely to use their guns -- and people die as a result of those racial preferences.


*"A study conducted University of Pennsylvania criminologist Greg Ridgeway in 2015 that determined black cops were 3.3 times more likely to fire a gun than other cops at a crime scene. "

 

[TCassidy]

Affirmative Action is about giving less qualified minorities a job (or school admissions, or whatever).

Why are they "less qualified?"

 

[JonC]

That's affirmative action. All things are equal and the nod is given to the person who traditionally hadn't been afforded the opportunity.

If you're complaining about something else, your not complaining about affirmative action.



Yes it is AA in the real world. You and a lot of folks who aren't cheat about what aa is have blamed it wrongly.



Yes it should be. But if THAT were the case, Christians wouldn't be supporting a man or woman for the office of President who is at odds with God's word.

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First, Brother, I am not complaining about anything. I agree that there is a population that has faced racial barriers, and even that there are generations that suffer because of racist ideologies of the past. My argument is that it is wrong to maintain that model. I simply made an observation in passing that apparently struck a cord with you.

At an individual level, all things are equal and the position, scholarship, promotion, or job is given to a man because of his race and denied another because of his race then what we have is racism in it's purest form. If, as you say, race is the determining factor in AA then it cannot be anything but racism.

Now, if you were speaking of the ultimate decision being blind to race then that would be a different story. But as it is, in your ideological situation (the determining factor in AA favoring the minority race) is wrong on an individual level. It victimizes one race with the pretense of being "fair". On a larger scale you can talk about elevating one race of people (which doesn't matter at an individual level as evidenced by the poverty level among whites as well...percentages do not matter at an individual level).

The mentality is ultimately to bring one race down and raise another so that the percentages are equal. That, IMHO, is anti-Christian. There is still a man who cannot feed his family because he is a certain color. It was wrong in the past and it is wrong now. Race cannot be the determining factor. AA is still racism.