Asian American Christians Ask Churches to Stop Stereotyping

[Jerome]

http://nextgenerasianchurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Open-Letter_AAU_PDF.pdf

Over the past decade, Christian evangelicalism has been the source of repeated and offensive racial stereotyping, and Asian Americans have been inordinately affected. From VBS curriculum, to youth skits, to general Christian trade books, Asians have been caricatured, mocked, or otherwise treated as foreigners outside the typical accepted realm of white evangelicalism. And the situation has not improved over time. Within just the past month alone, a well-known Christian leader and a popular Christian conference have also exhibited examples of poor judgment and Asian stereotyping.
And it has to stop.

The open letter cites bigotry in several incidents at Saddleback Church and in Lifeway's 'Far Out Far East Rickshaw Rally' VBS curriculum.

 

[Baptist Believer]

As a person who has a sister-in-law who is Asian, I have become far more sensitive in the last few years to the way Caucasians tend to portray Asians. As far as I can tell, it is not intended to be mean-spirited, but it tends to embrace and encourage old stereotypes that are not true.

Our churches children's ministry used the "Far Out Far East Rickshaw Rally: Racing to the Son" in a recent VBS, and I was embarrassed by it. We have a number of Asian members in our congregation, especially in our college and young adult areas, and I don't think they were terribly happy about it. They know our heart is in the right place (they are welcomed and loved in our congregation as our brothers and sisters in Christ), but I sense that they feel demeaned.

One of my friends (who is an international student from Singapore) makes it a point to tell people in our congregation whom he meets that he is "not Chinese." He makes a joke of it, but I know he gets tired of being called Chinese.

The love of Christ should compel us to be very careful how we portray other cultures and people.

 

[USN2Pulpit]

I remember Rickshaw Rally. We intentionally didn't use it because of how it characterized Asians.

 

[preacher4truth]

Why is it the 'Caucasians' get singled out over this? Isn't that stereotyping as well?

Sure it is.

I've seen all other races stereotype other races.

What if lifeway had a VBS about Scots, and everyone was encouraged to wear a kilt (men) and they played bagpipes, do you think the Scots would be claiming 'stereotyping' and 'racism'? Not at all.

What's really happening here IMO is that racism only happens against all races but whites and through this whites are to be hated by all others.

 

[Crabtownboy]

I know a Chinese lady who stopped going to a Baptist Church very near her home because of insults about her ethnicity by several members and now drive over 30 miles to a Chinese Christian church. It is sad.

 

[preacher4truth]

I know a couple of 'african american' kids who used to ride the bus via bus ministry to church who always caused problems (punching others, fondling girls, bullying & more) on the bus and were warned for months about their behavior, and the parents were spoken to as well. It got way worse and they were not allowed to ride the bus any longer. The church was then called racist. :sleep:

 

[Crabtownboy]

I know a couple of 'african american' kids who used to ride the bus via bus ministry to church who always caused problems (punching others, fondling girls, bullying & more) on the bus and were warned for months about their behavior, and the parents were spoken to as well. It got way worse and they were not allowed to ride the bus any longer. The church was then called racist. :sleep:

Who needs a physician, a sick person or a well person?

 

[preacher4truth]

Who needs a physician, a sick person or a well person?

None are well, so what do you think? Are all sick outside of Christ or not?

Some of the kids did on the bus needed attention when they got beat up while going down the road. And the two kids doing it may have needed one when the parents of a few daughters heard about them fondling their kids (daughters) and exposing themselves. They were told they could no longer ride the bus and justifiably so. The police could have been called and it could have been much worse.

Hey, maybe you should go pick them up and take them yourself?

Don't give what is holy to dogs, or cast pearls unto swine.

 

[saturneptune]

None are well, so what do you think? Are all sick outside of Christ or not?

Some of the kids did on the bus needed attention when they got beat up while going down the road. And the two kids doing it may have needed one when the parents of a few daughters heard about them fondling their kids (daughters) and exposing themselves. They were told they could no longer ride the bus and justifiably so. The police could have been called and it could have been much worse.

Hey, maybe you should go pick them up and take them yourself?

Don't give what is holy to dogs, or cast pearls unto swine.

Good post on your part. The rest of the thread is basically superficial, shallow, and flawed thinking that should have died decades ago. We are Christian brothers and sisters in Christ, and what bonds us is our inner being that has been made perfect by Christ forgiving our sins and the Holy Spirit taking up residence in us as His temple. The color of our skin, our customs, language, food we like, etc, is meaningless in the realm of the eternal, except to show that those who judge by such factors either way have a Pharisee mindset. The Lord characterized them very well, white washed tombs, clean and glistening on the outside, and rotting with maggots on the inside. It is the inward beauty of our bond with the Lord Jesus, not our outward appearance.

The whole concept is pathetic, and has no place in the life of any redeemed person.

 

[saturneptune]

I know a Chinese lady who stopped going to a Baptist Church very near her home because of insults about her ethnicity by several members and now drive over 30 miles to a Chinese Christian church. It is sad.

What does her being Chinese have to do with it? She is a Christian, end of story. Your wording only escalates the problem of shallow thinking. Your first sentence should have read, a sister in the Lord Jesus Christ stopped going to a ..............STOP. The next term you use in error is Baptist Church. You are implying that the whole congregation was making fun of her appearance. I doubt it. Those who were have a high probability of being lost. So, to pick up...............she stopped going to a local New Testament church because a few or so lost members destroyed her fellowship with the rest of the congregation.

Finally, you say she drove to a Chinese Christian Church. Again I ask, what does Chinese have to do with it. If most happen to be of her ethnic origin, fine, but has nothing to do with the problem. It is not Chinese, it is the inward heart. One does not establish fellowship with a brother or sister in Christ because they look like you. You establish a relationship because you are brothers and sisters in Christ. The new church could have had members just as hateful, regardless of their origin.

It is all about Jesus Christ and our inward being. The outward appearance is so shallow it is embarrassing that it still exists. Even MLK, fifty years ago, said it was the content of character.

Outward appearance and class has been used for years by the liberals to advance their poison in both the secular and spiritual realm. In the secular world, it stifles imagination, destiny, self worth, self confidence, freedom and liberty. In the spiritual realm, it is deadly. It advances the Pharisee life style, and shifts salvation away from being a gift of God and being based upon a set of man made rules.

 

[OldRegular]

What does her being Chinese have to do with it? She is a Christian, end of story. Your wording only escalates the problem of shallow thinking. Your first sentence should have read, a sister in the Lord Jesus Christ stopped going to a ..............STOP. The next term you use in error is Baptist Church. You are implying that the whole congregation was making fun of her appearance. I doubt it. Those who were have a high probability of being lost. So, to pick up...............she stopped going to a local New Testament church because a few or so lost members destroyed her fellowship with the rest of the congregation.

Finally, you say she drove to a Chinese Christian Church. Again I ask, what does Chinese have to do with it. If most happen to be of her ethnic origin, fine, but has nothing to do with the problem. It is not Chinese, it is the inward heart. One does not establish fellowship with a brother or sister in Christ because they look like you. You establish a relationship because you are brothers and sisters in Christ. The new church could have had members just as hateful, regardless of their origin.

It is all about Jesus Christ and our inward being. The outward appearance is so shallow it is embarrassing that it still exists. Even MLK, fifty years ago, said it was the content of character.

Outward appearance and class has been used for years by the liberals to advance their poison in both the secular and spiritual realm. In the secular world, it stifles imagination, destiny, self worth, self confidence, freedom and liberty. In the spiritual realm, it is deadly. It advances the Pharisee life style, and shifts salvation away from being a gift of God and being based upon a set of man made rules.

Good posts S/N. One of these days I will ask you to preach in that football stadium they Joel bought here in South Carolina.

 

[Aaron]

American Christians should demand ethnic minorities to grow out of their diapers.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Why is it the 'Caucasians' get singled out over this? Isn't that stereotyping as well?

The persons in our church who selected the literature are all white, just like me. My family is primarily Caucasian, although I have some relatives in my generation who are Asian and African-American.

I may have been overly broad in my assessment, but my intent was to describe what happens in my church and local community - primarily white and Hispanic.

I've seen all other races stereotype other races.

Sure, happens all the time. That doesn't mean it is right and doesn't excuse Caucasians from doing the same thing.

What if lifeway had a VBS about Scots, and everyone was encouraged to wear a kilt (men) and they played bagpipes, do you think the Scots would be claiming 'stereotyping' and 'racism'? Not at all.

They might. Especially if the literature emphasized how frugal (cheap) Scotsmen are and portrayed all Scotsmen as wearing kilts and carrying bagpipes each day.

What's really happening here IMO is that racism only happens against all races but whites and through this whites are to be hated by all others.

For some that may be true, but it would be a stereotype to apply that to all whites and non-whites who have concerns about this issue.

 

[preacher4truth]

American Christians should demand ethnic minorities to grow out of their diapers.

This being offended about these things is nothing but selfish carnality. All ethnicities have something within their culture with which people make a connection. Rickshaws, huts, kilts, foods, products, giftedness, color, religion, attire, accent, &c. To make this connective process an issue during some corporate worship is to turn the focus on feelings, to willfully be offended, and to become carnal and walk in the flesh and seek self-pity, or plainly self. It’s ridiculous, shameful, divisive and quite immature.

Aaron is correct as well, it’s time to grow up – worship isn’t about peoples, it’s about Him, and to turn the focus on one’s ethnic group and feelings is to be self-centered and arrogant and seeking pity. Grow up and stop it. It’s not all about them and some need to stop looking to shift focus onto their ‘group’ and their feelings. THAT is division, not the making connections to ethnic groups through programs and visuals. The whole thing is jealousy, strife and carnality. These are also being party spirit, instead of uniting together they wish to glorify their ethnicity and being offended as if they need special treatment. They don’t. Think about 1 Cor. 3. As said, all races have certain behaviors and cultural traits to which others make use of and to make connections. To mention them and use them is not racism in the least.

 

[preacher4truth]

The persons in our church who selected the literature are all white, just like me. .

And we can stop right there because what you've done has made a schism, distinction and an party attitude. There is no such thing as White, Black, Jew, Greek, Chinese or Welsh in the church. Those offended about the rickshaw thing did the exact same and are just as wrong as you are.

 

[Jerome]

Head of Southern Baptists' publishing arm issues public apology for their offensive stereotyping:

video

"I am sincerely sorry stereotypes were used in our material, and I apologize for the pain they caused. I agree with those who have helped us understand the offensive nature of that material, and I agree, evangelical church and ministry leaders, particularly those of us who are white, need to commit to assuring, as best we can, these offenses stop."

 

[USN2Pulpit]

Folks need to understand that the stereotypes in that particular VBS were "over the top" insulting. Even the some of the songs were outrageous in the way they characterized Asians.

Finally, it's all well and good for Caucasian people to say others shouldn't be offended and they're being to sensitive - but we don't really have a leg to stand on. How can we know within our culture how another culture that most of us are not connected with views what has happened? Shouldn't we back off and adjust our thinking - or should we stubbornly stay on the same course?

I think LifeWay was absolutely right in issuing an apology. Dr Ranier did the right thing by doing so.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Folks need to understand that the stereotypes in that particular VBS were "over the top" insulting. Even the some of the songs were outrageous in the way they characterized Asians.

Finally, it's all well and good for Caucasian people to say others shouldn't be offended and they're being to sensitive - but we don't really have a leg to stand on. How can we know within our culture how another culture that most of us are not connected with views what has happened? Shouldn't we back off and adjust our thinking - or should we stubbornly stay on the same course?

I think LifeWay was absolutely right in issuing an apology. Dr Ranier did the right thing by doing so.

Excellent post. :applause:

 

[Baptist Believer]

Folks need to understand that the stereotypes in that particular VBS were "over the top" insulting. Even the some of the songs were outrageous in the way they characterized Asians.

Finally, it's all well and good for Caucasian people to say others shouldn't be offended and they're being to sensitive - but we don't really have a leg to stand on. How can we know within our culture how another culture that most of us are not connected with views what has happened? Shouldn't we back off and adjust our thinking - or should we stubbornly stay on the same course?

I think LifeWay was absolutely right in issuing an apology. Dr Ranier did the right thing by doing so.

Yep.

Very good post!

 

[Baptist Believer]

And we can stop right there because what you've done has made a schism, distinction and an party attitude.

Hardly. Recognizing ethnicity and culture in terms of God's great diversity in humankind is not a schism or "party attitude."

The Sunday School class that I help lead is remarkably diverse in ethnicity and nationality - we have a lot of international students in the class. We speak openly of these issues and share perspectives, learning from each other.

There is no such thing as White, Black, Jew, Greek, Chinese or Welsh in the church.

You are right if you are talking about those things being divisive or a point of contention. You are wrong if they are taken as part of God's goodness and diversity. What makes the difference is attitude.

Those offended about the rickshaw thing did the exact same and are just as wrong as you are.

You are assuming that everyone who disagrees with you has the wrong attitude - a divisive attitude.