Racism

Hi Kenneth,

Racism predates Darwinism by thousands of years! For instance, ancient Greeks considered anyone NOT Greek to be a 'dog.'

Racism, contrary to Bible detractors does NOT have its roots in the Bible. In fact, the Bible specifically denies any basis for it a number of times, all the way from all of us being descendents of not only Adam and Eve, but Noah and his wife, too, to the mentions in the New Testament that there is no distinction among people where God is concerned.

However clues to the origins of racism can be seen in the Bible. Without going into anything that might have been before the Flood of Noah, if we look afterward, one of the first things we see is the division of peoples after the Babel catastrophe. Genetically, when you have small, isolated populations (which is what would have resulted from that time at Babel), you will have a rapid appearance in each population of identifying genetic traits due to the enforced inbreeding. This, by the way, is the ONLY way a populations of blondes could have developed in northern Europe. For if they had been intermingling with the other populations, darker coloring would have predominated as the lack of coloring is a recessive trait!

We see a continuation of the sense of 'family' or 'tribe' at the time of Abraham, as he married his half-sister, Sarah, and then insisted that his son marry back into the family as well. In fact, it is not until the time of Moses that marriage with a close relative is forbidden (and incest thus defined). This makes sense genetically as Adam and Eve would not have had any genetic problems and the problems would have arisen rather slowly, not endangering anyone by population for some years. But at the time of Moses, God gave definite directions for staying away from close relatives.

By this time, however, the 'racial' distinctions would have been distinct indeed. When you combine this with the land grabs that have gone on through the millennia, and the fact that the conquering folk often made slaves of the conquered, you can see where some racial ideas became easily entrenched. "We conquered them and so we are better than they are and you can see the difference between us...." -- that kind of thing -- apart from any spiritual implications at all which might have been attributed to any of it.

The appearance of evolution, however, DID contribute significantly to what was already there. The idea that man arose from an ape-like ancestor combined with the fact that many dark-skinned people are found in areas where apes are also found, (as well as the fact that the early evolutionists were all white!) ended up fostering the idea that the darker the skin, the less developed evolutionarily the person.

This is a recurring theme in early evolutionist writings and did not get changed until political contingencies (needing the 'black vote') intruded and political correctness became the rule of the day.

In the meantime, the truth is as you have mentioned -- we are all human beings capable of marrying any other human being of the opposite sex and having children from that marriage. It is also interesting that genetic studies have pointed out that genetic differences within any given 'race' are far more numerous than any genetic differences between 'races.'

As far as God is concerned, there are those who are believers and those who aren't. Skin color -- or any other physical attribute -- has nothing to do with the condition of the heart in its relationship to God. It is a sad, sad thing that any racisim or ideas of it exist in any church today which calls itself Christian.

 

I believe this is more of a geographical concern. Up north you won't find this as often. I know of a pastor from Cowpen, Mississippi who believed that the different races shouldn't even worship together. He had a large church so they built a church for the black folks in the community so they could worship separately.

 

In my home church, it's about 45% white, 15% asian, 25% hispanic, 10% black, and 5% other. Us being separated by race or culture seems simply ridiculous.

 

Is this a "two-way street," or do you find that one race or the other prefers not to worship with the other? In other words, is this only the whites or only the blacks that want it this way, or is it both blacks and whites that feel the need to worship separately?

 

This attitude is not present at my church. I have several friends who have mixed marriages. We don't believe in seperation because of race or color.

 

Growing up in the south and now living in the north/midwest, I find racism to be a much bigger issue here than it was in the south. It is a constant issue local politics, the school system, and life in general. I never heard such problems in the south.

 

I think some of the segregation in churches in the south is based in that individuals often choose to worship with family and friends. If a community remains segregated socially, it can't be that surprising if some of this carries over into the church community.

Another reason for some of the segregation is that we often prefer the worship styles that we are familar with and there can often be differences (actually wonderful variations on worship is more accurate) between churches and denominations that are traditionally African-American and those that are traditionally attended by Caucasians.

One thing that I enjoyed while I was living in Atlanta was that there was more integration within in the Baptist churches that I attended. In fact one congregation I was involved with had a great variety of nationalities represented -- wonderful glimpse into what heaven will be like!

 

I am from the North and I belong to a IFBC and I never heard of our church segregating races as far as marriges or dating goes. We had a black preacher that was married to a latino woman. My area is a high area for mixed marriges and relationships.

Now personal preference is a different story. It may not be right or christian like, but I don't believe in mixing races. God created other races because there were too many of one.

But to say it must be a northern thing is stereo typing! My husband is from the south, but moved here when we were married 4 yrs ago. He is proud of his heritage and has the american and the confederate flag on his cars. We have a mixed couple accross the street from me. I was close to this couple and was even their daughters god parent, but since my husband moved in they want nothing to do with us because they stereo typed him. He must be in the KKK because he is southern and has a confederate flag.

Your doing the same thing.

 

Huh??? I thought we were all descendents of Noah with races being the result of local reinforcement of genetic traits after the tower of Babel dispersion.

One problem I don't think anyone has mentioned is that many black churches have turned from the gospel of Christ to the gospel of social activism and are very much arms of the civil rights establishment. Several black friends have joked about a very serious truth- personal holiness is not a serious matter in these "Baptist" churches. Their battle cry is social justice. The joke is that many of their members don't even change the clothes they went partying in the night before and that church is an excellent place to "hook up".

I know for a fact that they are not all this way but apparently many are.

The integrated churches I have been exposed to have been excellent.

 

My children were in an IFB school in Minnesota,
and we occasionally attended services there. In
no way were they segregated. Nor is my Baptist-
based synagogue segregated here in the
Northwest. However, there are two SDA churches
in my little city that are very segregated, and they
have been in the news as a result. Amazing.

 

I hope that you are not serious that there are churches that segrate people based on skin colour!!! That is wrong.

I am mixed races. I am Australian we are the second most multicultural country in the world after Israel. My ancestors are Predominatley English, but also Scottish, French, Italian and even Gypsys are mixed in there somewhere. Yes I am a Bronzed Aussie. Christian segragation was not practiced in the New Testament. Gods grace went out to All Gentiles. we are Grafted in. not in "Separate Pots"

 

They exist in the U.S.A.!

 

Scott,

I may not be quoting it right. I will have to search my bible to find what it was I was trying to stress...

My point being, I didn't care to be stereo typed just because we live in the north...

I do know "some" churches are that way and I do think it is wrong.

 

Racists are identified by their sinful hearts not their zip codes. Its a problem in north and south... northerners just tend to point the finger more quickly.

 

Scott,

I think your wrong! I have been down south and you are no different than us! There is trash no matter where you go.

 

I have lived in Mississippi, and now I live in the
Northwest. There is a major racisim problem
here. There are skinheads, Arian nations, KKK,
European-Israel groups, and several other racist
groups here. My son has been harassed by
some because he looks white and is married to
an Asian lady. This stuff is everywhere. It is
called SIN.