satan's "church"

[nebula]

I also think racism is about culture, not skin color.

Observe a group of "black" people interacting with each other, and observe a group of "white" people interacting with each other. You should notice a difference in the way they talk and the way they interact. That's an example of culture.

We tend to associate people of another race with a different way of communicating, a different way of perceiving the world, a different attitude, a different whatever.

And that's what makes us uncomfortable or don't like or whatever.

Add to that someone who has insecurities (that they refuse to face) who feels better about themselves by making themselves feel superior over someone - and there you go - racism.

[hr.jr.]

I was born and raised and continue to live in the South. My parents were young during the Depression and always told me that EVERYbody gets cold, EVERYbody gets hungry and EVERYbody needs love and respect. My Dad took a stand on racism many, many times and was a strong Christian and a fair man. I grew up respecting people.... of all colors. I've seen ugly in many colors and as my Grandmother would tell me.... "God doesn't like it when we act ugly - it hurts Him". Geography doesn't make one a racist anymore than having membership in a church makes one a Christian.

Unfortunately, rearing can make one a racist.

I reject that theory - you don't have to remain one. You can be raised in absolute dysfunction and still educate yourself and learn from what 'went wrong' and live a different life. Simply to say "I was raised this way" is no excuse to 'remain that way' - that is a huge cop out.

I am a prime example of what you say K. Raised one way, walked another (before I was saved). If anyone is an "expert" on racism it is a middle aged white South African male who was conscripted into the army at the age of 17 to fight a war most of us did not really understand.

Racism boils down to one thing and one thing alone. The very core of racism is fear. Mostly it is impressed upon one from an early age (we are products of our history, and those that don't take note of this are doomed to repeat history)

Unfortunately there are many people in my country (black, who have more reason I think, and white), who still live in the Jurassic.

But then I look at our new school system, watch my nieces and nephews growing up in a relaxed multi cultural society, and I see the absence of fear as the answer.

Break the cycle of fear, and you break the cycle of racism. At least thats what happened to me at a relatively young age.

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

[enoob57]

That signature is awsome... and is right both evening and morningGlory...

[Believer1997]

I was born and raised and continue to live in the South. My parents were young during the Depression and always told me that EVERYbody gets cold, EVERYbody gets hungry and EVERYbody needs love and respect. My Dad took a stand on racism many, many times and was a strong Christian and a fair man. I grew up respecting people.... of all colors. I've seen ugly in many colors and as my Grandmother would tell me.... "God doesn't like it when we act ugly - it hurts Him". Geography doesn't make one a racist anymore than having membership in a church makes one a Christian.

Unfortunately, rearing can make one a racist.

I reject that theory - you don't have to remain one. You can be raised in absolute dysfunction and still educate yourself and learn from what 'went wrong' and live a different life. Simply to say "I was raised this way" is no excuse to 'remain that way' - that is a huge cop out.

I am a prime example of what you say K. Raised one way, walked another (before I was saved). If anyone is an "expert" on racism it is a middle aged white South African male who was conscripted into the army at the age of 17 to fight a war most of us did not really understand.

Racism boils down to one thing and one thing alone. The very core of racism is fear. Mostly it is impressed upon one from an early age (we are products of our history, and those that don't take note of this are doomed to repeat history)

Unfortunately there are many people in my country (black, who have more reason I think, and white), who still live in the Jurassic.

But then I look at our new school system, watch my nieces and nephews growing up in a relaxed multi cultural society, and I see the absence of fear as the answer.

Break the cycle of fear, and you break the cycle of racism. At least thats what happened to me at a relatively young age.

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

That's utter nonsense - but continue if you wish. If anything, this type of thinking and the labeling of people perpetuates racism.

[MorningGlory]

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

That's utter nonsense - but continue if you wish. If anything, this type of thinking and the labeling of people perpetuates racism.

Agreed; and don't get me started on labeling people you don't know (right, left, liberal, conservative, lower class, middle class, etc. and blah, blah, blah.) because I've been known to rant for days on that subject. Very few people are 100% anything unless they're just mindless sheep that follow others. But, to stay on topic, no one HAS to be a racist.....all that's required to be free of that is pulling the head out of the box and thinking for yourself instead of following the KKK, Aryan Brotherhood or whoever's agenda you've been agreeing with.

[MorningGlory]

That signature is awsome... and is right both evening and morningGlory...

You mean the one below this sentence?

[Believer1997]

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

That's utter nonsense - but continue if you wish. If anything, this type of thinking and the labeling of people perpetuates racism.

Agreed; and don't get me started on labeling people you don't know (right, left, liberal, conservative, lower class, middle class, etc. and blah, blah, blah.) because I've been known to rant for days on that subject. Very few people are 100% anything unless they're just mindless sheep that follow others. But, to stay on topic, no one HAS to be a racist.....all that's required to be free of that is pulling the head out of the box and thinking for yourself instead of following the KKK, Aryan Brotherhood or whoever's agenda you've been agreeing with.

IF one is racist, biased, fear-ridden over other races today - it's a deliberate choice - this is an age where information is quickly available -most children go to school with many different races - unless you are living in a cloistered society or under a rock - you have the ability to choose. People who don't - are making a conscious choice. Yeah - there people who dedicate themselves to racism - the adults are doing so by choice. I know of many people raised in the company of rabid racists - who grew up to find out for themselves how hateful that indoctrination is - and made the choice to live differently. I find it annoying that individuals not raised in an area - have a stereotypical view of how the inhabitants must be ... that is simply ignorance.

[MorningGlory]

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

That's utter nonsense - but continue if you wish. If anything, this type of thinking and the labeling of people perpetuates racism.

Agreed; and don't get me started on labeling people you don't know (right, left, liberal, conservative, lower class, middle class, etc. and blah, blah, blah.) because I've been known to rant for days on that subject. Very few people are 100% anything unless they're just mindless sheep that follow others. But, to stay on topic, no one HAS to be a racist.....all that's required to be free of that is pulling the head out of the box and thinking for yourself instead of following the KKK, Aryan Brotherhood or whoever's agenda you've been agreeing with.

IF one is racist, biased, fear-ridden over other races today - it's a deliberate choice - this is an age where information is quickly available -most children go to school with many different races - unless you are living in a cloistered society or under a rock - you have the ability to choose. People who don't - are making a conscious choice. Yeah - there people who dedicate themselves to racism - the adults are doing so by choice. I know of many people raised in the company of rabid racists - who grew up to find out for themselves how hateful that indoctrination is - and made the choice to live differently. I find it annoying that individuals not raised in an area - have a stereotypical view of how the inhabitants must be ... that is simply ignorance.

I know what you mean; people often assume that southerners are racist. The worst racism I've ever seen was when I was living in one of the Bible Belt states in the middle of the country (don't want to name it; don't want hurt feelings here). Texas is actually pretty tolerant compared to what I saw there.

[hr.jr.]

I was born and raised and continue to live in the South. My parents were young during the Depression and always told me that EVERYbody gets cold, EVERYbody gets hungry and EVERYbody needs love and respect. My Dad took a stand on racism many, many times and was a strong Christian and a fair man. I grew up respecting people.... of all colors. I've seen ugly in many colors and as my Grandmother would tell me.... "God doesn't like it when we act ugly - it hurts Him". Geography doesn't make one a racist anymore than having membership in a church makes one a Christian.

Unfortunately, rearing can make one a racist.

I reject that theory - you don't have to remain one. You can be raised in absolute dysfunction and still educate yourself and learn from what 'went wrong' and live a different life. Simply to say "I was raised this way" is no excuse to 'remain that way' - that is a huge cop out.

I am a prime example of what you say K. Raised one way, walked another (before I was saved). If anyone is an "expert" on racism it is a middle aged white South African male who was conscripted into the army at the age of 17 to fight a war most of us did not really understand.

Racism boils down to one thing and one thing alone. The very core of racism is fear. Mostly it is impressed upon one from an early age (we are products of our history, and those that don't take note of this are doomed to repeat history)

Unfortunately there are many people in my country (black, who have more reason I think, and white), who still live in the Jurassic.

But then I look at our new school system, watch my nieces and nephews growing up in a relaxed multi cultural society, and I see the absence of fear as the answer.

Break the cycle of fear, and you break the cycle of racism. At least thats what happened to me at a relatively young age.

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

That's utter nonsense - but continue if you wish. If anything, this type of thinking and the labeling of people perpetuates racism.

If you think that is utter nonsense, you might want to come patrol the ghetto with me one day. Generation after generation living the same way.

"Utter nonsense?" Might want to study sociology before you make such a nonsensical statement.

[hr.jr.]

Unfortunately, the percentage who break the chains of their rearing is very low.

That's utter nonsense - but continue if you wish. If anything, this type of thinking and the labeling of people perpetuates racism.

Agreed; and don't get me started on labeling people you don't know (right, left, liberal, conservative, lower class, middle class, etc. and blah, blah, blah.) because I've been known to rant for days on that subject. Very few people are 100% anything unless they're just mindless sheep that follow others. But, to stay on topic, no one HAS to be a racist.....all that's required to be free of that is pulling the head out of the box and thinking for yourself instead of following the KKK, Aryan Brotherhood or whoever's agenda you've been agreeing with.

IF one is racist, biased, fear-ridden over other races today - it's a deliberate choice - this is an age where information is quickly available -most children go to school with many different races - unless you are living in a cloistered society or under a rock - you have the ability to choose. People who don't - are making a conscious choice. Yeah - there people who dedicate themselves to racism - the adults are doing so by choice. I know of many people raised in the company of rabid racists - who grew up to find out for themselves how hateful that indoctrination is - and made the choice to live differently. I find it annoying that individuals not raised in an area - have a stereotypical view of how the inhabitants must be ... that is simply ignorance.

I know what you mean; people often assume that southerners are racist. The worst racism I've ever seen was when I was living in one of the Bible Belt states in the middle of the country (don't want to name it; don't want hurt feelings here). Texas is actually pretty tolerant compared to what I saw there.

The entire United States has racists. The south catches the majority of the heat because we have much more vocal racists.

Racists do not bother me. To be perfectly honest, I run into far more black racists than I do white racists. The way I look at it, they can be racist if they want to. I do not care if someone likes me or not. If they do not like me because of my skin color, thats fine. I will not lose one second of sleep over it. There are stores that do not want me to come in and shop because of my skin color. My money spends other places. It is their loss. There is a store where I work that will not sell to white people. Sometimes I go in on duty and hang out just to annoy them. They hate Indians even worse than they hate whites. I kind of find entertainment value in their stupidity.