satan's "church"

[Fez]

When it comes to racism and the Word of God, the world view you were reared with can definitely skew your interpretation.

Yes it can. We fought in a dirty little bush war in Namibia (South West Africa) and Angola, in "defense" of apartheid. We were taught from a young age to "defend the motherland" as it were. And this was instilled in us through fear and a rewriting of history (which always belongs to the "victors").

With some of us, after a while, and as we matured, we started to see that this was wrong, totally wrong. (and I did not know Jesus at the time, although I had prayed at times, because there are no atheists in foxholes.) Once the truth dawned many of us became ultra sensitive to any sort of racism, and to this day I will not tolerate it.

With the "church" that I mention in post#1, even marrying outside ones culture, is deemed a betrayal of culture by many.

[LeonaS]

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.

I hope my post didn't give the impression that racism exists mainly in the American South. Prejudice is not related to geography. I have seen nasty examples of it in upstate New York, and Tucson AZ. I was just trying to say that some down here who call themselves Christians still hold to the old ways. On the other hand, the finest gentleman I ever met (other than my dad) was from Mississippi. He was my boss in Alabama, and believed strongly in all that the Bible teaches. I know he never saw color and treated us all, black and white, male and female equally. I cannot say enough about him.

[MorningGlory]

I grew up with a very unique opportunity to view the interaction of the races. I grew up in the South. I am a Cherokee Indian. What I will say after this is all generality. There are exceptions. I was always accepted by the white race. What really came as a shock to me is that the African American race as a whole is very racist toward my people and hispanics. I have many black friends and many white friends. I am definitely not saying that ALL black people in my geographic area feel this way, but a majority definitely do. As a whole, the black race looks down on the Indian/Latino races. I thing it ironic that the black race as a whole, who were victims of racism for decades, be racist themselves. I have one black friend who become irate when he sees a black woman with a white man. A white woman with a black man is OK to him. He has absolutely no reason he can give for why he thinks that way.

I see this as well, h.r. Here in Texas we have a large Hispanic population, as everyone knows, and there is bad blood between black people and Hispanics. I'm not SURE why but some black people have mentioned to me how 'those XXXXXX from Mexico just waltz in here taking what's not theirs'. I think it has to do with how hard black Americans have had to fight for what is rightfully theirs only to see foreign people jump the border and get it for free. As for your friend taking offense when seeing a black woman with a white man, I think it's because he feels it's a rejection of HIM (or people he considers like him). I've known black women who didn't have a racist bone in their bodies but just had a hissy about black men being with white (or any other race) women. People are funny that way....

[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.

I hope my post didn't give the impression that racism exists mainly in the American South. Prejudice is not related to geography. I have seen nasty examples of it in upstate New York, and Tucson AZ. I was just trying to say that some down here who call themselves Christians still hold to the old ways. On the other hand, the finest gentleman I ever met (other than my dad) was from Mississippi. He was my boss in Alabama, and believed strongly in all that the Bible teaches. I know he never saw color and treated us all, black and white, male and female equally. I cannot say enough about him.

No, No, No Leona!!! I didn't even connect your post when I wrote this.... you said absolutely nothing that made me think about the geography comment. Not at all... My Dad was very much like the gentleman you described. Both of my parents - and my grandparents were color-blind in their treatment of people. I pray everyday that I can be the same in all things.

[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.

[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.

[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 agree in theory. In real world thinking, I totally disagree. Let us say that little Jimmy and little Bobby are identical twins. They are born to poor parents who put one up for adoption. Little Jimmy was adopted by a mother and father who loved him dearly. They spent time with him. They took him to church and taught him the ways of The Lord. They helped him with his home work. They were active in his education process. Little Bobby has a drunk for a father and a crack head for a mother. He sees his father about two hours a week and grows up watching his mother turn tricks for rock. They spend no time with him. They have no interest in him or his education.

More than likely which child will be a convict and which will be a business man?

A child raised by racists is more likely to be racist than a child raised by normal people.

[other one]

I think both of you are correct. One does not have to remain a racist even if thier parents are..... unfortunately do not have to and don't are two very different things in life and I have found in my personal watch that not many fit into that do not have to place

And hr, I'm not really sure what to call normal these days. Just last week, at the coffee shop, I heard things from four people I didn't think I'd ever hear from them. I have to wonder who is just hiding thier true feelings

[hr.jr.]

I think both of you are correct. One does not have to remain a racist even if thier parents are..... unfortunately do not have to and don't are two very different things in life and I have found in my personal watch that not many fit into that do not have to place

And hr, I'm not really sure what to call normal these days. Just last week, at the coffee shop, I heard things from four people I didn't think I'd ever hear from them. I have to wonder who is just hiding thier true feelings

I agree. We joke in the coffee room at the Police department almost daily that "everybody except us is crazy." It is a joke and a vast exaggeration, but it grew out of changes in behavior we are seeing. A few years ago, most people acted normal.

Now, people go from zero to a hundred in a half second and nutt up over absolutely nothing.

[Fez]

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.