Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick says America must 'turn to God' to heal wounds of racism

[hedrick]

Perhaps if all people stopped labelling themselves as descriptively different?

Unfortunately, the reactions of police and others don't depend upon whether black people call themselves black or not, but on how they appear.

 

[Broken Fence]

Why not simply 'I am human' ?

Agree, we are all human.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Perhaps if all people stopped labelling themselves as descriptively different?

Irrelevant if others still describe them as different.

Why not simply 'I am human' ?

Kinda hard when others deny your humanity.

 

[FireDragon76]

From the article:

Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick says America must 'turn to God' to heal wounds of racism: 'We need a culture change'

I have no idea what kind of a person Dan Patrick is, and I won’t speak against him personally. But the message that our racial problems are the result of the Left pulling America away from God is a truly breath-taking falsehood. Racism is certainly not the fault of Christians, but it was certainly Christian thinkers in the early 19th Century who (mis)used the Bible to provide a moral support for the “peculiar institution.” And while it was also Democrats who provided the political backbone for the subsequent Jim Crow laws in the South, it was also Democrats who began the political process of dismantling legal segregation, when President Truman in 1948 issued an executive order desegregating the Armed Forces. It was Republican President Eisenhower who enforced the Brown v. Board of Education decision, sending in the 101st Airborne Division to escort nine black children into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, but then it was liberal Democrats—mostly from the Northeast, but also including President Lyndon Johnson of Texas—who pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This led directly to the explosive growth of Christian schools in the South, where many white parents chose to pay for segregated private education rather than send their children to free public integrated schools.

The whole set of attitudes that brought us to this political crisis over George Floyd is not a symptom of any godlessness on the Left; it is the legacy of conservative Southern Christianity (which should have taught against racism, but did not). For the Lieutenant Governor of Texas to suggest otherwise shows either an ignorance of real history, or an actual intent to pander and deceive.

All good points, and things any historian of modern religion in the US would be able to point out.

The Lt. Governor is wrong. Belief in his God is not a solution to the nations ills. Christianity and racism in the US have had an often cozy relationship for centuries, and that's actually part of the problem.

 

[FireDragon76]

That is the elite's standpoint. Mine is, none of man's ways are acceptable. Loving all as self is not a traditional way of mankind.

What do you mean by "not traditional"? Those sentiments are found in several religions I am familiar with. Benevolence is one of the core virtues of Buddhism, for instance.

 

[FireDragon76]

I know the opinion of a godless naturalist is off-topic in this thread. But here’s my take on it anyway:

Racism—along with all varieties of prejudice—are consequences of tribalism. Homo sapiens evolved from social primates living in smallish tribes or family groups. To a degree, our brains are hard-wired to be wary and suspicious of those belonging to other tribes that are different from ourselves. And could be hostile. We can suppress this by learning and acculturation, but it’s an instinct we all have buried way down in the limbic system. If you’re religious, you could say God made us this way. And if so, then maybe God can remove it if it’s his will to do so. But I’d say evolution made us this way. And until we learn how to safely reprogram our brains, we have to evolve out of it.

"Reprogramming your brain" isn't that complicated, but it does require dedication and discipline.

A good book to read on the subject is Buddha's Brain, by Dr. Rick Hanson.

Fear-based tribalism may be human, but so is empathy and compassion. I choose to orient my life around those as values, because the evidence seems to be those are more positive emotions to cultivate.

 

[TLK Valentine]

From the article:

Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick says America must 'turn to God' to heal wounds of racism: 'We need a culture change'

I wonder if this "culture change" still values money over human life...

Texas lt. governor on reopening state: 'There are more important things than living'

 

[FireDragon76]

I wonder if this "culture change" still values money over human life...

Texas lt. governor on reopening state: 'There are more important things than living'

One reason among many I find the spirituality of that type of religion to be incredibly shallow and self-serving.

 

[Earthbear]

I don't think it is a political problem in so as much as it is a spiritual problem.

I am a left leaning person and eat a plant based diet, I am also a Christian and very devoted and I served in the military, I stayed loyal and I faced hardships and my friend died. Just because I am not a red blooded meat eating conservative does not mean I am any less faithful or loyal.

I think there are serious problems and corruptions in both of the major parties and I think both parties are ultimately needed because Proverbs 27:17 says iron sharpens iron. By being rivals with eachother, I feel that both of the major parties help keep eachother honest, godly and accountable. It is not healthy to have a monopoly or try to undermine democracy in that regard.

To be being a liberal means to show grace and mercy to others and proverbs 31:8-9 to speak up for people who are defenseless, how this is interpreted is worth looking at and I also respect the view points and ideas of people on the other political side as well.

To me for Americans the whole point of Democracy is they were people who felt oppressed by the monarchy, they were taxed without being represented and they fought very hard to try to get rights. Many of these people who are from marginalized groups like Chinese working on railroads that were run out of town by a ghastly mob, African Americans who were former slaves and fought in some of the most harshest and brutal conditions on the battlefields, women who had to earn far more than their keep. These people are Americans too even if they don't think and look like others.

To me it is the same with the body of Christ different people have different abilities and ministries and we should not de-value people just because they are different, in the end I suppose I see both of the parties as two fractions of a whole, like Martha and Mary. Ideally in a perfect union with God we would have both faith and works, we would have knowledge as well as devotion and passion like in Matthew 23:23 practicing the latter without neglecting the former. There are many shortcomings the country needs to overcome but I think that it is healthy for the country to allow for opposing view points and rival parties.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

A lot of Christians are racist , they go to church. Texas has a lot of racism. I just think it depends where someone comes from . I live in California. And I had no idea, that there was so much racist people. I don't see it, where I live. But I seen it from a family member. That watch a lot of the Fox news channel.

 

[Hans Blaster]

A lot of Christians are racist , they go to church. Texas has a lot of racism. I just think it depends where someone comes from . I live in California. And I had no idea, that there was so much racist people. I don't see it, where I live. But I seen it from a family member. That watch a lot of the Fox news channel.

A quick review of articles availabe by web search makes me think that Mr. Patrick should look in the mirror. Fix his own first.