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Not Proud Of My Heritage

Aquatic Waves

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We cannot make everyone who says mean things about Italians stop doing it, but we made a few suggestions when asked.

You seemed to want to take some corrective action, so what do you think now that it will be?

Idk
 
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Tone

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I hope my thread wont be sensitive or controversial. But I need to vent. Besides the fact I fear of going to hell, I have this on my mind. I felt this way for years but now things are getting worse in the world now thanks to the media and government. I'm feeling more ashamed and less proud of my heritage (Italian). It literally hurts me when people call them racists, mafias, bringing up what Columbus did, and of what the Roman empire did. I'm starting to wish that I was a different nationality. Now I'm afraid to tell people what my background is bc I fear they will judge me. I would rather say I'm an American. Does anyone here feel the same way? Or had felt the same way? Again I don't mean to have this topic come as offensive. If so, I will ask the MOD to remove it

That's not your heritage if you are in Messiah.

When I get those surveys asking me to play politics I put "rather not say" or "other".

When people ask me what I am (which usually means they want race/ethnicity) I say American or of Israel.

Period.
 
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Tone

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What do you mean?

Galatians 3:28
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Ephesians 2:11-13
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
 
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paul1149

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Reliance of people's opinions is a lost cause. It will sooner or later leave you in fear and confusion. The Bible says that fear of man is a snare, and has an answer for it:

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him in this way] no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. - 2Co 5:14-17​

In Ephesians and Colossians Paul adds that we are to reckon the old man as dead to sin. You can interpret sin there widely, including seeing things with a carnal mind. He tells us to put off the old man and put on the new, renewed in the image of the One who created him. And Philippians 3 is about putting the past behind and pressing forward in Christ.

Growing in Christ is a process of overcoming the limitations the world, flesh, and devil place on us. Simply put, you would do well to put this behind you and to put on Christ. There's victory on the other side.

BTW, there's nothing wrong with being Italian. There are good Italians and there are bad ones. I'm a good one... ;)
 
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NerdGirl

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I hope my thread wont be sensitive or controversial. But I need to vent. Besides the fact I fear of going to hell, I have this on my mind. I felt this way for years but now things are getting worse in the world now thanks to the media and government. I'm feeling more ashamed and less proud of my heritage (Italian). It literally hurts me when people call them racists, mafias, bringing up what Columbus did, and of what the Roman Empire did. I'm starting to wish that I was a different nationality. Now I'm afraid to tell people what my background is bc I fear they will judge me. I would rather say I'm an American. Does anyone here feel the same way? Or had felt the same way? Again I don't mean to have this topic come as offensive. If so, I will ask the MOD to remove it

What on earth could possibly be offensive about being an Italian in America?

You need to grow a thicker skin and stop letting foolish, ignorant words hurt you. You aren't Columbus. You aren't living in ancient Rome. None of that has anything to do with who you are. The people saying these nonsense things undoubtedly could unearth some terrible thing their own ancestors did somewhere in history.

Stop being afraid. You have nothing to be afraid of or be sorry for. Be proud of your heritage and ignore anyone who tries to make you feel less-than for what you are.

Shame is something we feel when we do something wrong. You aren't doing anything wrong by simply being Italian and proud of it. Don't allow idiots to make you feel shame when it isn't warranted.
 
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NerdGirl

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Not to me but I read negative comments about the RE on youtube
Who CARES? They aren't even directed at you! Why are you giving so much power to absolute strangers on a computer? Stop!
 
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bèlla

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AW,

I believe in celebrating my heritage and embracing the cultures the Lord placed me in. He designed me to have the family and friends I’ve been blessed with and many of my interests are directly related to my ethnicity.

The bible says we’re fearfully and wonderfully made. What man says is meaningless.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella
 
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Aussie Pete

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I hope my thread wont be sensitive or controversial. But I need to vent. Besides the fact I fear of going to hell, I have this on my mind. I felt this way for years but now things are getting worse in the world now thanks to the media and government. I'm feeling more ashamed and less proud of my heritage (Italian). It literally hurts me when people call them racists, mafias, bringing up what Columbus did, and of what the Roman Empire did. I'm starting to wish that I was a different nationality. Now I'm afraid to tell people what my background is bc I fear they will judge me. I would rather say I'm an American. Does anyone here feel the same way? Or had felt the same way? Again I don't mean to have this topic come as offensive. If so, I will ask the MOD to remove it
Are you sorry that the sun shines or that water is wet? You have as much control over that as you do over your ancestry. The world is getting crazier and crazier. I refuse to be guilty of offence that other people have caused in the past. Australia had a "sorry day" for the treatment of Aborigines when the British settled Australia. I don't recall a reciprocal "thank you" day from Aborigines for whites who funded the armed forces to protect Australia from Japanese invasion. It is indeed a sorry day when somehow we have to apologise for events of the past. Even God does not punish children for the offences of their ancestors.

The people who should be ashamed of themselves are those heaping false guilt on the innocent. I wonder how many of the accusers have ancestors who are without blame in any way. I'll answer my own question. Answer: none.

Your salvation does not depend on what your ancestors did or did not do. It depends on what the Lord Jesus did for you and whether or not you have received Him as saviour and Lord.

I'm English by birth. Great Britain was a colonial power and did a lot of harm. It also did a great deal of good. The question is not what your ancestors did but what are you doing now? And it has nothing to do with what godless trolls demand of you. All God asks of you is to cooperate with His will so that His kingdom may come. The trolls will have to answer for their false and debilitating accusations. And it won't be long before being American will bring down the wrath of many people. It's happening already. Christians are citizens of heaven. The world is headed for destruction. Don't go down that road!
 
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NoNameNothing

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To me, heritage is not a point of pride or shame. It just is, like any other personal characteristic.

What you say is true, but, being treated badly still hurts. I have ginger-hair and I grew up in France (I was born there as well) and lived there until I was 16.My Parents are from Northern Ireland, and I have Scottish Ancestry.
I was treated abusively by some, where I grew up simply because of my hair-colour and pale-coutenance. I remember one time walking by a total stranger where I lived in the Paris-Suburbs and he said : "I hate your Race" to my face, or one time coming out of the local swimming-pool, some kids yelled "you're not beautiful"... Not to mention the bullying I got at school... It wasn't uncommon for other school kids to shout "carrot hair" etc.
To this day, I actually do literally hate myself.
 
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Richard T

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Psalm 16:6 (KJV)
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
Psalm 139:14 (KJV)

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

You are a stranger on earth anyway, with citizenship in heaven. Still, God says you have a goodly heritage. I doubt it is people judging you on your nationality, but rather you are selling yourself short. Please stop, that is not God contradicting Himself. Sorry I am being tough, but I want to be emphatic on this.
Mark 4:16-17 (KJV)
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Why do I suspect you have no roots? Because you are rejecting your heritage. Learn more about who you really are, the good things that got you to where you are today from all the various family members. (Even the worst ones have some good qualities) Learn too who you are in Christ, that you never have to be ashamed, that we are all one in Christ Jesus and have a great need for all members of the body.
 
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Jude1:3Contendforthefaith

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What you say is true, but, being treated badly still hurts. I have ginger-hair and I grew up in France (I was born there as well) and lived there until I was 16.My Parents are from Northern Ireland, and I have Scottish Ancestry.
I was treated abusively by some, where I grew up simply because of my hair-colour and pale-coutenance. I remember one time walking by a total stranger where I lived in the Paris-Suburbs and he said : "I hate your Race" to my face, or one time coming out of the local swimming-pool, some kids yelled "you're not beautiful"... Not to mention the bullying I got at school... It wasn't uncommon for other school kids to shout "carrot hair" etc.
To this day, I actually do literally hate myself.


I'm sorry that happened to you.

Sometimes I wonder if The Lord kind of wants us to be around our own homogeneous genetic relatives and live where we are of similar ancestry to others.

That way we don't even have to deal with that kind of stuff.

I mean, if you look at countries that have a homogeneous genetic population like Japan where everyone kind of looks similar it seems like it would be a better situation.


Maybe you could visit Mull Monastery in Scotland and be proud of who God made you :

History – Mull Monastery




.
 
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JIMINZ

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I hope my thread wont be sensitive or controversial. But I need to vent. Besides the fact I fear of going to hell, I have this on my mind. I felt this way for years but now things are getting worse in the world now thanks to the media and government. I'm feeling more ashamed and less proud of my heritage (Italian). It literally hurts me when people call them racists, mafias, bringing up what Columbus did, and of what the Roman Empire did. I'm starting to wish that I was a different nationality. Now I'm afraid to tell people what my background is bc I fear they will judge me. I would rather say I'm an American. Does anyone here feel the same way? Or had felt the same way? Again I don't mean to have this topic come as offensive. If so, I will ask the MOD to remove it

The people you have spoken about are, (BULLIES) plain and simple, what they have to say isn't worth the time to think about what they have said.

Remember this.

A person who migrates to Japan, Greece, Israel, only become Citizens of those countries but they do not call themselves Japanese, Greek, or Israeli.
But you, are an American, either because you were born here, or someone of your Family from Italy migrated here and became a Citizen.

If anyone asks you what Nationality your are tell them you are an American, there is no good reason you have to say I am an Italian American, the way some say I am an African American, that means you are not proud of being an American.....Period.
 
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Arc F1

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I know but we still get blamed regardless

Those that are throwing that rhetoric around are miserable with their own lives. They wish to bring you down also. Misery loves company.

We only bend the knee to God. He is what is important. Stay strong in who you are.
 
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A_Thinker

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Not to me but I read negative comments about the RE on youtube
There are negatives to reflect upon concerning the Roman Empire.

But this has nothing to do with you.

You are a modern. The Roman Empire (which was much more expansive than modern Italy) belongs to antiquity.

There were ... and are ... great persons from Italy.

Leonardo Da Vinci - painter, inventor, scientist
Michaelangelo - painter
Rossini - composer
Vivaldi - composer
Verdi = composer
Marco Polo - explorer
Galileo - scientist
Marconi - scientist
Fermi - scientist

Sophia Loren
Sylvester Stallone
Al Pacino
Robert De Niro - actor

And a great many others ... List of people from Italy - Wikipedia
 
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NerdGirl

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What you say is true, but, being treated badly still hurts. I have ginger-hair and I grew up in France (I was born there as well) and lived there until I was 16.My Parents are from Northern Ireland, and I have Scottish Ancestry.
I was treated abusively by some, where I grew up simply because of my hair-colour and pale-coutenance. I remember one time walking by a total stranger where I lived in the Paris-Suburbs and he said : "I hate your Race" to my face, or one time coming out of the local swimming-pool, some kids yelled "you're not beautiful"... Not to mention the bullying I got at school... It wasn't uncommon for other school kids to shout "carrot hair" etc.
To this day, I actually do literally hate myself.

Of course it hurts to be bullied. But being hurt does not have to translate into self-hatred. The hate is harbored by the bullies. If you take it into yourself and accept it as part of yourself, that's a choice you've made. I hope you can learn to separate the hatred in another's heart, from the way you view yourself. Another person's nasty, ugly heart should not make YOUR heart nasty and ugly, too.
 
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Aquatic Waves

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What on earth could possibly be offensive about being an Italian in America?

Stop being afraid. You have nothing to be afraid of or be sorry for. Be proud of your heritage and ignore anyone who tries to make you feel less-than for what you are.

Shame is something we feel when we do something wrong. You aren't doing anything wrong by simply being Italian and proud of it. Don't allow idiots to make you feel shame when it isn't warranted.

Then I'll be called a racist
 
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Aquatic Waves

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Who CARES? They aren't even directed at you! Why are you giving so much power to absolute strangers on a computer? Stop!

Because I'm fed and and hurt whenever I hear, see, or read negative stuff about us
 
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