Can you be Racist and also be a Christian?

[fragmentsofdreams]

Originally posted by caley
I don't buy the whole "struggle with racism" bit.  Either you are racist or you aren't.  It's not something where there is a "process" to getting rid of, either you believe one way or you believe another way.  Either you believe that other races are lesser beings, or you don't.

I think that humblejoe made a good point about active and cultural racism. It is easy to stop treating others as lesser beings once one realizes that it is wrong. However, it is much harder to overcome feelings of uneasiness that occur when around people of other races. Unless one has an unusual childhood, it requires some work.

 

[Anthony]

Originally posted by caley
I don't buy the whole "struggle with racism" bit. Either you are racist or you aren't.  It's not something where there is a "process" to getting rid of, either you believe one way or you believe another way.  Either you believe that other races are lesser beings, or you don't.

Hmmm, sort of like "Either you are a Christian or you aren't"

 

 

[paulewog]

I actually disagree.

One can be addicted to a sin (having lived a lifestyle of sexual immorality, for example). That person can hate that sin, and STRUGGLE with it. And probably will.

The same is with racism. If I was raised to be a racist against all races other than whites, do you think I'd have those inside feelings very easily put down after becoming a Christian? I think I'd probably struggle with it.

I would NOT, however, go out and beat them up or something. That's a bit different

 

[coastie]

The same is with racism. If I was raised to be a racist against all races other than whites, do you think I'd have those inside feelings very easily put down after becoming a Christian? I think I'd probably struggle with it.

Actually yes. Becoming a Christian should facilitate a Love for everyone and give you a broader understanding of right and wrong.

 

[Anthony]

Originally posted by paulewog
I actually disagree. One can be addicted to a sin (having lived a lifestyle of sexual immorality, for example). That person can hate that sin, and STRUGGLE with it. And probably will.

The same is with racism. If I was raised to be a racist against all races other than whites, do you think I'd have those inside feelings very easily put down after becoming a Christian? I think I'd probably struggle with it.

I would NOT, however, go out and beat them up or something. That's a bit different

The problem the "die in the wool" racist, don't seem to struggle with it at all, in fact they seem to enjoy it.

 

 

[Caedmon]

Originally posted by Anthony
Hmmm, sort of like "Either you are a Christian or you aren't"

 

Actually, I think you are distorting the process of sanctification. A person can't go from "person with an anger problem" to "person without an anger problem" in a split second without a lobotomy.

Do you honestly believe that Christians never struggle with sin?

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

Originally posted by coastie
Actually yes. Becoming a Christian should facilitate a Love for everyone and give you a broader understanding of right and wrong.

Christianity will facilitate this, but it is never easy.

 

[paulewog]

coastie - I don't disagree with you, I fully agree, but it's a process. You're not magically a great person after you ask God to forgive you. You still have work to do...

 

[coastie]

Originally posted by paulewog
coastie - I don't disagree with you, I fully agree, but it's a process. You're not magically a great person after you ask God to forgive you. You still have work to do...

No disagreement here... however, I would have m doubts if someone spent there whole life as a racist and a "Christian". The two don't jibe and there is no evidence of having Christ in your heart if you do not see any error with your belief.

 

[caley]

Originally posted by lambslove
I disagree with that caley. I struggled with it for years. Not overt racism with rocks and hatred, but covert racism, always feeling odd around people of another race, especially blacks.

Not long ago, I decided to do something about that. So I started trying to figure out why I felt that way. I asked God to show me where those bad feelings were coming from, and he did!

When I was a very young girl, that's when all the race riots of the '60's were happening. And just a few miles from where my family lived, there was a riot in which some white people had been dragged out of their house and beaten, and the father was killed. White people's houses were being set on fire, too. I was very young, like four or five, old enough to understand the danger, but not old enough to understand what was happening. I remembered thinking, "Why do they want to kill us because we are white?!" I was very afraid.

When God brought this back to my memory, I realized that that fear was still with me, still driving my racism. I was still afraid in a childlike way that black people want to kill me because I am white. I repented of that foolish, childish way of thinking and asked God to heal that part of my mind, to take away the fear. And He did. And I don't feel that way around people of other races now.

It can be a struggle for some people like me.

Good call.  I didn't think about that.  I guess I was defining racism a little differently than the definition I should have been using.  I understand now, and I will pray for your and others' struggles.

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by AZWorship

P.S.  btw, this is why I don't even purchase paintings of Jesus, because of the inaccuracy of portraying Him as caucasian.

Do you know where the commonolity of his facial features in those portraits was taken from?????  Your reason and the answer to my question is why I keep NO portraits, paintings, etc of Christ, specifically the early church paintings.  Study your history,,,,you'll be quite surprised what Christ's face was modeled after.

As far as this thread goes...that's all I have to say.  It's better I stay out of this debate, given that mutts tend to get testy about 'racial superiority ****'

 

[paulewog]

Oh..... Coastie, hehe, what I meant is a Christian that gets saved, that was previously NOT a Christian and very racist....



We're great at communicating

 

[Caedmon]

I'm a European mutt. (English, Irish, German, etc...)

I don't understand how someone can define "white", much less "white superiority".

 

[HesMyAll]

How can someone call themself a Christian if they are a racist?  This I do not understand.  We are to love our neighbor and there was no exception given.  The Bible declares that God is no respector of persons.  If someone is a racist and thinks they are a Christian, I think they should reevaluate where they stand with God. 

 

[seebs]

One could be a Christian, and a racist, by having the belief that some races are "better" than others, and accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal savior. Millions of people have done this. I happen to believe that their belief about the races is a false belief, but that doesn't make them "not Christians", it makes them Christians with whom I disagree about something.

It's like "how can someone be Christian and sexist", or "how can someone be Christian and like heavy metal", or "how can someone be Christian and accept Catholic teachings", or "how can someone be Christian and reject Catholic teachings". We don't all agree on everything; that's fine. Personally, I think racism is a problem, but everyone has problems. I guess it's just not that big a deal to me; I hope that people will continue to love me despite my various flaws, so I'm in no position to harass racists for being "unChristian". (I reserve the right to claim that, in many cases, they are "stupid".)

 

[HesMyAll]

Sorry seebs,
I disagree. There is no place in the heart of a Christian for hatred towards others for any reason...not the color of their skin, their ethnic origin, their religion, or their lack of intellect.   As followers of Jesus we must pattern ourselves after Him and I can't imagine Him hating anyone.