Christian Forums

If you are not Dutch, you are not much.

Quote from: Texas Conservative on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 09:40:51
If you are not Dutch, you are not much.

Quote from: mommydi on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 09:37:07
I think there's a big difference in appreciating/enjoying your ethnic heritage and the racism you described here. I enjoy discovering my ethnic heritage, dabbling in their culture with recipes, music, art, history, etc, but in no way do I think my Irish, Scottish, German, or Scandinavian bloodline makes me better than anyone else, and no way would I only associate with people of my own heritage. Big difference there.

I absolutely agree with you...

I , just unfortunately, know a few people who do feel superior within their own race because of their ethnic heritage.

It is a shame.

I think the OP deep down feels that way also based on how he phrased what he said.

One of the neater things for me is being many different ethnicities because I can, and I do  celebrate them all  , provided I do not have to listen to bagpipes for the Scot in me.......... I HATE bagpipes.

(Also not to fond of corned beef and cabbage)

So for St Pat's day make mine a Reuben and coleslaw

I also celebrate Bastille day because, according to my dad.... ( oh no...... I am sounding like Pocahontas) but my German side started with 3 French brothers
crossed the Black Forest into Germany.

Quote from: Texas Conservative on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 09:40:51
If you are not Dutch, you are not much.

Absolutely correct

Quote from: Ginger Rella on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 09:52:38
I absolutely agree with you...

I , just unfortunately, know a few people who do feel superior within their own race because of their ethnic heritage.

It is a shame.

I think the OP deep down feels that way also based on how he phrased what he said.

One of the neater things for me is being many different ethnicities because I can, and I do  celebrate them all  , provided I do not have to listen to bagpipes for the Scot in me.......... I HATE bagpipes.

(Also not to fond of corned beef and cabbage)

So for St Pat's day make mine a Reuben and coleslaw

I also celebrate Bastille day because, according to my dad.... ( oh no...... I am sounding like Pocahontas) but my German side started with 3 French brothers
crossed the Black Forest into Germany.

Girl, I celebrate it all - from wearing my kilt to the Scottish games to decorating my living room with German smokers/nutcrackers/ornaments at Christmastime. I think AVZ brought up an excellent point when he posted -

QuoteSee, a white student can do a research project about space exploration and nobody would have any racist sentiments about it.
The reason for this is that white people do not claim it to be exclusively white.

That's very true. I don't think of myself as "exclusively white." I'm not one specific color/race. I'm a hodgepodge of various ethnic groups and I like it that way. This reminds me of when I was in high school and we integrated. We went from having a band queen, to having a band queen plus a black band queen. I see why they did this, but it ended up causing more division than if they would have left it alone as just "band queen."

Quote from: 4WD on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 07:24:06
That was the implication in RB's post and your response.

Nothing in the OP had anything to do with God's kingdom.  All such implication came from RB's and your response.  The OP was only about the history of blacks in the United States.  There certainly is nothing wrong with that.  But RB's response, and apparently your response, is that is inappropriate; and that is of course not true.

That is a big fat negative. No literal nation of earth represents God's kingdom. Governments can be more or less built upon Christian or biblical principles, that is all. Only those born again can be of God's kingdom, which disqualifies all races, religions, or governments from ever representing the same.

Pride cometh before a fall, no matter what of this earth that pride is in.

QuotePride
noun
1.
a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

Those who center to much attention regarding the problems of humanity upon the guilt or innocents of a particular race or races, do not understand and therefore cannot rightly judge and address the true nature of the common problem which plagues all of humanity. Which problem and solution are met and addressed perfectly in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel unto salvation.

Quote from: Texas Conservative on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 09:40:51
If you are not Dutch, you are not much.

Good one Tex, but if your not Italian, your no Stallion.

Quote from: Amo on Sat Mar 17, 2018 - 13:10:34Those who center to much attention regarding the problems of humanity upon the guilt or innocents of a particular race or races, do not understand and therefore cannot rightly judge and address the true nature of the common problem which plagues all of humanity. Which problem and solution are met and addressed perfectly in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel unto salvation.

All of which has absolutely nothing to do with the question presented in the OP. To listen to some here, if anyone were to do a research paper on the history of banking systems in the United States he would be remiss if he didn't mention Christ's overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple.  Ridiculous.

Quote from: 4WD on Sat Mar 17, 2018 - 15:17:27
All of which has absolutely nothing to do with the question presented in the OP. To listen to some here, if anyone were to do a research paper on the history of banking systems in the United States he would be remiss if he didn't mention Christ's overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple.  Ridiculous.

I'm sure we all know that pretty much any discussion thread will eventually go in different directions and tangents because of the many different personalities here.

A gentleman comes here and asks a perfectly good and honest question, and the answers in short order go everywhere and escape the purpose of the questioner.

I personally hope worthlessness1979 will come back and share the result of his class project. 

Well, if your going to ask a bunch of people for their opinions, ..........................

Quote from: 4WD on Sat Mar 17, 2018 - 15:17:27
All of which has absolutely nothing to do with the question presented in the OP. To listen to some here, if anyone were to do a research paper on the history of banking systems in the United States he would be remiss if he didn't mention Christ's overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple.  Ridiculous.

+1

Quote from: soterion on Sat Mar 17, 2018 - 16:26:06
I'm sure we all know that pretty much any discussion thread will eventually go in different directions and tangents because of the many different personalities here.

A gentleman comes here and asks a perfectly good and honest question, and the answers in short order go everywhere and escape the purpose of the questioner.

I personally hope worthlessness1979 will come back and share the result of his class project. 

Me too...

Quote from: soterion on Sat Mar 17, 2018 - 16:26:06I'm sure we all know that pretty much any discussion thread will eventually go in different directions and tangents because of the many different personalities here.

A gentleman comes here and asks a perfectly good and honest question, and the answers in short order go everywhere and escape the purpose of the questioner.

I personally hope worthlessness1979 will come back and share the result of his class project. 

AMEN to that.

Some one brings up race and racism, and asks for opinions about whether something they are doing is racist or not. People address race, whether or not people should have pride in their race, racism, the common problem of humanity which underlines, causes, and supersedes the problem of racism, and what place if any racism has in Christian thought and practice. Compared to a whole lot of other threads on these boards, I'd say this one stayed pretty well on topic.

QuoteI guess my question is, do you think it is racist that an African American loves his own history?

No different than a person of any other ethnic group being proud of his history.    That being said, your pride in the group with whom you identify probably will cause more anxiety among some than say, a Norwegian-American expressing pride in his heritage.   It's not a matter of good or evil; it's just the way things worked out for historical reasons.   Shouldn't be that way, and although we've certainly come a long way since my childhood, we have a long way to go.   I think a sensitive and well-written exposition of your own heritage would be another step forward.   

QuoteDo you think it's racist that an African-American loves his own history above all the other historical events?

Don't see how.   Even though I know that my ancestry is nothing I personally achieved, I'm proud of my Irish/Welsh heritage.   

Barbarian, have you ever visited Ireland? I'd sure like to sometime. Scotland while I'm at it.

QuoteBarbarian, have you ever visited Ireland? I'd sure like to sometime. Scotland while I'm at it.

Never been to Europe at all.   Always had other things to do with my money.   Five kids to raise and educate, you know.

Might do that one of these days.   Scotland seems like a very photogenic place from what I've seen in pictures.

Greetings worthlessness ~ by now you have completed your project ~ hope it went well ```

My parent came from a mountain country in the Caucasian Mountains ~ where Christians were held in slavery by Muslims invaders ( they weren't called slaves that's a western word )~ so to us ~ to me America is seen as having ended slavery ~ setting a pattern for all the Christian world ~ ( elsewhere slavery still is ~ I'm sure you know that ) In the west before and for a time after Christianity slavery was and in all the world ~ the word Slavery derives from the Slavic people enslaved by western Rome ```

Muslims slavery was the cruelest ~ those purchased in Africa by Muslim slavers were brutally trimmed of all male parts ~ I've read as few as 30% lived ~ Europe and America demanded that not be done to those they accepted ```

America after freedom from England ~ began demanding and end to slavery and indentured servants ~ setting and example for the rest of the Christian World ```

Slavery still exists in Islam ~ there is the buying and selling of human and the treating of people as slaves ~ ( slave is a western word ) dogs is more fitting ```

It is commendable what you are doing ~ I hope you get the credit ~ and I appreciate your frame of reference ```

Ohan

Quote from: worthlessness1979 on Thu Mar 15, 2018 - 07:05:17
I am a proud African American man. I am proud of the African American history. I am proud of what African Americans accomplished during the Civil Rights Movement. And I am proud of what the students did at Central High School in Little Rock.

But I am not somebody who holds resentment towards anybody. I am not somebody who is expecting an apology from anyone, even though someone told me a long time ago we shouldn't have to continue to apologize for what happened in the Civil Rights Movement. I wasn't there, so I wasn't expecting an apology. But that doesn't mean that I'm not proud of its history. And if you weren't there and had nothing to do with it, you shouldn't have had to apologize at all.

I have to do a research project at school. I have to create a superhero, for example, like Wonder Woman, but it doesn't have to be Wonder Woman I'm just using that as an example. And she or he has to have multiple different super powers, and she or he either changes or stops an event in history from 1873 to 2018. And it just has to be one event, like the civil rights movement or World War II. Or it could be 9/11 or anything that happened in history.

I am doing my research project on the Civil Rights Movement. My fear is because I am African-American and race has actually become very controversial. And I am the only African-American in my history class, which I don't think matters but sometimes I am afraid that it does. I do not believe anyone is racist in my class, but I am just afraid of my project that it is going to cause some friction. I don't know.

I guess my question is, do you think it is racist that an African American loves his own history? Do you think it's racist that an African-American loves his own history above all the other historical events?

It is indeed racist for any man to prefer the accomplishments of his race above others.   The problem in America today is that blacks assume they aren't racist when in fact they are.

"There is no such thing as a black racist." - Jesse Jackson

It is well known among people who've transacted business with Rev. Jackson that he is prejudiced against whites.   He is known to have cheated white businessmen out of their trade, yet establishes the black community as absolutely above reproach.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

The quoted post above mentions the Civil Rights movement.  I was there.  I lived those days.  I remember Dr. King even though most today don't.   Martin has been elevated to the level of saint by those who have no idea what he was talking about, what he represented or even what his private thoughts were.   A statue has been erected to his memory even though those who claim to respect it have never read a line of his written word.

Have you?

I have and I am continually reminded of his light when I do.   America lost a true genius when Dr. King was assassinated by agencies of our government.   Fools rule our nation and no man with true vision will ever be allowed to influence our population again.  Believe it.

I attended the same seminary as Dr. King and I studied under the same professors that taught him.  I read the same books and tried to understand the same ideas, but it took forty years to process the information.   Dr. King got it all right immediately.  Even more, he was able to apply those ideas to affect social change for the good of the country.   THIS is the mark of true genius.   Unfortunately, King himself admitted that his people had no idea what he was talking about.   He wrote that they followed him because they trusted him.   Can this be said of any leader, black or white, today?

Not so much I'm thinking.

Pride goes before a fall, the Good Book says.   Pride in one's race, which is an accident of birth, is stupidity raised to the level of demonic allegiance. 

It is enough to stand in awe of the giants that went before us.   They are to be appreciated, not worshipped.   Only Christ Jesus is worthy of that kind of pride and allegiance.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Quote from: Texas Conservative on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 09:40:51
If you are not Dutch, you are not much.

You can get in dutch for saying that ......

Quote from: Choir Loft on Wed Dec 23, 2020 - 08:08:02
It is indeed racist for any man to prefer the accomplishments of his race above others.   The problem in America today is that blacks assume they aren't racist when in fact they are.

"There is no such thing as a black racist." - Jesse Jackson

That reflects an alternate definition of "racist."  The definition Mr Jackson is using is the suppression of a minority group by a majority group.  According to that definition, a black person in the US cannot be racist; nor can a Native American, Hispanic or Asian. Only whites can because we are the majority.


https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/dictionary-definition-racism-has-change/613324/

Quote from: Amo on Fri Mar 16, 2018 - 06:11:00RB is correct. Racial pride has no part in God's kingdom. Praising those who combat prejudice, promote liberty, and seek justice for all is a good thing. It has nothing to do with race however, but character. To be a true Christian includes understanding the natural depravity of all races and ourselves as well, and seeking to solve the same in Christ Jesus. Racial pride and prejudices are tools to easily used by the depraved of this world in places of power, to manipulate and control the masses in depriving them of their freedoms and rights. Those who walk in the flesh instead of the spirit are easily caught up in the same.

He may have been 'correct', but he needed to be more gentle in the reply, not blast away with all the faults of black leaders in history...

Quote from: Hobie on Sat Feb 07, 2026 - 16:30:43He may have been 'correct', but he needed to be more gentle in the reply, not blast away with all the faults of black leaders in history...

Yea, we are all pretty sure we know how other people should be, which is usually akin to how we are or would be regarding the particulars of that which we are addressing. If RB's point was to insult people then his bad, but if it was to point out that we are all faulty before God regardless of race so why dwell upon it, that makes sense. The bible itself does not seek to hide the many faults of all of its characters, save our Lord Jesus Christ of course, who alone had or has none. The rest of us really do need to remember our proper place and true condition before God, as forgetting such is most certainly a danger to one's soul.

Racism a spiritual problem . All racisms is directed at Christ who works in us  God makes men different outwardly so that in their inability to have peace. . men look upward.

 First confess the sin against Christ then ask for forgiveness against felow human . wrong outward judgment It is exercised every day black and white--- male and female Satan the identity thief  .

What will a person do--- trust the old sinful false judging nature or confess our sin to Christ empowered by the new nature.

A liltle help with the editing ChatAI

Racism is a sin problem before it is a social problem.
1️⃣ One Human Family

The Bible teaches that all people share one origin.

"He hath made of one blood all nations of men..."
— Acts of the Apostles 17:26

That means:

Different languages

Different cultures

Different skin tones

But one humanity.

Outward difference is real.
Spiritual value is equal.

2️⃣ Judging by Appearance

Jesus said:

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
— John 7:24

And James warns directly against favoritism:

Showing partiality based on outward appearance is sin.
— Epistle of James 2:1–9

Partiality — whether based on race, wealth, gender, or status — contradicts the gospel.

3️⃣ The New Nature vs. the Old Nature

You asked:

What will a person trust — the old sinful judging nature or confess sin to Christ?

Scripture describes this clearly:

Old nature:

Divides

Exalts self

Judges by flesh

New nature in Christ:

Sees fellow image-bearers

Confesses sin

Walks in humility

Epistle to the Ephesians 4:22–24

Put off the old man...
Put on the new man...

4️⃣ Racism as Misplaced Identity

When identity is rooted in:

Skin color

Tribe

Nation

Political ideology

It becomes an idol.

The gospel re-roots identity in Christ.

Epistle to the Galatians 3:28

"There is neither Jew nor Greek... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

This does NOT erase biological differences.
It removes superiority and spiritual hierarchy.

5️⃣ "God Makes Men Different So They Look Upward"

Difference can:

Create tension

Expose pride

Reveal inability to achieve unity by flesh alone

But Scripture does not say God created division so people would fail.
It says sin fractures what God made good.

The answer is not erasing differences.
The answer is redemption of the heart.

6️⃣ The Real Battlefield

You said:
"Satan the identity thief."

The Bible does describe deception as spiritual warfare.

But we must be careful not to reduce every human sin to direct demonic control.
Scripture says the heart itself is fallen.

The solution is:

Confess sin before God

Seek forgiveness

Repent toward those harmed

Walk in the Spirit

The Practical Question

If someone feels racial bias rising in their heart, what do they do?

Acknowledge it without excuse

Confess it honestly

Replace it with truth

Act in love

That is spiritual warfare at the personal level.

The Cross Levels Pride

At the foot of the cross:

No race stands higher

No culture stands superior

No one earns grace

All come as sinners.
All are offered mercy.