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Chair
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18 Jul 2009, 4:32 am

Why is racism encouraged in christianity?



Atomsk
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18 Jul 2009, 4:47 am

I dunno.



anna-banana
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18 Jul 2009, 6:43 am

Chair wrote:
Why is racism encouraged in christianity?


is that just your opinion? or do you have a Bible passage for that?

I'm not a Christian but I can't think of any dogma that would encourage racism...


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18 Jul 2009, 7:47 am

The Bible certainly doesn't teach racism, in fact quite the opposite, it's quite clear that God sees no difference between male or female, free or slave, I suppose in a sense it's like looking down at a colony of ants, they're so much smaller than we are they all look the same.

The problem arose when the concept of good and evil came about, created by humans. Light and Dark. Day and Night. The light is good, darkness is when evil happens. From there it's not a wild leap to see white is good, black is bad.

So I suppose that in a way, man created racism when it created religion and "right and wrong". There's no biblical basis for it (but then the modern church teaches plenty of stuff that there's no biblical basis for!)



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18 Jul 2009, 7:52 am

It isn't.


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mgran
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18 Jul 2009, 7:56 am

Acts 10:35 says that in every nation those that fear God, (that is, in Hebraic thought, respect and honour, as one would a father) are accepted by Him. Revelations says that there will be people from every tribe and every nation in heaven. (Revelation 5:9 and 14:6, for example.) And Acts 17: 26 says that God "made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."

So in other words, Christianity does not encourage racism. God is "no respecter of persons", and He doesn't play favourites.

It's stupid human beings who twist His word to encourage racism (or whatever other injustice they want to justify.) Christianity, in it's true form, is not racist.



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18 Jul 2009, 8:00 am

It's like asking "Why is murder encouraged in Christianity?". It isn't, but Christians still do it.


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Jono
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18 Jul 2009, 8:01 am

It's not, however people take quotes o9ut of the bible and interpret them for there own purposes.



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18 Jul 2009, 8:12 am

Henriksson wrote:
It's like asking "Why is murder encouraged in Christianity?". It isn't, but Christians still do it.

That's like saying, "Why is murder encouraged in atheism? It isn't, but atheists still do it."


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18 Jul 2009, 8:15 am

Ancalagon wrote:
Henriksson wrote:
It's like asking "Why is murder encouraged in Christianity?". It isn't, but Christians still do it.

That's like saying, "Why is murder encouraged in atheism? It isn't, but atheists still do it."

Except that Atheism doesn't have anything to say about murder, it's just a lack of belief.

The saying 'double morals is better than none at all' is true, but there should be a better excuse not to murder than 'God told me not to', and that's why I think is Bible is pretty much useless as a moral guideline.


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mgran
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18 Jul 2009, 8:16 am

Good point. In other words, we shouldn't make generalisations.

Can you imagine if I said, "why does athiesm encourage folks to make generalisations about Christianity"?

Of course, it doesn't. We shouldn't judge a whole system of thought by the behaviour of some of its advocates.



Last edited by mgran on 19 Jul 2009, 1:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

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18 Jul 2009, 8:43 am

Wow, I've never heard of a distinct link of christianity and racism, I guess it must be someting American. I live in the Netherlands, in a town with many chistians, but there is no racism. Christians here behave properly towards people from other races. I don't see ANY behavior from christians here that is racist. Black people and white people go to the same churches. This link is totally new to me. Even though I don't believe I've read the Bible and I've never seen anything that points in the direction of racial hatred. So I don't think there is a connection between christianityy and racism, but between some American chuches and racism.


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18 Jul 2009, 8:56 am

Henriksson wrote:
Ancalagon wrote:
Henriksson wrote:
It's like asking "Why is murder encouraged in Christianity?". It isn't, but Christians still do it.

That's like saying, "Why is murder encouraged in atheism? It isn't, but atheists still do it."

Except that Atheism doesn't have anything to say about murder, it's just a lack of belief.

The saying 'double morals is better than none at all' is true, but there should be a better excuse not to murder than 'God told me not to', and that's why I think is Bible is pretty much useless as a moral guideline.


it started out very useful. as most human inventions, it came to be out of necesity.

the bible says:
dont kill!
dont steal!
be nice and dont torture, rob or rape!
dont bang your friend's wife, his kids, your kids, or your neighbors wife and kids. also stay clear of your
brothers wife or kids, or your sister.
dont drink and do drugs.
get a damn haircut

imagine the pre-organized-religion world
and no joke!
there are palaeontologists who claim human populations fell as low as 2000 people WORLD WIDE (that would be - in africa, but still)
these arent religious ideas either, 2000 people is as good as f'ing extinct, even if the number is closer to 20 000 its very low

imagine. what reality, what FACT, would tell humans, to not drink, do drugs, and f**k their sisters?
NONE! No police, no incest-laws, no laws whatsoever in fact, nothing!
NOTHING stopping someone from eating coca-leafs day and night, while doing their relatives and raping their neighbors kids.

so. hats off to the bible, and thanx. but a definite "thanx", its no longer needed, we have police and riot-gear now.


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18 Jul 2009, 10:54 am

Go figure, some people think that because they are "enlightened" it gives them a greater moral purpose than the "heathens" who at the time worshipped pagan divinities -.- . Now the American case is tricky, it could be a mix of what i said above, along with the past of slavery in the country which kind of reinforced the above line of thinking... Still only a theory though. =/



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18 Jul 2009, 11:05 am

Ancalagon wrote:
It isn't.

You win the thread.


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18 Jul 2009, 11:17 am

"it isn't." That answer lacks the elaboration required to prove that it actually isn't. <.<