How to tell if you're a racist. . . .

[jasd]

QR frame:

For those who cannot rid themselves of the gripes – and embrace and endorse such as PC-horribilis to the distraction from greater issues – well, I proffer a better light...

Phil 3:13 ... forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Re potlucks: find out where your SDA ethnic churches are and pay them routine visits – that you might enjoy good home-cooked ethnic cuisine... hmm, good. (doesn’t matter that, mostly, you won’t be able to understand a word of the sermon – but the singing is usually satisfying)

Re tongue-in-cheek: sometimes, contributes pleasurably to the palate. ;-)

Re “Black Like Me”: makes one wonder, yes? why Blacks are so blindly loyal to the Dem’crat Party, yes?

Re the young’uns: a general statement, but nevertheless, factual. They assimilate attitudes from their environment. The exceptions to the rule make it a general statement. Indisputable.

[Dr. Shane]

interjecting here..

I am white.. ( not all, but I do appear that way)

I don't recall being in a group of white men where we talk about black men, or asian, or Inuit, or aborginal, or first nation, or etc etc... yet i keep on reading they think we spend our time thinking/talking about them..

Wonder if I am alone in that?

I think that says a lot about the company you keep. I am sorry I cannot make the same claim. I have been in groups of white men that sat around talking about "mexicans". Of course, my contributions were to steer the discussion away from prejudice. I have also been in groups of hispanic men (I was the only white) sitting around and talking about black people. Again, I tried to steer the conversation away from prejudice.

I am still waiting for that list of questions minorities can ask themselves to see if they are racist.

[lazarus]

I am still waiting for that list of questions minorities can ask themselves to see if they are racist.

I posted them at the beginning of this thread!!!!!

[Dr. Shane]

So if a black man is afraid to sit on a bus full of white people he might be a racist?

[lazarus]

Of course!

[Dr. Shane]

OK. What if all the white guys were dressed in white sheets? Would the black guy still be a racist for being afraid?

[Kountzer]

The first time I heard of and attempted to read Ellison's Invisible Man I thought it was going to be a science fiction novel comparable to HG Wells' novel with the same name, lol. I was in the 8th grade and trying to keep up with the kids 2 or 3 grades ahead of me, and in high school. One of those guys, Larry Irvin, went on to metriculate through the Univ of texas system and become a Dr. Anyway, that was one of the first times I came into contact with literary terms like allegory, symbolism, metaphors, etc.

The thing that intrigued me about black boy was the fact that the author, famous writer Richard Wright, openly discusses his encounters with adventists. He didn't care for them too much. He was much more enamored with the American communist party which he later joined. Later in his life the communist party turned on him and treated him a lot worse than the church ever did.

DB

[Kountzer]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I respectully disagree with the notion that ethnic preaching is incomprehensible. I know from experience that there are scores, and scores of intelligent, astute, knowledgable, relevant, and effective preachers and orators in region conference churches and in other parts of the overall church. The style is definitely unique and contrasts greatly with more mainstream preaching styles, but it is just as effective, especially among those that like and appreciate that type of preahing.

DB

[Taylor]

OK. What if all the white guys were dressed in white sheets? Would the black guy still be a racist for being afraid?

Given the historical and current meaning of "white guys dressed in white sheets" in North America...a black man encountering such white sheeted people would be understandably scared. (White people in North America, simply do not ever dress in "white sheets" for any other reason, unless they were angels in a christmas play.)

[olger]

Is this church racist?

1. Commitment to God

2. Commitment to the White Community

3. Commitment to the White Family

4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education

5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence

6. Adherence to the White Work Ethic

7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect

8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness”

9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community

10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions

11. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System

12. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

[lazarus]

Many churches in the US have had this approach. Thats why there were splits.

African Methodist Church is an example of how black people had to form their own denominations because white "Christians" rejected them. The SDA church has been guilty of this rejection too.

* African: The AME church was organized by people of African descent. The church was not founded in Africa, nor is it only for persons of African descent. The church is open to people of all races.

* Methodist: The church's roots are in the Methodist church. Members of St. George's Methodist Church left the congregation when faced with racial discrimination, but continued with the Methodist doctrine and the order of worship.

* Episcopal: The AME church operates under an episcopal form of church government. The denomination leaders are Bishops of the church. Episcopal, in this sense, refers to the form of government under which the church operates.

Black people/churches champion the black family, work ethic, leadership, values, etc. because some white people consistently reject, denigrate and distort these by saying weird and unfounded things like:

Quote:

The tragic thing is that many blacks are conditioned by the age of 4-5 to believe that they are "held down" by white people.

These wild statements only serve to limit and distort the debate.

[Dr. Shane]

I think we should distinguish between stereotypes and prejudice. Prejudice results in discrimination while stereotypes don't necessarily do so.

For example: If a white guy gets on a subway with all black people and feels afraid that would be a stereotype. Or a black person in the same situation with all white people. Merely feeling fear is not racism - it is being impacted by stereotypes. Racism is acting on that stereotype.