No distinction

[Stan]

No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. COL 386

[Gerr]

Now, if we would only all believe it and break all the barriers down including these shameful ethnic conferences that have far outlived their time.

[olger]

Ditto on the ethnic conferences. Some would argue that there are good reasons for them, but I cannot see them being the Lord's will.

g

[fccool]

I think it's a mistake to assume that racism today is association purely by color. It's not. Essentially it becomes a dislike or aversion to certain culture. That's the essence of modern racism. People are not anti-semitic, for example, based on "look" of certain people group. They really dislike the cultural stereotypes that they associate with that "look".

Racism will not simply vanish from SDA or Christian circles, unless we learn to appreciate and assimilate certain aspects of the culture of other people. The majority whites usually have problem with it historically. They don't come to assimilate or integrate. They come to convert and transform. And such was the unfortunate case of American history, until very recent cultural development that propelled exaggerated views of some culture, which IMO only perpetuate hated stereotypes rather than helps with culture appreciation.

Churches usually gather around certain set of preferences. People generally felt more understood and appreciated if their culture is more understood and appreciated.

We got the appreciation of cultural foods down, now we just need to get the other ones too.

To be fair, there are plenty of multi-cultural and multi-race SDA churches that are doing very well. Unfortunately, they tend to be assimilating predominantly white culture, which drives certain expectations in terms of music, behavior and other issues.

[lazarus]

To be fair, there are plenty of multi-cultural and multi-race SDA churches that are doing very well. Unfortunately, they tend to be assimilating predominantly white culture, which drives certain expectations in terms of music, behavior and other issues.

In my experience many of the multi-cultural churches are churches that are in the process of changing from majority white to majority non-white.

[lazarus]

Now, if we would only all believe it and break all the barriers down including these shameful ethnic conferences that have far outlived their time.

The shame is not the conferences themselves, The shame was the attitude of the white majority that led to their necessity. That attitude still exists in many areas of the NAD. Adventistism, in the United States, is largely racially divided. It will be interesting to see if Ted Wilson delivers a major speech on this issue. If he does not I will wonder why.