Get on with the Healing

[lazarus]

Ben Carson:

"Let's call this sickness what it is, so we can get on with the healing. If this were a medical disease, and all the doctors recognized the symptoms but refused to make the diagnosis for fear of offending the patient, we could call it madness. But there are people who are claiming that they can lead this country who dare not call this tragedy an act of racism, a hate crime, for fear of offending a particular segment of the electorate,"

 

Any ideas of what we can DO to heal this country of racism? Can we start with this board, our homes, our churches, our communities? Any practical ideas?

[LifeHiscost]

 

Any ideas of what we can DO to heal this country of racism? Can we start with this board, our homes, our churches, our communities? Any practical ideas?

We have a choice of using the world's standard behavior, making sure everyone else does their fair share of subduing prejudice, or we can ensure, as each Christian would be advised is best to do, make sure as a responsible individual to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

 

[joeb]

We have a choice of using the world's standard behavior, making sure everyone else does their fair share of subduing prejudice, or we can ensure, as each Christian would be advised is best to do, make sure as a responsible individual to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

 

Are you, in essence, saying that racism is just another aspect of sin?  If so, I agree. 

[phkrause]

Ben Carson:

"Let's call this sickness what it is, so we can get on with the healing. If this were a medical disease, and all the doctors recognized the symptoms but refused to make the diagnosis for fear of offending the patient, we could call it madness. But there are people who are claiming that they can lead this country who dare not call this tragedy an act of racism, a hate crime, for fear of offending a particular segment of the electorate,"

 

Any ideas of what we can DO to heal this country of racism? Can we start with this board, our homes, our churches, our communities? Any practical ideas?

It should begin at home!! This is where it all starts. As we grow up and listen to what we hear are parents saying the N word, the F word, the H word, etc., etc.!!! When kids are brought up to hate other cultures, religions, ethic groups, etc., etc., from birth!! What else can we expect is gonna happen?????

[D_Bishop]

Yes, sin is another aspect of sin.  Until sin is totally eradicated there will be racism.  The only thing, or person that can eradicate sin will be the appearance of Jesus at the second coming.  In the mean time racism can be minimized, modified to a certain extent, but only God, in the form of Jesus coming back, can totally destroy racism.  

[Aliensanctuary]

One of the basic tenets of the 10 C's is to respect the lives and property of others. If we ignore or forget or reject this principle, the demons are let out of the box to control the weak-minded. Racism is just a small part of the opened Pandora Box of evil that is enslaving most, if not all, of humanity.

[LifeHiscost]

Are you, in essence, saying that racism is just another aspect of sin?  If so, I agree. 

I think that is a telling characteristic, although individuals raised in that type of atmosphere wouldn't necessarily be held as sinful until rejecting biblical evidence confirming the reality.

17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin....James 4

⁸ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.^{.....Matthew 23}

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

 

[joeb]

Yes, sin is another aspect of sin.  Until sin is totally eradicated there will be racism.  The only thing, or person that can eradicate sin will be the appearance of Jesus at the second coming.  In the mean time racism can be minimized, modified to a certain extent, but only God, in the form of Jesus coming back, can totally destroy racism.  

It's important to understand though that racism in the individual cannot be changed by education anymore than can greed, dishonesty, etc....  Those all require a heart change and education can never accomplish that. 

[CoAspen]

Your statement  sounds like an excuse for racism by saying a person must believe or think in a certain way, that education is useless. Education can go go a long way in changing many attitudes and misconceptions about many  things in life. Education means to learn, learn new ways, learn correct ways, learn about the reality of our actions, presumptions, etc, etc. A change of 'heart' is an educational process, not magic.

Edited June 23, 2015 by CoAspen
wording

[joeb]

Your statement  sounds like an excuse for racism by saying a person must believe in a certain way. Education can go go a long way in changing many attitudes and misconceptions about many  things in life. Education means to learn, learn new ways, learn correct ways. learn about the reality of our actions, presumptions, etc, etc. A change of 'heart' is an educational process, not magic.

Racism is an aspect/manifestation of sin, and the only thing in human experience that can combat sin is the heart change that comes from conversion, or in other words surrendering one's heart to God. 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Racism is an aspect/manifestation of sin, and the only thing in human experience that can combat sin is the heart change that comes from conversion, or in other words surrendering one's heart to God. 

In my view, racism is a learned behavior from the society in which a person lives (and yes, "sin" can be a learned behavior).  Even blind people are socialized to engage and react in certain ways to those of another race.  (There's a very interesting research book on this subject:  http://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=20242 )

I think PK's opinion that change needs to begin at home is right on target.  Kids soak up attitudes like a sponge, and that includes the attitudes of parents, relatives, teachers, preachers, friends, and what they see and hear in the media.

[Sojourner]

I can't find the exact quote yet so I will keep looking, yet this subject is one that David Wilkerson founder of Teen Challenge has addressed several times over from his position as an Assemblies of God Pastor and founder of the Teen Challenge movement where racial problems are often embedded in the gang violence they deal with. Perhaps mainline churches including SDA's might give some thought to putting him behind their conference pulpits and passing on his insights on what he feels G-d is saying on this subject to members.

"Nicky Cruz: You come near me and I'll kill you!

David Wilkerson: Yeah, you could do that. You could cut me up into a thousand pieces and lay them in the street, and every piece will still love you.
― David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade

[phkrause]

"Nicky Cruz: You come near me and I'll kill you!

David Wilkerson: Yeah, you could do that. You could cut me up into a thousand pieces and lay them in the street, and every piece will still love you.
― David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade

One great book.

[joeb]

In my view, racism is a learned behavior from the society in which a person lives (and yes, "sin" can be a learned behavior).  Even blind people are socialized to engage and react in certain ways to those of another race.  (There's a very interesting research book on this subject:  http://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=20242 )

I think PK's opinion that change needs to begin at home is right on target.  Kids soak up attitudes like a sponge, and that includes the attitudes of parents, relatives, teachers, preachers, friends, and what they see and hear in the media.

The way I see this is that racism is hatred of someone who is different than yourself.  Now, you can change behavior with education--teach someone that if they expose the hatred in their heart that they will meet with ostracism--but that doesn't change what is in the heart.  All it will do is make the person change how they express that hatred.  The cure is conversion for that means the hatred in the heart is changed/eliminated through the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart.  We must be born again for that new birth implants new principles in the heart, the principles of God's law/kingdom.

[lazarus]

The current drive to remove confederate flags is a positive step. Germans continue to remember and honor their dead from WW2 without displaying the Nazi flag.

 

Edited June 25, 2015 by lazarus