Thank you for this beautifully written and heartfelt essay. I'd like your thoughts on one aspect of racism I don't see discussed much: the need to balance known facts against the need to treat each person as an individual, beloved child of God. For instance, it's a fact proven repeatedly that some crimes are committed in higher percentages by people of certain races. Knowing that, is it racist to be extra cautious when (for example) encountering such a person alone on the street at night? I think that's just prudence. Am I wrong?
I think if you find yourself alone on the street at night you would be wise to be cautious no matter what neighborhood or city you're in, no matter the predominant race in that area. It may be true that crime is worse in certain places but the potential to become a victim is never zero.
I have to think this through more, thank you for writing about the topic.
"We need our black brothers and sisters to realize we understand the sins of our fathers. We know the damage that was done is beyond repair, and the debt they are owed can never be repaid."
Just for clarification, the debt you're talking about here is the debt our fathers owed their fathers, right?
I have a problem with the definition of racism because it contradicts itself. Prejudice and superiority evaluated racially are illogical and unbiblical; but "the belief that race accounts for differences in character or ability" cannot stand with the rest of the definition, as it is not an absolute statement, and I think was intentionally added to sow confusion. It is a fact that Asians, Africans, and Europeans are overrepresented in certain areas. That is neither up for debate nor racist. We are fundamentally similar, as humans and as children of God, yet ethnicities have developed over time due to diet, climate, etc., distinct due to either natural or unnatural segregation. Character is predestined and unevenly distributed, in which case making any judgement based on preconceptions or stereotypes is completely useless. Ability is directly and immediately observable, and patterns relating to it should be noted.
American culture glorifies sin and personal freedom, among other things. It is neither wrong to say that nor to avoid it for those reasons. African-American culture (in America) glorifies sin and personal freedom, albeit in different ways. It is neither wrong to say that nor to avoid it for those reasons.
To conclude, often racism is confused with ethnic judgments that are not racist by definition, and racism is often confused with cultural disagreement or disgust. The first step to combating racism is actually having an internally consistent definition so that we have something to work towards. Your essay was well written but the reason racism exists is because of a difference between human ethnicities, which must be resolved. Racism is simply a symptom of an unwillingness to acknowledge those differences in love.
I'm asking for clarification, not to be argumentative. What does is really mean that certain ethnicities are overrepresented in certain things? As in, why is that even a concern? What should those ethnicities do, become worse at whatever the discipline is so others feel better? Why not look at the steps that are taken to achieve whatever level of success seems good and learn how to improve?
Character is predestined? I don't agree with that at all. I think personality is somewhat baked in at birth, but character is something that can be developed. See Romans 5:3-5.
I agree our culture glorifies sin. No argument there.
I said in the post I was not claiming to have all the answers. I think racism can certainly be seen a symptom of an unwillingness to acknowledge differences in love. But to me that still is rooted in sin in our own hearts. Maybe you do not struggle with racist hatred. Praise God for that. But many still do. I think we should speak up and pray for them.
By certain ethnicities being overrepresented I simply meant that generally Africans are better athletes; generally Asians are biased toward technical, hierarchical jobs; and so on. And we would be better off if more individuals chose to pursue greatness where they have been called rather than chasing dreams.
I agree that character can be developed, but the only lasting change affecting our souls comes from the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-30 speaks to the predestination of all matters of eternal significance, justification, salvation, and sanctification, with v. 29 specifically saying "predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." So in the most important sense character is predestined.
Do you have any comments regarding the definition of racism I proposed? I don't want to be talking past each other here, and appreciate your comments.
Yes. The owing of their family as slaves. All the abuses that went along with slavery and all the horrible crimes of segregation and discrimination that continued for generations. The debt incurred by such sins is too high to be paid by any amount of money. The grace of forgiveness is the only sufficient way of taking care of that debt.
I don't think I've read anything that more parallels my own experiences with racism. (I graduated in 2010 in the South, coincidence?)
- my mother telling me that if I dated a black boy, people would look at me differently. (Her mother told her the same thing about playing with a black girl as a child.)
- finding out my grandfather helped build a "private" school for the white kids in the area after de-segregation
- hearing that same man later in life use the 'N' word to describe an employee he used to work with. I am grateful I said something to him then. I am hopeful that it made him think and repent, because I never heard him say that word (or anything like it) again. He also had a care team of wonderful (black) women who I think he loved and they loved him. They all came to his funeral and that still means a lot to me.
- hearing stories my sister tells as she works in home health about some of the homes she goes into, where the racist language makes her feel so unsafe (as a white woman) that she refuses to go back.
- not understanding why my black friend immediately fell on the ground when a cop showed up because we were at a playground after dark (very innocently, we didn't know you couldn't do that).
- realizing that the "poor" side of my college town was literally across railroad tracks and majority black.
I also feel the weight of our forebearers' sins, and like Nehemiah prays in Nehemiah 1:5-6: "Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you."
I still struggle greatly with the gap between the Christianity my family has always seemed to profess and the prejudice and sometimes outright racism that has come out from time to time. I do see repentance and progress, but it's still hard to reconcile sometimes. It really weighs on me, and it makes me wonder if I suffer from the same blindness, too. I pray that God clears all the scales and specks from my own eyes. Lord, in your mercy, have pity on me!
I will also add that I lived in the Midwest for a few years. The racism was different but still present. The city was segregated but nobody really talked about it - you just didn't see many black people on the white side of town and vise versa. It was really a racism of ignorance or pride (at least we're not the South).
Anyway, thank you for sharing; I rarely feel so connected with anecdotes from a stranger.
Thank you so much for reading! I'm glad this connected with you! Good for you for speaking up to your grandfather. That couldn't have been easy. You seem to be doing well yourself. Keep praying, stay close to Christ, and keep going!
My husband grew up in Mississippi and hates the race bating stuff because "I've seen REAL racism. That's not it." (We live in a predominantly Hispanic/Latino area of southern Texas now).
I honestly think the way the conversation has gone has made the problem worse. In the immediate aftermath of the BLM 2020 riots, my husband reached out to black people he knew and asked, "have I ever treated you disrespectfully? Is there something I need to do differently?" (I'm a homebody who doesn't know anyone, which is why I didn't do the same). Initially, I think that was the attitude of a lot of people. There was an openess there.
That's gone now. I've deleted my Facebook account in part because I went from being generally accepting of people to having an actual full blown panic attack when I saw a black guy in a bookstore buying an "anti-racist" book because part of me was convinced if I looked at him wrong, he was going to bite my head off. The conversation was making me MORE racist. I still tense up whenever I hear conversation about it, this post included (I think you're right, to be clear, but I have a prejudice I didn't used to have that I have to push through now).
It doesn't help that my (white) husband has been accused of racism for doing his job fairly (he's a public school administrator and has been accused of racism for refusing to change grades or for disciplining students for vaping in the bathroom. The most hurtful one was when he was accused by the parent of a special needs student that he's worked with a LOT and formed a personal connection with), or that I see a ton of conversation about 'white privilege ' when the most racist statement I've ever heard in my hometown towards black people came from a darker skinned Latino woman, "I don't like black people. I don't want my son dating them."
I have a slave owner and a KKK member among my ancestors. I know there might be some bad attitudes that have been passed down. I don't feel like the cultural climate is one where I can easily work on identifying and addressing them. It's awful.
Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts. I agree that over the past few years these conversations got harder. It's a shame when race baiting happens and cheapens the real racism that is still around. But I want to encourage you that changing in any way you may need to change might be easier than you think. You have to take baby steps. Just remember, God made us all good. His image and beauty are on everyone whether they believe that about themselves or not. Focus on the goodness, His goodness and honor Him. In moments of weakness, say a quick prayer. You can get better!
This is so well written. What's interesting is even if your not white, (I'm Mexican American) racism can be prevalent as well. I remember older family members making comments that made me recoil. Thankfully my generation within my family is not that way - but I think we all had to make an effort to rid ourselves of any of those ideas we heard as children. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Thank you for reading and thank you for the compliment! I'm glad to hear your generation seems to have been able to get rid of those bad ideas. Many of my white brethren have also been able to do the same thing but many have not. I'm hoping to just be a small voice that maybe helps someone recognize a need for change.
Thank you for this beautifully written and heartfelt essay. I'd like your thoughts on one aspect of racism I don't see discussed much: the need to balance known facts against the need to treat each person as an individual, beloved child of God. For instance, it's a fact proven repeatedly that some crimes are committed in higher percentages by people of certain races. Knowing that, is it racist to be extra cautious when (for example) encountering such a person alone on the street at night? I think that's just prudence. Am I wrong?
I think if you find yourself alone on the street at night you would be wise to be cautious no matter what neighborhood or city you're in, no matter the predominant race in that area. It may be true that crime is worse in certain places but the potential to become a victim is never zero.
I have to think this through more, thank you for writing about the topic.
"We need our black brothers and sisters to realize we understand the sins of our fathers. We know the damage that was done is beyond repair, and the debt they are owed can never be repaid."
Just for clarification, the debt you're talking about here is the debt our fathers owed their fathers, right?
I have a problem with the definition of racism because it contradicts itself. Prejudice and superiority evaluated racially are illogical and unbiblical; but "the belief that race accounts for differences in character or ability" cannot stand with the rest of the definition, as it is not an absolute statement, and I think was intentionally added to sow confusion. It is a fact that Asians, Africans, and Europeans are overrepresented in certain areas. That is neither up for debate nor racist. We are fundamentally similar, as humans and as children of God, yet ethnicities have developed over time due to diet, climate, etc., distinct due to either natural or unnatural segregation. Character is predestined and unevenly distributed, in which case making any judgement based on preconceptions or stereotypes is completely useless. Ability is directly and immediately observable, and patterns relating to it should be noted.
American culture glorifies sin and personal freedom, among other things. It is neither wrong to say that nor to avoid it for those reasons. African-American culture (in America) glorifies sin and personal freedom, albeit in different ways. It is neither wrong to say that nor to avoid it for those reasons.
To conclude, often racism is confused with ethnic judgments that are not racist by definition, and racism is often confused with cultural disagreement or disgust. The first step to combating racism is actually having an internally consistent definition so that we have something to work towards. Your essay was well written but the reason racism exists is because of a difference between human ethnicities, which must be resolved. Racism is simply a symptom of an unwillingness to acknowledge those differences in love.
I'm asking for clarification, not to be argumentative. What does is really mean that certain ethnicities are overrepresented in certain things? As in, why is that even a concern? What should those ethnicities do, become worse at whatever the discipline is so others feel better? Why not look at the steps that are taken to achieve whatever level of success seems good and learn how to improve?
Character is predestined? I don't agree with that at all. I think personality is somewhat baked in at birth, but character is something that can be developed. See Romans 5:3-5.
I agree our culture glorifies sin. No argument there.
I said in the post I was not claiming to have all the answers. I think racism can certainly be seen a symptom of an unwillingness to acknowledge differences in love. But to me that still is rooted in sin in our own hearts. Maybe you do not struggle with racist hatred. Praise God for that. But many still do. I think we should speak up and pray for them.
By certain ethnicities being overrepresented I simply meant that generally Africans are better athletes; generally Asians are biased toward technical, hierarchical jobs; and so on. And we would be better off if more individuals chose to pursue greatness where they have been called rather than chasing dreams.
I agree that character can be developed, but the only lasting change affecting our souls comes from the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-30 speaks to the predestination of all matters of eternal significance, justification, salvation, and sanctification, with v. 29 specifically saying "predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." So in the most important sense character is predestined.
Do you have any comments regarding the definition of racism I proposed? I don't want to be talking past each other here, and appreciate your comments.
Yes. The owing of their family as slaves. All the abuses that went along with slavery and all the horrible crimes of segregation and discrimination that continued for generations. The debt incurred by such sins is too high to be paid by any amount of money. The grace of forgiveness is the only sufficient way of taking care of that debt.
I don't think I've read anything that more parallels my own experiences with racism. (I graduated in 2010 in the South, coincidence?)
- my mother telling me that if I dated a black boy, people would look at me differently. (Her mother told her the same thing about playing with a black girl as a child.)
- finding out my grandfather helped build a "private" school for the white kids in the area after de-segregation
- hearing that same man later in life use the 'N' word to describe an employee he used to work with. I am grateful I said something to him then. I am hopeful that it made him think and repent, because I never heard him say that word (or anything like it) again. He also had a care team of wonderful (black) women who I think he loved and they loved him. They all came to his funeral and that still means a lot to me.
- hearing stories my sister tells as she works in home health about some of the homes she goes into, where the racist language makes her feel so unsafe (as a white woman) that she refuses to go back.
- not understanding why my black friend immediately fell on the ground when a cop showed up because we were at a playground after dark (very innocently, we didn't know you couldn't do that).
- realizing that the "poor" side of my college town was literally across railroad tracks and majority black.
I also feel the weight of our forebearers' sins, and like Nehemiah prays in Nehemiah 1:5-6: "Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you."
I still struggle greatly with the gap between the Christianity my family has always seemed to profess and the prejudice and sometimes outright racism that has come out from time to time. I do see repentance and progress, but it's still hard to reconcile sometimes. It really weighs on me, and it makes me wonder if I suffer from the same blindness, too. I pray that God clears all the scales and specks from my own eyes. Lord, in your mercy, have pity on me!
I will also add that I lived in the Midwest for a few years. The racism was different but still present. The city was segregated but nobody really talked about it - you just didn't see many black people on the white side of town and vise versa. It was really a racism of ignorance or pride (at least we're not the South).
Anyway, thank you for sharing; I rarely feel so connected with anecdotes from a stranger.
Thank you so much for reading! I'm glad this connected with you! Good for you for speaking up to your grandfather. That couldn't have been easy. You seem to be doing well yourself. Keep praying, stay close to Christ, and keep going!
My husband grew up in Mississippi and hates the race bating stuff because "I've seen REAL racism. That's not it." (We live in a predominantly Hispanic/Latino area of southern Texas now).
I honestly think the way the conversation has gone has made the problem worse. In the immediate aftermath of the BLM 2020 riots, my husband reached out to black people he knew and asked, "have I ever treated you disrespectfully? Is there something I need to do differently?" (I'm a homebody who doesn't know anyone, which is why I didn't do the same). Initially, I think that was the attitude of a lot of people. There was an openess there.
That's gone now. I've deleted my Facebook account in part because I went from being generally accepting of people to having an actual full blown panic attack when I saw a black guy in a bookstore buying an "anti-racist" book because part of me was convinced if I looked at him wrong, he was going to bite my head off. The conversation was making me MORE racist. I still tense up whenever I hear conversation about it, this post included (I think you're right, to be clear, but I have a prejudice I didn't used to have that I have to push through now).
It doesn't help that my (white) husband has been accused of racism for doing his job fairly (he's a public school administrator and has been accused of racism for refusing to change grades or for disciplining students for vaping in the bathroom. The most hurtful one was when he was accused by the parent of a special needs student that he's worked with a LOT and formed a personal connection with), or that I see a ton of conversation about 'white privilege ' when the most racist statement I've ever heard in my hometown towards black people came from a darker skinned Latino woman, "I don't like black people. I don't want my son dating them."
I have a slave owner and a KKK member among my ancestors. I know there might be some bad attitudes that have been passed down. I don't feel like the cultural climate is one where I can easily work on identifying and addressing them. It's awful.
Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts. I agree that over the past few years these conversations got harder. It's a shame when race baiting happens and cheapens the real racism that is still around. But I want to encourage you that changing in any way you may need to change might be easier than you think. You have to take baby steps. Just remember, God made us all good. His image and beauty are on everyone whether they believe that about themselves or not. Focus on the goodness, His goodness and honor Him. In moments of weakness, say a quick prayer. You can get better!
This is so well written. What's interesting is even if your not white, (I'm Mexican American) racism can be prevalent as well. I remember older family members making comments that made me recoil. Thankfully my generation within my family is not that way - but I think we all had to make an effort to rid ourselves of any of those ideas we heard as children. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
Thank you for reading and thank you for the compliment! I'm glad to hear your generation seems to have been able to get rid of those bad ideas. Many of my white brethren have also been able to do the same thing but many have not. I'm hoping to just be a small voice that maybe helps someone recognize a need for change.