Watching the downward spiral of the question of race riots on the HT forum, I have spent some time this morning in reflection of the issue and I thought I'd share my thoughts here where the readership is few but civil.
There is no such thing as "race". Black, brown, yellow, white, whatever ... we are ALL the image-bearers of God. That being so, it is not proper to reflect on skin color as the basis for dislike.
However, we ARE called upon by the bible to judge CULTURE. Matthew 7 warns us to judge others by their fruits, especially those who wish to be as prophets. It continues to point out that good trees bear good fruits and evil trees bear evil fruits.
Is this not common sense? If you look at urban black culture, is it bearing good fruit? Their families have disintegrated, their children have dead, soulless eyes and do violence on each other and all they come into contact with, and a substantial lack of morality is exposed there in their actions, their songs, and their media.
Thus, fear and dislike (what society calls "prejudice") of that culture and those who dress in its attire is not an irrational fear born out of ignorance, as many would have you believe. It is proper Christian judgement upon a culture.
The same judgement can be laid on many other cultures, from Islamic cultures to Wall Street culture to liberal culture, etc. If two men approached my farm, one wearing the latest stylings of a hip-hop rapper and one wearing a tailored suit with an American flag lapel pin then I would fear them equally and probably respond to both with a shotgun close at hand.
Before some ignorant soul informs me that "Christians aren't supposed to judge", I'll point out that the entire bible is full of explanations showing Christians exactly what they are supposed to be judging and how to do it. When someone says we aren't supposed to judge what they are really saying is "I am deep in sin and I refuse to accept the judgement of you."
You may look upon the cultures of this nation and world and judge freely, for you were supposed to be one of discerning mind. You are supposed to partake of that which is pure and leave behind that which is impure. You absolutely cannot do that WITHOUT judging.
2 comments:
I agree that there are cultures in the black communities that are conducive to violence, but in all fairness, I've seen it in white communities too. I am just as concerned about skinheads as I am someone dressed gangsta. Actually, I'm more concerned about the skinheads usually.
I also agree that we should judge, I just don't think we should judge by how they look, but as MLK Jr did, the character of the person. I've had teens on my puppet team that came from bad communities. They had the piercings, the multicolored hair ect. Most people would look down their noses on these teens or look at them with fear in their eyes. Yet those boys were the most dedicated Christians I have ever met. They were faithful in their ministry with the children. Now they are grown and both of the ones I'm talking about are in the military. One has been in Iraq and Afghanistan on several tours. The other is just starting his military career, but in his spare time he works with youth ministries close to the base he's stationed at.
When people stop looking at the color of the skin, or the clothes on their back and actually look and listen to one another I believe we can see some changes.
If I see a rattlesnake, I don't go pick it up and check its fangs to make sure it really is one.
We are told in the bible to not do as the pagans do. So when I see the youth of today tattooing and piercing themselves like South Sea islanders then I'm not going to assume they are a Christian. They look like a pagan so I'm inclined to think they are.
Now I truly believe every saint has a past and every sinner has a future and many of us have a legacy marked on our body that does not speak of our new life in Christ, but that's an absolutely different scenario than what you described.
If these kids are so following the world culture as to dye their hair funky colors, tattoo their bodies and pierce all their dangly parts then I question what doctrines they are actually following. Follow the world or follow Christ. That's the choice given to us. And following Christ DOES mean separation from the ways of the world.
One does not honor Christ by imitating the idolaters.
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