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January 25, 2013
The Persistence of Prejudice
Just how “post-racial” is our society?
My wife and I just adopted our first child. We have learned a lot about ourselves and God and the Christian community through this journey. But one lesson that has been driven home time and again is how deeply entrenched racial prejudice is in the United States.
This fact was reinforced in our adoption training. Because we pursued a domestic adoption (i.e., a child from the United States) and were happy to adopt a child of any ethnicity, our licensing and preparation involved learning to be a “conspicuous” family: one that can’t hide the fact that a child is adopted because he or she is ethnically different than the adoptive parents. We’ve taken classes on how to respond to insensitive comments from strangers and family, such as: “Is that your real baby?” or “Does he speak English?” or “She’s so lucky to have you,” which implies that the child would be less fortunate to be raised by parents of her own ethnic background. We’ve even learned to anticipate the question “Is that one of those crack babies?” which implies that the biological parents of a minority child must be drug addicts. Because our son, James, is African American, we are prepared to be on the receiving end of racial prejudice for the first time in our lives.
Perhaps a greater outrage is the dollar amounts that are often affixed to skin color. At our agency, the placement fee is the same for children of all ethnicities. But in many places in the country, adopting a Caucasian child can cost almost twice as much as adopting a non-white or biracial child. This is because ethnic minority children are deemed “hard to place”—fewer families are willing to adopt them—and are thus considered less desirable. Often, the lighter skinned a child is, the more expensive he or she is to adopt. This is true even among Christian adoptive parents and at Christian agencies. The Bible says all humans are created in God’s image. There should be no 50-percent discounts. How, then, can Americans—even American Christians—tolerate a practice that deems some children to be “less desirable” than others?
Equal but Different
As Christians, we are firm in our convictions that all ethnicities are equal in value: “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile” (Rom. 3:22). As authors we are deeply committed to and convinced of the fundamental equality of all peoples. We also believe that to understand a culture, you must be aware of ethnicity and especially the prejudices that may exist within a particular culture. To ignore them is naïve and can result in serious misunderstanding.
Consider this example. Let’s suppose a Korean missionary decides to move to Birmingham, Alabama, to start a church. He notices that a lot of the people are dark-skinned. He asks us, “Is there a difference between blacks and whites?”
In our piety, we might answer, “No, everybody is the same.” It is certainly true that all are equal, but our pious answer is misleading in several ways. We are likely setting our Korean missionary up for trouble. First, he will be blindsided by the first racist he meets. Second, he will notice some differences among the locals in worship and dialect and perhaps even in dress and cuisine. Third, he might assume that the majority culture of his neighborhood is representative of the majority culture of North America.
Many white Westerners feel that the worst thing they could be called is a racist. We know deep down that we’re not supposed to make value distinctions between people of different ethnicities, as if it’s better to be white or black or whatever. Because we’re hesitant to make value distinctions—and rightfully so—we’re often slow to make any distinctions at all. Thus is goes without being said for many that to be truly equal, everyone must be the same. This is what we mean by being colorblind: the belief that ethnic differences don’t matter. Of course it would be fine if what we meant was that everyone should be treated with equal dignity or enjoy the same rights. But we suspect what is commonly meant is that everyone should be treated as if they were the same.
Insidious Racism
When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, culture-watchers began debating whether the United States had finally become a post-racial society. The logic runs like this: now that an African American has been elected to the nation’s most powerful position, the glass ceiling is shattered. The limitations and obstacles that once held back people of color are gone. The long-awaited dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that people will one day be judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” has been realized. The United States is now officially colorblind. The wealthy and powerful hail from all ethnic backgrounds. In terms of policy, it is against the law for a company to refuse to hire an employee or for a university to refuse to enroll a student based on the color of her skin. It can be easy to believe that, at least on paper, the country has put racial discrimination in the past.
The radical nature of the multiethnic body of Christ is sometimes lost on those of us who believe we have put prejudice behind us once and for all. Columnist Jack White once observed, “The most insidious racism is among those who don’t think they harbor any.” His point is that those of us who leave our ethnic stereotypes unexamined will inevitably carry them forever, perhaps even pass them on to others. We would add that failing to come to terms with our assumptions about race and ethnicity will keep us blind to important aspects of biblical teaching.
In the end, the Christian message is clear: ethnic prejudice is morally reprehensible. It is wrong. The Roman world was filled with racism. The interior of Anatolia (modern Turkey) was filled with tension between the Romans, the locals and the immigrants (Jews in the south and Celts in the north). Nonetheless, Paul tells a church caught right in the middle of that mess, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col. 3:11). This was a radical claim in the first century. It is no less radical today, even in a country in which people have been fighting for equality for decades.
This is an excerpt from Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes.
What do you think President Obama’s second term says about the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream? Is this an example of actual racial reconciliation? How can Christians affirm equality without undermining the vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity seen in Revelation 7:9?
Comments
That people should be judged by the the 'content of their character rather than the color of their skin' was a noble thought. However, since that statement was made, all white people are constantly told that they are racist simply because they are white and that those who are not white are never racist. Everything in our society is based on the color of one's skin and it is worse since the election of Obama. Though there are many black people who have married into my extended family and even adopted into my immediate family, because we are conservative politically this doesn't allow us to escape the racist moniker. The people who love to quote King and his famous "I have a dream..." saying are the most racist of all. And anyone who is black and conservative and successful is totally despised by the black community proving that a great many of them really don't care about 'character' but they care deeply about money and power. Born again Christians need to just shut up and behave Biblically and stop trying so hard to gain acceptance in a post Christian world.
Posted By: elegance | January 26, 2013 11:00 AM
This country is one of the most accepting of people's color and gender and sexual orientation of any nation on earth.
Why do so many people of different colors and backgrounds want to get in here?
I happen to have some friends that are black and they tell me quite openly that black on white racism is far worse than the other way around.
But, all in all, racism in this country is nothing like it used to be.
Thanks.
Posted By: Steve Martin | January 27, 2013 9:04 PM
The household of faith has made huge strides away from racism. However believers remain maybe 90% separated black, white, Asian, etc. when it comes time to gather. I don't believe this is racism. It is relationship laziness, even with God's call to put down every barrier to fellowship for unity in Christ. The main gathering of believes, the one we call the worship service is the main training ground for relationship laziness. There is zero one another life designed for this gathering. One another life is the heart of NT instructions on believers living out their design as "members of one another". Contradictory to this, the alleged worship service is devoted to platform driven, highly style oriented, one-way communication. It is forced into this mold by the traditions of men driven assumption that "preach the Word..." means lecture the Word, zero interaction zero participation by anyone but hired experts, zero mutuality whatsoever in the teaching dynamic. Now, the external style of the event is the most powerful determiner of whether a believer can worship there or not. You must go to a church that already provides the style genre that fits your "worship" mold. So the bride of Christ is divided up based on slight stylistic nuances of music culture, preaching, etc.
The only solution to this is for the saints to repent of their relational and spiritual laziness (walking in the door with zero truth prepared to offer to God's family) and begin the fulfillment of Heb. 10. (The whole chapter.) Now the gathering is driven by the uniqueness of each participant. What a huge difference this can bring. Now mutual relationship function is the foundation of the gathering, allowing the power of barrier crossing (mutual submission (Eph. 5:19 - ) to take place.
Am I the only one who sees the relational and spiritual laziness of the long loved and adored pulpit and pew routines and the wide swath of shallow faith that they produce, all the while claiming to be the apex of godliness?
Posted By: Tim | January 28, 2013 5:31 PM
Glad I'm not color blind - that'd be a real bummer. I love color.
Glad my wife isn't like me - that'd be a real bummer too.
The news media is Racialphobic - so is this post. That kid is so lucky to have you (a lot luckier than being in 20 foster homes or having the state as their guardian). I'd consider that comment a compliment - not a racial slur.
I'm not a democrat - because democats hate bald, white, heterosexual males. Every chance they get they stick a knife in my back (I'm glad they don't believe in guns!)
Obama was elected because he is a charismatic black man who initially ran against a boring, bald, white, heterosexual male. The election had nothing to do with the content of his character - he's totally for what most Christians I know are totally against. Most black Christians still voted for him.
Dr King never saw this coming at all - when the morality of the country would be so degraded that the content of a man's character would make no difference whatsoever.
If you're an attractive male - you'll get most of the women's vote. (Especially if the other guy is white and bald). If you're black - you'll get most of the black's vote (especially if the other guy is white).
Now that's prejudice
Posted By: Jerry | January 29, 2013 7:02 AM
Jerry, sadly, you've proved the truth of Brandon's post. Racial prejudice is entrenched in the United States, even among Christians.
In your comment, you insulted the faith and intelligence of your black brothers and sisters in Christ and the intelligence of women. You also libeled all politicians who are members of the Democratic Party and you confused character and political beliefs. Your comment isn't appropriate for a Christian, nor does it measure up to the general respectfulness of comments that appear on Christianity Today's website.
Posted By: Greg | January 29, 2013 9:24 AM
The problem with the response by many so far is the knee jerk defensive reaction. It seems like every article I read on Christianity Today that challenges us inevitably leads to a number of responses that can be summed up as "we're not as bad as they are!" That's something I said to my parents and my kids said to me. And what was our standard response? "I don't care about so and so...they're not my child...YOU are."
And so it is with this topic. I couldn't care less about "them" (whoever "they" are). As Christians, we are called to the highest level of loving and caring and harmony. If we aren't where we need to be in that regard, we need to change. Because I don't think God's response would be "Hey, so you have a few racial issues...at least you're better than those guys."
That certainly wasn't how Jesus responded to the Pharisees. He was much harder on them than he was on the Romans...probably because the Pharisees should have known better.
Posted By: Kevin | January 29, 2013 10:08 AM
"How can Christians affirm equality without undermining the vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity seen in Revelation 7:9?"
I don't understand this question. Please explain. How does equality undermine diversity? What are you saying?
Posted By: Ymoore | January 30, 2013 11:03 AM
That's funny Greg - my black friends would never say that about me and neither would all the women I'm around every day. Truth is - I'd readily die for both of them. By the way -my boss is a woman - I actually helped to put her in that position. Not because she was a woman - because she was the best candidate for the job.
Maybe you need to put your big boy pants on and stop towing the democrat party line. Democrats have no love for me that's for sure. Democrats hate diversity - they want everyone to be just like them. They slander me every day - just like you have done.
Why doesn't out of ur ever post something on financial stewardship - or living within your means?
Why doesn't out of ur ever post on the racial prejudice in the black community?
Why doesn't out of ur ever post on pretty vs. not-so-pretty wins every time. The pretty prejudice out weighs the color prejudice about a billion to one.
Answer is simple - it's not politically correct to do any of those things.
And by the way - blacks vote for blacks on the surface is about color -but they feel Obama has been there and actually experienced what they've experienced - and lived where they have lived. How do you so easily just turn that into color? When things get divided into black and white - you end up with a black vs white argument - and that doesn't account for the half of it. But it's very convenient - so you can lay the guilt trip on white suburbanites and get more money out of them. Isn't there really an alterior motive behind all of the racial accusations?
Jesus died the most unjust death of any person that ever walked the earth. Governments hate Jesus - and will align themselves against God completely - democrat and republican. He will slay them with the breath of His mouth by the splendor of His coming.
This world is full of prejudice - and bringing up a kid in the middle of that is frightful. People will display their prejudice for anything that is different from what they are - yes me included.
We need faith to believe that God will help us.
And by the way Greg - I'd be happy to sit and discuss this with you any time and accept you as a brother - but would you me - white trash that I am?
Posted By: Jerry | February 1, 2013 7:34 AM
Hi, All -
Thanks for your comments on Brandon's piece. Racism in our culture and in our churches is a real and vital issue for us to discuss. As a quick scan of the comments here reveals, it brings up deeply held beliefs and strong feelings.
With that said, I want to briefly respond to two of the comments here:
Ymoore - To clarify your question, Brandon is speaking against a false "equality" that seeks to minimize difference. This move undermines diversity.
Jerry - regarding Ur's editorial perspective and policy, political correctness is not a factor in our coverage or non-coverage of ministry topics.
For CT's conversations regarding financial stewardship as it relates to ministry leaders, I'd encourage you all to visit our sister blog: Managing Your Church (http://blog.managingyourchurch.com).
You may also be interested in CT's coverage of appearance prejudice and related topics at our sister blogs Gifted for Leadership (http://www.giftedforleadership.com/) and Her.meneutics (http://www.christianitytoday.com/women).
Thank you all for taking the time to comment. Keep it up, and may there be peace on Urth!
Posted By: Paul Pastor | February 1, 2013 9:59 AM
Not to be pessimistic but realistic, it may end up being one of those things that never goes away, like that pesky mosquito on a hot summer day. We have been deemed sinners so there will always be sinners in the world. We can choose to hate or we can focus on love and forgiveness. The former doesn't serve us or anyone. All we can do is do our best each day, spread the Word, and live by the golden rule because in the end, all we can control is ourselves. And even that is not always up to us!
All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:1
Posted By: Mary St. Cloud | February 1, 2013 10:29 AM
One thought on the point of racism, is that it is typically white people who are considered racists. You don't hear of Mexicans being racists or Asians being racists.You hear about whites being racists. African-Americans have become more racist against whites especially in the recent years.
Biblically speaking, we are all one in Christ and we were all made in God's image. We also need to realize that "our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20).
Posted By: youngjapan | February 6, 2013 2:42 PM
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