Does Your Religious Belief Affect Your View Of Interracial Marriage? (translation, church)

[MontanaGuy]

I realize that some people still have issues with interracial marriages. I'm wondering what certain religions might have to say on this subject if anything. I see nothing wrong with it at all and I think the younger generation pretty much accepts it. It's probably the older people who just aren't used to the idea that might have a problem with it. I would think that Christians wouldn't have a problem with it although I've never really heard ministers say anything one way or the other (not that I really listen to ministers very often). Does anyone have any thoughts about it?

[irishmom]

If you have a problem with it it's not a religious one it's a personal one. Racism belongs to people of many faiths, unfortunately.

[mams1559]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

I realize that some people still have issues with interracial marriages. I'm wondering what certain religions might have to say on this subject if anything. I see nothing wrong with it at all and I think the younger generation pretty much accepts it. It's probably the older people who just aren't used to the idea that might have a problem with it. I would think that Christians wouldn't have a problem with it although I've never really heard ministers say anything one way or the other (not that I really listen to ministers very often). Does anyone have any thoughts about it?

The Bible does not teach it is wrong to marry interracially. In fact, there really is only one race -- the human race. We're all of one blood, decended from Adam. Our differences in our appearance is only "skin deep".

The only restriction the Bible makes that has been applied to marriage is believers should not be yoked with unbelievers. Even in this instance, it is written that if you are a believer married to an unbeliever, do not leave him/her for only that reason, but stay and through your actions show the love of Christ and help them to become saved.

Personally, I had a girlfriend in high school who was Asian. My sister is married to a black man. As believers, color shouldn't matter at all.

[MontanaGuy]

mams1559 wrote:

As believers, color shouldn't matter at all.

That's very good advice. It makes you wonder what all of the really racist people are basing their hatred on. Many of the white supremacists claim to be Christians but I agree that I've never seen anything in the Bible that would support their point of view.

[mams1559]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

That's very good advice. It makes you wonder what all of the really racist people are basing their hatred on. Many of the white supremacists claim to be Christians but I agree that I've never seen anything in the Bible that would support their point of view.

I could be wrong, but white supremacists are very skewed on Biblical interpretation/translation. They interpret 'Adam' as meaning to blush, so he couldn't be anything but caucasian. Also, they think the "Curse on Ham" (which in reality was a curse on his son Canaan) created the black race and were to be treated less than human.

Even given those examples, if they followed Jesus' teachings, they should definately see the error of their ways and see that we're all human.

[MontanaGuy]

mams1559 wrote:

I could be wrong, but white supremacists are very skewed on Biblical interpretation/translation.

I had the misfortune of sitting across from a guy at work who was very racist and was mixed up in all of the right wing militia activities. We got into a couple of pretty bad arguments at work and they moved him to another desk. Eventually he was fired. He also came up with some really weird reasons for his beliefs that are probably similar to what you're saying. I was actually pretty concerned about this guy because he had told me once that he had spent his entire income tax return of several thousand dollars on ammunition. That was a red flag right there. He was absolutely obsessed with the Jews and that was what caused our shouting match in the office.

[midnightbirdgirl]

I don't care what race folks are. If you love and respect each other that is really all that matters. One of my favorite movies is the original Guess Who's Coming To Dinner sums up how I feel pretty well.

MBG

[tooshort]

Ok...here i go.

i am in an interracial and interfaith marriage. is it tough...yes. was there a lot of sh*t we had to go through on both sides of the family...yes. it was the first time anyone on either side of the family married someone of a different race and different religion. i am not Catholic (my husband is) and where my family is from, the Christian religion is not one that is respected..in fact, it's considered a religion of the lowest class of people. so people in my family considered me to be marrying someone below myself.

We have been together for 7 years and married for 3 of them but it's still very hard at times. I still get stares from his family when we go to parties as he does as well from my side. To top it all off, we had a child and didn't go down the customary Catholic route of baptising since we chose to raise our children in my religion and then if they choose to convert to their father's religion later on in life, they can. We decided not to convert our own religions for the other person since we don't think it makes sense to do that.

To be honest, we have a wonderful and warm and loving and honest relationship and marriage and home life and religion is never a problem for us. It only becomes a problem when other people try to put their two cents in and tell us which is the "one true religion" and which God is the "right" God and how to raise our children. But we make it VERY clear to both sides that it's no one's business how we riase our kids or what we do in our own home.

So, MG, to answer your question, yes, Christians (aka Catholics) probably do have a problem with it as do other religions. But I think that is just due to ignorance and prejudice more than anything else.

[FL_TN_Nana]

I had this discussion a few months back with some people I used to go to church with. They were very adamant that "it just isn't right." I told them that Jesus descended from an interracial marriage (Ruth and Boaz). One couple got really quiet; another woman got a little huffy and said she didn't care, she didn't like it.

The important part is as has been mentioned - believers with believers.

[LuLu108]

Yeah, I'm not sure where it got tied together with Chrisitanity either.....just somebody somewhere had an ignorant idea and tried to justify it using the Bible. The Bible says nothing of the sort. I grew up around a lot of racism it exists unfortunately, everywhere you go, you will run into someone who thinks that races weren't meant to mix and some will try to say that God didn't intend for that to happen. I've heard non-Christians say that as well [What??]

My mother's boyfriend who she's been with for 18 years but has never married (maybe for the best...) is a true 100% racist! He is not a Christian, he's atheist...or agnostic...whatever, anyway, growing up with him around it was very difficult to have friends of different color. I didn't want to bring them to my house because I knew he would embarass me! He used to say things like, "don't ever bring a n**** to my house." or "you ever bring a n***** boyfriend home you'll be out on your a**!" and stuff like that.....made me sick! I also was embarassed when my other Christian family members came around because he would say the g.d. words and talk about Christians like trash knowing they were, he'd do it just to try and make them upset. It's people like this that make this world sick. Over-opinionated, self-centered, with the 'I'm right and everyone else is wrong' type of attitudes. Ok, here I go, off on a tangent.....geez, I need to go do some laundry...LOL!