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I realize there are racists and classists in every religion. Some are actually based off of it. My question is can you be a racist and be a christian at the same time?
Jesus came from an opressed group that was looked down upon at the time, was from a town that was looked down upon as a ghetto. He was raised in the ghetto, and did most of his good deeds and miracles in the ghetto. His disciples were also ruffnecks, except for the tax collector who was hated by most lower classes, but Jesus included him to show imo that he harbored no resentment towards the privlaged as well.
The bible also says "Love thy neighbor", couldn't neighbor be interpreted as neighboring countries, tribes, and races?
Also there is "God is love" and Gods statement that we are all created in his image.
So can you be a real christian and a real racist at the same time?
I don't think a racist's heart is "right" with God. Though he may be a Christian, just one who is not very spiritually mature. God gives us time to "learn obedience" through the things we suffer. Some people have not suffered enough to learn all the lessons they have to learn - in fact, I think we can say that all of us are not yet done learning obedience through suffering. Sanctification is a process - not an instantaneous thing. Christians can be deceived about all kinds of issues. This does not mean they will not eventually come to the full knowledge of the truth.
I realize there are racists and classists in every religion. Some are actually based off of it. My question is can you be a racist and be a christian at the same time?
Jesus came from an opressed group that was looked down upon at the time, was from a town that was looked down upon as a ghetto. He was raised in the ghetto, and did most of his good deeds and miracles in the ghetto. His disciples were also ruffnecks, except for the tax collector who was hated by most lower classes, but Jesus included him to show imo that he harbored no resentment towards the privlaged as well.
The bible also says "Love thy neighbor", couldn't neighbor be interpreted as neighboring countries, tribes, and races?
Also there is "God is love" and Gods statement that we are all created in his image.
So can you be a real christian and a real racist at the same time?
I believe a person can become a Christian and not know they are wrong about race or class issues...but once they have become aware of the Bible's teachings on it if they refuse to change their minds on it I would have to question their faith.
I don't think a racist's heart is "right" with God. Though he may be a Christian, just one who is not very spiritually mature. God gives us time to "learn obedience" through the things we suffer. Some people have not suffered enough to learn all the lessons they have to learn - in fact, I think we can say that all of us are not yet done learning obedience through suffering. Sanctification is a process - not an instantaneous thing. Christians can be deceived about all kinds of issues. This does not mean they will not eventually come to the full knowledge of the truth.
I realize there are racists and classists in every religion. Some are actually based off of it. My question is can you be a racist and be a christian at the same time?
Jesus came from an opressed group that was looked down upon at the time, was from a town that was looked down upon as a ghetto. He was raised in the ghetto, and did most of his good deeds and miracles in the ghetto. His disciples were also ruffnecks, except for the tax collector who was hated by most lower classes, but Jesus included him to show imo that he harbored no resentment towards the privlaged as well.
The bible also says "Love thy neighbor", couldn't neighbor be interpreted as neighboring countries, tribes, and races?
Also there is "God is love" and Gods statement that we are all created in his image.
So can you be a real christian and a real racist at the same time?
Of course you can be a racist with any concept including evolution.
There are no perfect "Christians", so yes it is quite possible for someone to be prejudiced and a Christian. Its possible because every person is, no matter how hard they deny it. People being born sinners one and all can be prejudiced not just based on race, but on sex, age, language, city or country of origin, weight, etc. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
I realize there are racists and classists in every religion. Some are actually based off of it. My question is can you be a racist and be a christian at the same time?
Jesus came from an opressed group that was looked down upon at the time, was from a town that was looked down upon as a ghetto. He was raised in the ghetto, and did most of his good deeds and miracles in the ghetto. His disciples were also ruffnecks, except for the tax collector who was hated by most lower classes, but Jesus included him to show imo that he harbored no resentment towards the privlaged as well.
The bible also says "Love thy neighbor", couldn't neighbor be interpreted as neighboring countries, tribes, and races?
Also there is "God is love" and Gods statement that we are all created in his image.
So can you be a real christian and a real racist at the same time?
You don't think Thomas was a rough-neck?...He was a Jew collecting taxes from his own people FOR the enemy, Rome, and he didn't do it from a nice comfy and safe office either, like our IRS does today...He was running around in the backwaters collecting taxes from Jews, so it was was worse for him being a Jew...You don't think that if he were not a rough-neck that he would not have ended up buried in some field in some backwater village?...
Labels mean very little to me, so I find labels to just muddy things up more than clarify things.
It's what is in your heart.
The way of Christ, is the way of LOVE.
God IS Love.
What is "Christian"? Christ didn't come to bring more religions into the world. He didn't come here so that people could divide themselves up even more into their little groups "christians versus non-christians". He came to show us the path to the Father. God.
God is... what?
God is LOVE.
If you're asking, can you follow the path of LOVE and be a racist? Of course not.
This whole "Christian" label thing really confuses things. It's not the label that matters. It's not the religious (or non-religious) group that you belong to and are a "member" of... it's not what you SAY you believe. It's about your heart, your thoughts, words, actions, your mindset. It's all about LOVE.
This love and non-love within us is what is teaching us. The contrast within, our choices that we make all day long, within our minds, our hearts, our thoughts, actions, words.... all day long we are ACTIVELY choosing the NARROW path that leads to LIFE (by LOVING) and the WIDE path that leads to destruction (Witholding love, shrinking love, squashing love).
It is NOT LOVE that is in action when a human being looks at another fellow human being and in his heart thinks "surely this person is less valuable than me". That is a LACK of love. That is something that is on the wide road to destruction. That thought will one day be OVERCOME by love.
You just don't get your hand stamped "CHRISTIAN" and think your little feet are walking on on that narrow path. In fact, the next time your feet ARE on that narrow path (of love) look beside you and some will be shocked to see those walking right alongside them with the handstamp of "MUSLIM", "ATHEIST", "HINDU", "WICCAN", "BUDDHIST". etc...
I think that there is a difference between someone who may have some racist thinking that he or she needs to deal with with the help of God and one who promotes racism in the name of Christianity. God bless.
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