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No, I don't have a problem with affirmative action.
I do have a problem with a church, which should be acting in Biblically-based ways, preventing people from using their spiritual gifts due to their skin color. I'm not aware of anything in the Bible that says, basically, "people who want to serve God, and who have spiritual gifts, should not be allowed to due to their skin color". To the contrary, the Bible calls on us to love each other across racial lines, and to welcome everyone of every race into Christ's ministry.
My church also has a Bible study group that white, Black and Hispanic people cannot attend. I find it shocking that a church would prevent people from hearing God's Word due to their skin color.
If it were my church I'd be looking for a new one.
My church also has a Bible study group that white, Black and Hispanic people cannot attend. I find it shocking that a church would prevent people from hearing God's Word due to their skin color.
Who gets to go then?
But perhaps we should consider this the way way do Men's and Women's bible studies. Why do we have Bible Studies segregated by gender?
I assume the answer is because of specific issues that women or men may have that they feel they can only address among other women or men.
Perhaps "minority" Bible studies could be viewed through that same lens?
I do realize that this opens the door as to why there can't be any "White" Bible studies and we are back to where we started.
My church also has a Bible study group that white, Black and Hispanic people cannot attend. I find it shocking that a church would prevent people from hearing God's Word due to their skin color.
I'm puzzled. What ethnic groups ARE allowed to attend this Bible study? Is it an all-Asian group?
I believe that people should be able to self-segregate. I don't have any problem with all-male or all-black Bible studies if that is what the participants have chosen. Or a Spanish or Korean or Vietnamese study. But if the church is officially sponsoring Bible studies, there should be an effort to have something for everyone.
Is your church really preventing people from hearing God's word; i.e. are there people who are forbidden from participating in ANY church Bible studies? That would be unconscionable. Or is it just that some individual is bent out of shape that the Wednesday night study is all-Hispanic, or it's a women's group, or it's a college-age group, even though there are other studies that he or she could attend?
But perhaps we should consider this the way way do Men's and Women's bible studies. Why do we have Bible Studies segregated by gender?
I assume the answer is because of specific issues that women or men may have that they feel they can only address among other women or men.
Perhaps "minority" Bible studies could be viewed through that same lens?
I do realize that this opens the door as to why there can't be any "White" Bible studies and we are back to where we started.
Just so. I understand the impulse. Having a Bible study for blacks would be so that they can discuss the experience of being a Christian person of color without some white-splaining dude slowing them down by telling them how they SHOULD feel or experience things. But I think it's probably taking things too far. Any given social club, including a church, has to coalesce around some sort of common experience, which at least in theory is supposed to be the religion itself. If you go overboard trying to be "inclusive" you can easily create as many problems as you solve, if not more. There's a reason that some cultural, ethnic and racial groups form their own churches, so that those who don't fit in with the default culture can worship with traditions and emphases that they feel comfortable with. (See for example the thread either here or in the Christianity forum recently asking why all the shouting and carrying on in black churches, lol). But each church is still centered around the evangel, even while catering to the preferences and comfort zone of its constituency.
Trying to be all things to all people, has its own problems. The Unitarian congregation in my town takes Christians, non-Christian theists, agnostics, and atheists ... and the experience is often likened unto "herding cats". The politics is brutal; aggrieved persons who don't feel sufficiently included or understood have a tendency to become divisive. Dust-ups have happened over things like how bathrooms are labeled or whether sufficient separate bathrooms are provided as accommodation for this or that group. Dark conspiracies are seen where they don't exist. They've gone through several pastors in recent years. All this kind of thing is one big reason my wife and I haven't seriously tried to find belonging there.
I'm puzzled. What ethnic groups ARE allowed to attend this Bible study? Is it an all-Asian group?
I believe that people should be able to self-segregate. I don't have any problem with all-male or all-black Bible studies if that is what the participants have chosen. Or a Spanish or Korean or Vietnamese study. But if the church is officially sponsoring Bible studies, there should be an effort to have something for everyone.
Is your church really preventing people from hearing God's word; i.e. are there people who are forbidden from participating in ANY church Bible studies? That would be unconscionable. Or is it just that some individual is bent out of shape that the Wednesday night study is all-Hispanic, or it's a women's group, or it's a college-age group, even though there are other studies that he or she could attend?
The church has only two Bible study groups.
One is mine.
The other is a church-sponsored Asian-only group. The Asian-only group was formed by the church, by an Asian-American minister.
If someone can’t attend my group (good chance the day and time doesn’t work for a lot of people), if the person isn’t Asian, then there are no options.
I oppose men-only Bible study groups. It’s fine to have a group be oriented towards one demographic, but this church constantly says that “all are welcome”- which isn’t the case. My group is 75% senior white women but they have been very welcoming to everyone who isn’t in that demographic.
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