Checking the ninsemen news, I hear about a marriage celebrant refusing to marry a mixed-race couple. The husband was black, the wife white, and they had to find another celebrant. His reason was, 'he always thinks of the children'.
It didn't quote any Christian principle. If it did, that marriage celebrant should be reminded of what God revealed to Peter as described in Acts chapter 10: God does not exclude any race from His Kingdom or His presence. We are ALL made in His image.
Racial prejudice is not from God. It is a vexatious delusion suffered or perpetrated by some humans.
The celebrant's stated reasons were that marriages between the different races do not last and the children of them are not accepted by either race. If anyone can tell me whether or not it's true that inter racial relationships fail more often than others, I can only say that I never knew that before. There should be no reason why people can't love and live close to those of other races - not if we see what is really human. About the children, I hope that's not true nowadows. Is that view a bit out of date? In Australia, and (I thought) the U.S. there are so many people who are 'biracial' that it's not an issue anymore. Please correct me if I'm wrong. But I blogged not long ago about Muhammed Ali visiting Ireland, because one of his great-great grandfathers came from there. And I'm sure it was reported recently that one of Michelle Obama's great grandfathers was white, as well. Come to that, who has NOT heard that the U.S. president has a parent from each race? So how do we get this attitude that such children can't get a life?
It is a shame that race has become such a huge issue. If you think about it scientifically, in purely genetic terms, race is just a matter of adaption to the environment that humans have undergone. It's well known that darker skin is an advantage in a very hot sunny climate. Narrow deep set eyes, as seen in some Northern Eurpoeans, are an advantage in a climate where there is cold wind. My own ancestry is mostly Scottish, English, and some German and French. People used to tease me about having small narrow eyes. And the reason is my ancestors lived in a cold windy climate and God is His wisdom gave them physical characteristics suited to that environment. In biological terms that is all race is: a physical type suited to the place where people of that type live. Or their ancestors did.
Of course different races, and nations, may have varying cultures. But culture is a learned thing. Far too much is made of race as a distinction or a barrier between people. It is regrettable. Nowadays, when the races are so widely dispersed and so mingled, it should be clear that we are all equally human. But for some reason too many people want someone to look down on. It is a distraction that Christians in particular need to see through. Racial characteristics are God's gift to His created beings so that they can cope with living in a certain set of conditions. They are NOT the way He decided to make some of them 'better' than others. It's easier to talk than to do, I realize. But correct me if I'm wrong. There is NO good Christian reason for objection to inter-racial relationships.
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7 comments:
"...it should be clear that we are all equally human." I agree with this statement whole heartedly Andrew.
I am a 911 Communications Officer in a pretty large county, with a large hispanic population. There was an armed robbery recently in which the store owner was beaten nearly to death with a metal rod. News of the robbery was posted on the local newspaper website and printed in the paper. There were many hateful and racist comments posted in reponse to the fact that the perpetrators of the crime were hispanic males. None of the comments spoke to the reprehensible nature of the crime.
After reading the numerous comments I was inspired to post my own comments in which I stated that this crime was equally heinous, no matter who committed it. And I believe that the outrage over the crime would not have been near the same had it been committed by two white males. (By the way, I'm a white male) Needless to say, my comments were not very well received.
In this job, it is very hard to remain objective, but imperitive to do so. We cannot allow any biases or preferences to interfere with the fact that the people who call for help are equally human and deserve equal consideration and service.
We are all indeed equally human! When will everyone catch on? I have a feeling it won't be until Christ returns to bring home his church!
Well said!!!!
I don't remember what song it's in, but there's a quote by Muse, "We all bleed the same..."
I also heard this and wondered if the celebrant (male I presume) would have had the same reaction if the husband had been white and the wife black?
What was the celibrant concerned about, was it that one of their children may also one day be the U.S. President?
An utterly tragic decision on the part of the celibrant.
'Deep thoughts', you're probably quite right. Until Christ returns there will be hostility among people along racial grounds. It's too easy to see the race and not the individual, and not see what racial characteristics are. One author I admire said of humanity 'we cannot endure the goodness of God'.
Good quote, Jenny B. I recall Ric Braithwaite in "To Sir With Love" relating that when he cut his finger (he being Afro-British) and it bled, one of the white students
remarking 'Blimey, red blood!' That guy really didn't know that an Afro person would have the same type! You never know what someone will come up with.
Quite true, Fr Peter. If the husband had been white and the bride black,the celebrant might have taken a different tone! 'What a thing is man', as Shakespeare once wrote.
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