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 Brian Knowles |
Brian Knowles, Bible Advocate Press, writes from Monrovia, CA. Scripture quotations were taken from the New International Version.
In this article, Brian Knowles makes the point that we naturally prefer to be with people who share our view and values, and we tend to discriminate against people who are not like us. This natural tendency can become problematic when we start to think of others as being inferior or when we do things that could harm others. Knowles says that racism denies the equality God granted all humans at creation.
"When it comes to intrinsic human worth, we are all utterly equal. There is no such thing as a master race. While the article is not written about religion, sexual orientation or gender identification, the principle applies there. There is no such thing as a superior sexual orientation or a superior gender identification. All humans, regardless of race, religion, tribe, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identification are equal. Religious convictions should not be used to justify hatred and discrimination. Sound religious beliefs promote love, not hatred and discrimination.
Racism with its attendant evils and abuses, continues to flourish because people with low values and great power make it happen. Racism, tribalism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and transphobia exist when people who have power choose to abuse that power and to take advantage of people who are weaker and more vulnerable members of society."
Racism is the idea that race determines culture and that some cultures, because of their racialinfluence, are inferior or superior to others. It is the notion that people of some races are intrinsically inferior to others. This notion is then used to justify the oppression and subjugation of the supposedly inferior race. Of course, these definitions are not entirely adequate. Races obviously have identifying characteristics; that's how we know they are races. Culture is not determined exclusively by race, however, but by an as-sortment of variables like climate, religion, politics, tradition, history, ethnicity, tribe, clan, leadership, geogra-phy, raw materials, and foods. Race, in fact, may have very little to do with the characteristics of a culture. Economic factors bear heav-ily on it, as do wars of conquest. Cultures are formed over time by a wide range of influencing factors. Bigotries In the same family of bigotries we find anti-Semitism and tribalism. Anti-Semitism is hostility toward, or prejudice against, Jews simply because they are Jews. Tribalism is akin to clannishness in which one's own group is favored over others, or at the expense of others. In recent years, we have seen attempted geno-cides in Africa based on tribal identity. Even people of the same religion, but of different races or tribes, per-secute each other. Bigotry is as old as humanity. We naturally prefer our own "kindQuot; to another kind that we have difficulty identifying with. Some years back, someone described loneliness as "a yearning for kind." Kind here is not used in the biblical sense of "after its kind." It means someone who is like us rather than unlike us. This "like-ness" can be based on race, language, ethnicity, gender, politics, religion, or other commonalities. We are simply more comfortable with people who view the world the way we view it and who share our values. Even Christians like to hang out with others of the same denomination. All of this is simply the way people are. We tend to discriminate for, not against, our own human type. A point exists, however, where our natural preference for commonality becomes harmful. That point is reached when a person is denied rights or opportunities because he or she is racially or ethnically inferior. At this point it is considered no longer an issue of comfort with one's own kind; it is committing or permitting harm to another human thought to be of an inferior kind. When people's race is used to justify their harm, we're talking racism and bigotry, pure and simple. This is unscriptural at every level. No follower of Christ can justify such racism on biblical, or any other, grounds. Throughout history racism has been one of the scourges of humanity. It has done enormous harm, snuffing out the potential of millions of human beings. Let us, therefore, consider the biblical view. Image and ancestors Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule . . ." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Every human being - both men and women, regardless of race - bears equally the image of God. In this sense, no one is inferior or superior. When it comes to intrinsic human worth, we are all utterly equal. There is no such thing as a "master race." All such notions are of the Devil, and they deserve to be plowed back into the deepest, darkest recesses of hell. A second thing we humans share is human ancestry. Eve was "the mother of all living" (3:20), just as Adam was, in the human sense, the father of all living. As Paul explained to the Athenian philosophers, "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live" (Acts 17:26). In ancient times God distributed the early population over the planet - our common heritage. We were given dominion over portions of the earth and over its myriad creatures. Collectively, the human race has a responsibility of stewardship for the planet. That responsibility includes how we treat each other. All of the human races came through Noah and his three sons and their wives. They, too, are common ancestors of us all. |
Being a neighbor Besides these scriptures, Jesus himself said something about interracial relations. In answer to the question "Who is my neighbor?" He shared the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). A man was victimized by robbers and left in a ditch to die. A priest and a Levite "passed by on the other side" rather than risk helping him. But a Samaritan took pity on the man, medicating and binding his wounds and providing for his long-term care. After telling the story, Jesus asked, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" (v. 36). A Torah scholar in the crowd replied correctly: "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus then instructed, "Go and do likewise" (v. 37). Being a neighbor, He said, involves more than physical proximity and feeling. We are neighbors in the way Christ taught when we meet the real needs of people regardless of race or ethnicity, political or financial status. Paul wrote, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up" (Romans 15:1, 2). Viewed on a global scale, Paul is saying what Jesus said, that it is the job of every Christian who can to build up, not tear down, those who are having difficulty - without regard to race or status. When we view others of any race and in any condition, we should first see in them the image of God. Dehumanizing Humans The global slave trade is one of the great scandals of the twenty-first century. Those who wish to research this subject further may read Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, by Kevin Bales. He writes, "Slavery is an obscenity. It is not just stealing someone's labor; it is the theft of an entire life. That sums it up. No human being has the right to steal another human life. Bales adds: There are more slaves alive today than all the people stolen from Africa in the time of the transatlantic slave trade. Put another way, today's slave population is greater than the population of Canada, and six times greater than the population of Israel. Though slavery officially ended in the United States on January 1, 1863, some 10,000 people in this country are still forced to work against their will under threat of violence. Roughly half of these work in pros-titution or the so-called sex industry. Nearly one-third are domestic workers, and one in ten labors in agricul-ture. Most of the victims of forced labor are from minorities - Chinese, Mexicans, and Vietnamese - but 38 different countries are represented in the forced labor market. Racism, with its attendant evils and abuses, continues to flourish because people with low values and great power make it happen. Racism, slavery, and "human trafficking" usually have an economic element. Those who force others to labor in their service without payment or personal freedom do not believe in the biblical principle "The worker deserves his wages" (1 Timothy 5:18). Racially based enslavement has as its basis the sin of covetousness. A close look at Exodus 20:17 may confirm this. Equality and Beauty When God looked upon the masterpiece of His creation - humanity - He saw that it was "very good" (Genesis 1:31). The writer of Ecclesiastes acknowledged, "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ec-clesiastes 3:11). Every race reflects the divine image. Each is uniquely beautiful. Each has its own aesthetic, its own giftings, and its own potential. God is not willing that any of us should ultimately perish. Jesus died for the Arab, the Asian, the African, and the white man. He did not sacrifice Himself for a tribe, a race, or an ethnicity but for every human being. Racism has no place in the heart or life of any Christian. It is our duty to lift man, not to denigrate him. We are all neighbors on planet Earth. We all share God's re-sources. We live under His watchful gaze. How we treat each other matters to God. |
| By: Don Butler, The Ottawa Citizen Published: February 2008
Senators told Lawyer, senator, union leader agree minorities are unwelcome. Justice Canada is a "very poisonous, toxic department" that drives visible minorities out the door, says a high-profile former Justice lawyer. Mark Persaud, who left Justice in 2003, told a Senate committee the atmosphere during the decade he worked there was rife with "overt racism and intimidation of employees." His testimony came on the heels of charges by a senator and the Public Service Alliance of Canada that racism is blocking visible minorities from being properly represented within the federal public service.
Nova Scotia Senator Donald Oliver asserts that racism is keeping visible minorities from progressing in the public service. The Public Service Commission recently revealed that the recruitment rate of visible minorities fell last year despite an increase in hiring overall. Nova Scotia Senator Donald Oliver, who is black, bluntly asserted at Monday night's Senate committee meeting that "it is racism that is preventing visible minorities from progressing in the public service." And Ed Cashman, a PSAC vice-president, told senators that racism is "the elephant in the room" that nobody in government wants to talk about. The Public Service Commission recently revealed that the recruitment rate of visible minorities fell last year despite an increase in hiring overall. Visible minorities now make up 8.6 per cent of federal employees, below their workplace representation of 10.4 per cent, based on the 2001 census. According to the Canada Public Service Agency, the representation of visible minorities in the public service has nearly doubled over the past decade. Between 2001 and 2006, their numbers expanded by almost 6,000, the agency says, bringing the total to more than 15,000. "We're still not meeting targets, but we have made improvements," Karen Ellis, the agency's head of workforce and workplace renewal, said in December. "I think there is a lot of goodwill there," Ms. Ellis said. "It's a matter of getting the focus and energy going and bringing it into the planning in a deliberate way from the start." Justice officials say they're doing better than most departments. Visible minorities represent 10.6 per cent of the department's 4,500-member workforce, including 231 visible minority lawyers. | But Mr. Persaud, who fled his native Guyana for Canada in 1983, said many visible minority lawyers aren't even called for an interview when they apply for Justice Canada jobs.
Mr. Persaud, now president and CEO of the Canadian International Peace Project, said visible minority lawyers he worked with left one by one in frustration. "The primary reason was we thought there were no proper opportunities as visible minorities for us to be promoted equitably and fairly," he told the Senate committee on human rights. Mr. Persaud, a former chairman of the Liberal party's committee on multiculturalism who defected to the Conservatives a year ago, conceded "things may have changed" since he left Justice in 2003. However, he said, two Justice staff members told him last week that about 10 visible minority lawyers had recently left the department. "I was told there is still a culture in there that creates a lot of unhappiness and is creating a problem in terms of retention." Mr. Oliver, a lifelong campaigner against racism who was appointed to the Senate by Brian Mulroney in 1990, made headlines in 2004 when he accused the public service of racism. Little has changed, he said yesterday. "For people to pretend that racism is not here and doesn't exist, it's ridiculous. It's time we started to be realistic. Once we face that realism, maybe then we can begin to resolve the problem." Visible minorities apply for government jobs in disproportionate numbers, and have better qualifications on average than white applicants, said Mr. Cashman. "Yet disproportionately, they don't get their fair share of jobs." Racism, he said, is the "primary explanation. We're a racist nation, and it's time we addressed that." Mr. Oliver and Mr. Cashman said the private sector has done a better job of recruiting visible minorities than the public service. In the banking industry, for example, visible minorities make up 22 per cent of the workforce, Mr. Cashman said. Jennifer Lynch, chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, seemed flummoxed by questions about the role racism plays in holding back visible minority applicants. But she told the committee the public service's corporate culture remains a barrier. "Far too often we have to lead employers reluctantly along the path of employment equity," she said. "Too often, departments see it as another burdensome requirement that has to be met." |
The Compact for Racial Justice
The Compact for Racial Justice is a proactive plan for fairness and unity in our communities, politics, the economy and the law. It offers concrete strategies and policy proposals to reverse racial disparities and move our society towards full equity, inclusion and dignity for all people. The Compact transcends talk of personal prejudice with compelling evidence of institutional racism and realistic, proactive solutions. It seeks to engage a broad base of activists, opinion leaders and policy makers in making government and powerful institutions accountable for eliminating racial inequality in our schools, hospitals, courtrooms and workplaces.
 An agenda for fairness and unity |
Doesn’t the presidential election prove that we are beyond race in America? The election represents an historic leap and a huge opportunity. The cultural significance of having a person of color hold the highest office has enormous symbolic value. But the real change has yet to come, nor is it guaranteed. Deep and long-standing racial disparities and divisions continue to permeate our society. But now, more than any time in our recent history, if we think and act boldly and swiftly we can use the heightened momentum and hope to truly dismantle structural racism. We cannot afford to complacently relish the afterglow. Now is the time to fight for equity and inclusion in all areas of society, including housing, healthcare, employment and education.
Why is there a focus on structural racism? Structural racism—the overarching system of racial hierarchy and inequality that routinely privileges whites and disadvantages people of color—profoundly affects most issues and institutions in the U.S. If we are serious about finding solutions to our racial issues, then we must address the historic underpinnings and root causes of racism. That means that our strategy for change must speak to the cultural norms and popular ideas that contribute to current racial inequities.
OK, but what can I do about it?
1. Read the Compact for Racial Justice
2. Sign the pledge for racial justice
3. Have your organization endorse the Compact
4. Spread the word to others in your community
5. Contact one of the Compact campaigns listed on the reference sheet
6. Check the Compact website for future updates, developments and action ideas at www.arc.org
Resources for Policy Action
Criminal Justice
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project firmly believes that citizen involvement in criminal justice reform is critical. We work closely with established community-based organizations to identify means by which local leaders can empower their neighbors in order to influence public policy.
Economy
The Racial Wealth Divide
The Racial Wealth Divide (RWD) program deepens the understanding about the historical and
contemporary barriers to wealth creation among communities of color. RWD highlights the importance of wealth and wealth-building strategies among communities struggling to attain economic equality. We develop and offer resources—such as workshops, publications, data, policy initiatives and community empowerment strategies—for community leaders, activists, organizations, media and the public at large. Our goal is to help create a network of people and groups who want to abolish the racial wealth divide.
The Center for Community Change
The Center for Community Change strengthens, connects and mobilizes grassroots groups to enhance their leadership, voice and power. We believe that vibrant community-based organizations, led by the people most affected by social and economic injustice, are key to putting an end to the failed "on your own" mentality of the right and building a new politics based on community values.
Green Economy
Green for All
Last year, Green For All and our allies helped ensure that the 2007 Energy Bill included two critical provisions: the Green Jobs Act and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. These programs are essential investments in green-collar job creation and job training, and will be fundamental to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. But they will only be implemented if Congress votes to fund them in the Appropriations Bill for 2009. Learn how you can get involved in building a green jobs movement at www.greenforall.org.
Want to change mandatory sentencing laws? Here’s how. The FAMM action center helps you
communicate with your elected lawmakers in Congress (the federal level) and in your state. Elected lawmakers have the power to reform harsh mandatory sentencing laws, but they must have your support—their constituent—to do so.
Healthcare Health Care for America Now! Health Care for America Now is a national grassroots campaign organizing millions of Americans to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for all. We are grounded in organizations that can mobilize people at work, at home, in their neighborhoods and online. Health Care for America Now has local groups supporting this campaign in 40 states. These local groups regularly hold protests and house parties, and canvass their neighborhood in support of health care for all. Contact your local group via email and tell them you are interested in volunteering!
Education The Schott Foundation The Schott Foundation for Public Education seeks to develop and strengthen a broad-based and representative movement to achieve fully funded, quality preK-12 public education. Justice Matters Institute www.justicematters.org Who should make the policies for our schools? Justice Matters believe that it should be students, families, communities of color, educators and other people who care about racial justice in schools. Get involved in making policy by telling us what you think and help us develop ideas for policies that will transform our schools.
Civil Rights The Advancement Project Advancement Project is a democracy and justice action group. Using law, public policy and strategic communications, we act in partnership with local communities to advance universal opportunity, equity and access for those left behind in America. National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights Created in response to recent federal court decisions that are eroding civil rights protections, the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights is a collection of more than one hundred civil rights organizations and numerous individuals who have joined together to ensure that the courts protect and preserve justice, fairness and opportunity for everyone. The Campaign focuses on public education and outreach, finding ways to get the message out about the impact of court rulings on our communities, our opportunities and our rights.
Biotechnology Generations Ahead Generations Ahead (formerly the Gender, Justice, and Human Genetics program of the Center for Genetics and Society) works with a base of social justice leaders and organizations to address the concerns raised by new human biotechnologies. The organization is building a national, multimovement coalition of membership organizations to inclusively advocate for socially just and responsible uses of reproductive and genetic technologies. Staff work with advocates for reproductive health rights and justice; human rights; disability rights; LGBTQI rights; and racial justice, as well as other constituencies, to frame and develop an intersectional, multimovement approach to address these issues.
Immigration The Accidental American The Accidental American calls for a bold new approach to immigration: a free international flow of labor to match globalization’s free flow of capital. After all, corporations are encouraged to move anywhere in the world so they can maximize their earnings. A discussion guide and other resource links are included at this website.
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a national organization composed of local coalitions and immigrant, refugee, community, religious, civil rights and labor organizations and activists working to promote a just immigration and refugee policy in the United States and to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status.
