One of the biggest issues at the time of the writing of the New
Testament was one that is still prevalent today: the problem of
prejudice. James, who wrote in about 60 A.D., asked how it is
possible to call yourself a Christian and be prejudiced at the same
time (James 2:1).
One of the biggest issues at the time of the writing of the New Testament was one that is still prevalent today: the problem of prejudice. James, who wrote in about 60 A.D., asked how it is possible to call yourself a Christian and be prejudiced at the same time (James 2:1).
The same question could well be asked today. For the next few weeks we will look at one of my pet peeves, “ism’s.” Ism’s come in all shapes, sizes and colors: there’s racism, sexism, ageism and many more. Perhaps the best place to start would be by identifying the major kinds of isms and considering our response to them.
First, there is discrimination on the basis of appearance. Are you drawn to people who look good and repelled by those who don’t? If you see me around town during the week, you will quickly realize that I subscribe to the Gilda Radnor theory of dress: “I make my fashion choices based on what doesn’t itch.” How important is appearance to you? Some of us wouldn’t be caught dead in something less than a Neiman-Marcus, while others of us are completely happy with Kman-Martus.
Ancestry is a second area where prejudice often rears its ugly head. Do you find yourself predisposed to judge someone by their race, color, or ethnic background? Do you tend to stereotype people because of their ancestry? Do you find yourself thinking, “He’s a (fill-in-the-blank), I know exactly what he’s like…” Not only is this inaccurate; it is also deeply offensive to God.
I once heard the story of a black man who attempted to join a church in the South and was refused membership because of the bigotry of the congregation. When he brought this to the pastor’s attention, he was told to “pray about it.”
A few weeks later the pastor ran into the man and asked if he had prayed about getting into the church. “Yes,” said the man, “and God told me, ‘I understand your frustration, I’ve been trying to get into that same church for 20 years myself!'”
A third area of discrimination is sex. Women are often discriminated against in the workplace, political arena, church, and even the home. While God created men and women to have different roles, this does not mean that men and women are not equals. Men have abused biblical teachings far too long in this area, and we all need to carefully examine this issue.
A fourth area of discrimination is age. We live in a culture that worships youth. Ageism (coupled with sexism) has led to many of our greatest women actors being unable to get decent movie roles.
On the other hand, the input from “generation next” is considered irrelevant by those in power because the youth are “too young to know anything.” How quickly my generation (who came to maturity in the sixties) has forgotten how frustrated we were when that same prejudice was aimed at us. I wonder whatever happened to “do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
Prejudice based on achievements is another common area. How we love winners; we flock to the latest media-hyped darlings of entertainment, politics or business. But we avoid losers like the plague. And have you noticed how quickly someone can go from hero to a zero? Our motto is “what have you done for me lately?”
A sixth kind of prejudice is based on affluence: treating people with wealth and power with more respect than those who are less affluent. When you were a kid, did you find yourself being extra-nice to that rich aunt and uncle? When you meet a celebrity, do you find yourself stumbling over your words? When you run into a homeless person, are you callous or rude, unwilling to give him or her your attention and respect? Most of us respond pretty predictably in such situations, and God is not pleased. Why? More on that next week.
