The Prejudice Problem

In America, we are blessed with many freedoms and rights. It is no wonder that many left their own countries to find new lives on America’s promising shores. As time has gone by, many good things have occurred, securing those rights so that everyone in America can live free prosperous lives. Jokingly known as ‘The Great Melting Pot’, people of all nationalities make their homes here in hopes of living better lives.

While there has been great progress, not all is as wonderful as you would like to think. Major issues plague our nation, one of them being prejudice. Prejudice is a form of prejudging a person before you even know them, and it is a very dangerous fault we all deal with to some degree. Whether we think about it or not, we all deal with prejudice…we tend to ‘judge a book by its cover’, a dangerous thing to do. When you have so many people from different nationalities living together, it is easy to misunderstand or be misunderstood. Cultures can vary majorly between ethnic groups, leading to distrust and even fear. Many times in history this has occurred, sometimes leading to vile deeds and inhuman treatment. Prejudice is dangerous, and it must not be overlooked.

Even though the differences between cultures can be huge, that does not give any reason to treat others wrongfully. I admit, I have fallen under prejudice before, judging others because of how they looked, talked, or acted around others. Who am I to judge another? How do I not know they are judging me? Do you like it when someone prejudges you? I sure don’t! People are so quick to judge, reacting first and thinking later, leading to many problems we deal with on a regular basis. Humans fear what they cannot understand, and prejudice is an ugly reaction we would do well to rid ourselves of. Prejudice, along with bullying, has infiltrated our schools causing pain and lack of self-confidence.

You will always find a child or young adult asking the age old question, “Why am I here? What worth am I?” Many suicides could be stopped if we reached out to these and showed them love. You see, love breaks all cultural and ethnical boundaries, shatters all forms of bondage, and gives hope and comfort to the lost. Instead of immediately judging, we should think about what we are about to do. Are our thoughts right? Are we being fair? If not, then we should consider changing our view of that person. You never know what someone else may be dealing with or going through, and your words can either damage them more or give them a glimpse of hope.

It is your decision, as well as mine, and we must choose wisely.
           

Misunderstandings lead to trouble, and so do prejudgments. Basing your opinion on somebody because of certain attributes is wrong, it does not give them a fair chance. Prejudice is running rampant across our nation, and it is up to us to stop it. You may say, ‘that’s all nice, but how do you stop prejudice? Isn’t it always going to be here?’ or ask ‘Why can’t we all just get along?’, and those are all good questions. Why is it so hard to get along? How come we can’t live together in peace without racial hate and distrust?

First things first, let’s address the race issue. I am certain you have heard the different cultural groups referred to as ‘races’. It is quite common wording that is often heard and used, but is it correct? In the animal kingdom, there is a difference between the word ‘species’ and the word ‘kind’. For example, when the word species is used to describe the cat breed, it refers to the different sorts of cats that exist in the feline family. When the word kind is used, it is referring to that specific sort of animal. There are many variations in the feline species producing lots of different cats, but there is only one cat kind. This may not seem to have anything to do with the race issue, but in fact it does. God created man in His own image, separated and different from the animals. There are not different races of humans, there is only one race. As it says in 1 Samuel 16:7, In God’s eyes we’re all one race. God does not look at outer appearances, He looks at the heart. So when you hear someone talk about the ‘White race’, ‘Black race’, or ‘Hispanic race’, they are wrong. Whether you are white, black, red, yellow, or purple you are a human being. One race, period.

Another issue commonly heard today is tolerance. Many groups speak of intolerance, shouting that they should be treated equal. Equality is marred when prejudice gets in the way. For years people have believed that there are different races of people, leading to thoughts of superiority. One of the best examples of this is in World War II when Hitler spoke of his ‘superior race’ destined to rule above all others. These beliefs led to the murder of millions, all because of an evolutionary mindset, racial hate, and plain nasty deception. Even though this is very wrong, tolerance also can be dangerous. Those who cry tolerance are the most intolerant of them all. We are all one race, and we are all equal! There are no better words to describe this than those of our Declaration of Independence.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

When these famous words were penned, they were inspired by the Word of God. Many scriptures can be found in the Bible speaking of equality, and prejudice is clearly spoken as being wrong.

So let's get to the root of the problem...why do we deal with prejudice? If you believe that the Word of God is true, the answer is easily acquired. Even if you don't, let's take a moment to look at prejudice through a Christian perspective. When God created the world, everything was good. There was no violence, death, and pain. When man sinned, darkness fell on creation, altering and corrupting it. We must understand that we live in a fallen world, and it was never intended to be this way. Problems such as prejudice exist because of the sinful nature of man. Sin is an ugly thing. All the violence, greed, murder, and horrors of the world exist because of man's decision to disobey God. It may sound hopeless, but that is when God's plan of redemption became reality through Jesus Christ. 

Jesus died on the cross for every sin that had ever been committed in the past and the future. If you think about it, that's a lot! There have been many attempts to stop prejudice but the only way it will ever be truly stopped is when we live Christian lives and walk according to the Word of God. It points back to the beginning when man sinned and fell short. In His mercy, Jesus saved us. Yes, we still deal with sin because of our fallen nature, but through Christ we are restored.  

Prejudice is a terrible thing, but it will be stopped. When Jesus returns to right all wrongs, all the darkness in the universe will not be able to lift a finger against Him. When you think in this mindset, you can look prejudice in the eye and be victorious! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and we can overcome prejudice by living our lives according to His Word.