This might shock you, the truth is...we will never eradicate racism 💔 or hatred on our own.
We need help! What mankind has tried, obviously hasn't worked. Humans have attempted to eradicate hate and prejudice without success. Governments have enacted laws, started wars, imprisoned some, people have protested, brave souls have spoken out for change and some have died doing so.
Here we are in the year 2020, amid a devastating global pandemic, and there's hatred. Well, there's always been hatred, let's be honest and face it.
People have been bullied or hated throughout history for many reasons, let's list the ways...
Your level of education.
The amount of money you do or don't have.
Your skin color.
The shade of your skin (within the same race).
Tribe.
Zip code.
Country you were born in.
The political party you identify with.
Gender.
Religion.
Height.
Weight.
Visible defect or handicap.
Don't northerners hate southerners within the same country?
The reasons for hating other people are endless...😯😢 Sorry if I left anyone out...
The world is divisive and people will use any excuse to hate others.
WHY? WHY? WHY?
I feel I have a satisfying answer to that. But before I give my personal opinion, I really want you to ask yourself, with all of the 'progress' mankind has made and the institutions in place to 'better us', why are we unable to solve the problem of hate and prejudice?
Why can't we all just get along?
If any of you have spent time with children, you might have noticed something extraordinary about them when it comes to how they "see" people. Very young children DO NOT "see" differences in people. I don't mean they literally don't see (they certainly notice differences) it's just not important to them. Follow the rules of play and you're in!
I have a 7 year old and we have many friends from various backgrounds and cultures. He loves our friend Brandon. Brandon spends time with my son, patiently teaching him music and technology. My son has commented on how he looks just like Brandon and that they have the same hair. It made me realize that my son took no note of his friend's skin color.
We also have a close friend whose son is autistic, my son saw he was different and yet he treats him with kindness and dignity.
Stop and think. We can learn a lot from children and their innocence. If children do not discriminate based on what they see, why do we? At what age does this change? Who changes that?
Do prejudice and intolerance begin at home with parents? 😯
Reality check! Parents, you have a HUMONGOUS responsibility to examine your beliefs and how your actions translate those beliefs to your children. Do an honest examination.
Here are some questions to consider:
How do I treat or talk about others, even when my children are not around?
Do I make jokes or sarcastic remarks at the expense of others?
Do I belittle people even in subtle ways?
Do I praise one group or nationality over another?
Am I accepting of differences or am I critical of others and how they do things?
Children have acute hypocrisy sensors and their little brains are recording everything adults do and say.
Who sets the standards for how we treat one another?
Who has the right to set the standard for how we treat and how we feel about others? Is it up to each one of us to set our own standards? Do we take cue from family, tradition, church, education or friends? I assure you, your answer matters, because those institutions are failing or have failed us.
What is the solution to overcoming hatred?
We will never conquer hatred or racism with laws, rules, books or protests. Why? Because hatred begins (is planted) in the heart! You cannot force or punish hate out of a heart.
You can pull a weed from a garden or throw pesticides on it but you cannot yank hate out of a heart!
A person has to do the work themselves to eradicate hate and in order to have a change of heart, they need deep, meaningful reasons to do so. Neither governments nor schools can give us those reasons.
The solution must be global and transcend time and culture to affect true change. The answer does not rely on our imperfect hearts. The education must come from a higher and more powerful source, who can hold us accountable for our behavior.
The Case for God and the Bible
We often say that education solves problems. I wholeheartedly agree! But only the right education can do that properly and effectively!
For education to be truly beneficial worldwide, it must be based on universal truths.
When I say education should be based on universal truths, I mean that the information must be valid, valuable and usable by everyone, everywhere. So, no matter what religion you are, no matter where you come from and regardless of your belief system, the education should benefit everyone.
I realize many don't believe in God or have stopped believing in a God. Everyone has the right to choose what they believe. Yet we all live by belief systems and each system carries its own set of consequences (good or bad) for which we are responsible for.
I strongly believe the universal truths found in the bible form the best education anyone can have. But you may be wondering, if the majority of people in the world are Christians, why do so many people still carry discrimination in their heart?
There are a few possible reasons for this:
They may lack an accurate understanding of God (what his will is for mankind).
They haven't worked hard enough to eradicate these problems from their heart.
They could lack self-awareness (think they aren't prejudice but really are).
The best education is a true understanding of the bible.
What Does the Bible Teach?
Have you ever wondered, how God feels about the rampant injustice and hatred in the world? Why is he being ignored in the world's discussions and even perhaps misrepresented by many institutions?
The worsening conditions in the world are proof that something is wrong (God's will is being ignored) and that the entire world is being influenced by the wrong person (the devil, whose sole purpose is to sabotage God's will).
I invite you to read my upcoming article with an open mind and discover how the bible can teaches us to love one another and to defeat hatred and racism forever!
I love this quote, generally attributed to Aristotle (though a search on the Internet says it's a misquote, ugh!!!). In any case, its message is valid.
Listen to others with an open mind.
It takes great skill to entertain thoughts different from your own, knowing you have the right and the ability to then make up your mind.
Action items...
Ask yourself: Am I harboring hate or subtle discriminations in my heart?
Trivia question: When God looks at the earth, how many races does he see?
Post your answer on Train of Truth's Facebook or Instagram page. 😀
Check back for part 2 of this article on how to defeat hate and racism.