The Bible and Racism?

There are times where we will come across people making the accusation that the bible is somehow racist. Then there are times where racists who claim to be Christian suggests the bible teaches racism. Both of these situations harm the faith, and are counterproductive to the Body of Messiah's goal. People who are uneducated in the scripture can become confused by these claims, and sometimes believe them based on the lies of the person teaching this untruth. Let us put this fable that Elohim is racist to bed......

Genesis 27:36 -Then he said, "Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing." And he said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?"

Throughout the centuries it seems that the firstborn son has received special honors in the family. Being the firstborn child might make some think they have an authority over their younger siblings. Perhaps in a way this is true, and the firstborns in most families are granted special favor. It is understood that Shem, Ham, and Japheth are the father's of the races. This is besides the fact that angelic blood has entered the human race further altering the races. It's taught that Shem is the Father of Asians, Ham Africans, and Japheth Europeans.

Genesis 5:32 - Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

This verse suggests Shem, Ham, and Japheth were triplets. Unless pregnancies were shorter pre-flood it is impossible for a man to have three children in the same year unless they are triplets. Of course Noah's wife could have given birth to twins at the beginning of the year then gotten pregnant right after and had another child at the end of the year. If this is the case there is nothing to suggest that's what happened. Theorizing Noah's three sons were triplets is more logical. As triplets none of them had authority of the other. And as the fathers of the races having no advantage gives reason to certain scripture such as

Acts 10:34-35 - Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that Elohim is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

Romans 2:11 - For there is no partiality with Elohim.

Nobody can say "the father of my race is the eldest of the roots of the people, and has the birthright making my race more favorable." Nobody who believes the scripture is the Word of Elohim can deny that people from all races will be saved.

Revelations 15:4 - "Who will not fear, O YHWH, and glorify Your Name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."

Even the Israel of antiquity can't make this claim of racial superiority.

Deuteronomy 9:5 - 6 - It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that YHWH your Elohim is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which YHWH swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that YHWH your Elohim is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people.

Although nephilim did survive the flood

Genesis 7:23 - Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. (There were water based mermen type nephilim). They were able to pollute the human gene pool thus altering the races, this angelic blood wouldn't count as something that would elevate a race with higher levels of this blood. Consider the Rephaim (who were probably descendants of the water based nephilim).

The argument that Elohim didn't allow Israel to marry pagans in the Old Testament isn't racist, and can be explained simply. Idol worship results in misfortune. Look how much Israel suffered from idol worship. Solomon's pagan wife was able to convince even him to bow to a disgusting abomination. It was the idols that caused the painful exiles. Yah didn't say anything about marrying a foreign woman who was a convert to the faith of Israel. It was meant to prohibit marrying pagans, and it wasn't about race. Why would Moses marry an Ethiopian?

Leviticus 19:18 - You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself I Am YHWH.

Luke 10:29 - But wishing to justify himself, he said to Yahushua who is my neighbor?

Luke 10:30 - 34 - Yahushua replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

Luke 10:36 - 37 " Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Yahushua said to him, "Go and do the same."

When considering this most famous of parables we should remember the Jewish Samaritan relationship at the time.

1 Timothy 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only Elohim be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

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FounderPermalink Reply by Cyprium on April 18, 2011 at 5:40pm

Unfortunately the Bible has been used (and abused) to support many irrational ideas, including racism. Normally when you see interpretations derived to support far flung ideas like this, the reasons can be traced a short way back to personal pride.

It often revolves around the idenitity of Israel versus that of gentiles when race is made an issue through bad biblical interpretation. Two things people don't want to deal with when they desire to "prove" the superiority of one group over another is 1... no one is any less in need of salvation than anyone else...you won't find anyone born into the kingdom of Heaven. 2... He chose out a nation to bring forth the Messiah so that Everyone could be blessed through Him. He did this For a world of sinners, not in spite of them.

Just one thing i wanted to bring to your attention (not that it's of huge importance)... are you certain on the lineages you mentioned for Shem, Ham and Japheth? For example; Shem is the father of the Hebrews, thus the Israelites, are they likely to be directly related to Asian peoples?

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Kindle on April 18, 2011 at 8:43pm

When I refer to "Asians" I am referring to most easterners including Semitic people's who inhabit parts of what is known as the middle east, and Asia minor. My usage of the word Asian is very general. I propose that Shem is the father of the east, and easterners share that common human lineage. Different angelic interventions throughout the "east" have altered the sons of Shem over the years culturally, and physically. That's why sons of Shem in China would have different physical features as the sons who live in Israel. Of course I am no expert on the subject, and this is the conclusion I have drawn with the information I currently have. If there are flaws in my understanding of Shem's lineage I welcome correction.

Proverbs 6:9 - How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

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FounderPermalink Reply by Cyprium on April 21, 2011 at 5:32pm

Consider the Ciniy (Sinites)...one of the tribes of Canaan as being the progenitors of the Chinese peoples. You are right in that the wide variations of physical features within Hamitic peoples makes sense to be traced to angelic interference.

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AdminPermalink Reply by Bean on April 28, 2011 at 5:58pm

'Unless pregnancies were shorter pre-flood' things that make you go hmmm =)

race and ethnicity are often equally exchanged in error.. this practice of improperly distinguishing people (nations) strictly by appearance is one which was first introduced by the enemy (in the same way as the theory of Evolution) in an effort to further confuse the Human Race, and is a topic that i agree should be explored through fact and logic.

race is determined by specific genetic compositions in the same way that species are determined within the plant and animal kingdoms. Although genetic make-up does determine visible traits (Phenotypes) such as skin color, genetics also determine non-visible traits (Genotypes) such as blood type.

there are three basic races (species) of people:

1)Human/Flesh

2)Angel/Spirit

3)Hybrids/ Flesh+Spirit.

Adam was the earthly/flesh father of the Human race. Shemyhaza was the celestial/spirit father of the mixed-race Hybrids . Inter-racial people in truth can only refer to Human+Angel hybrids. Noah was perfect in his generations - a genetically unmixed member of strictly the Human Race - when everyone around him had been genetically compromised by the mingling and manipulation done by the fallen spirits.

once two species (races) mix, the result is termed 'hybrid'. hybridization between the human race and the angelic race is what produced the Nephilim before and after the flood in both literal breeding as well as in laboratory manipulation and just like the days of Noah, these days the earth is loaded with mixed-race individuals as well.

all creation was made after its own 'kind' (species/race) (Gen. ch. 1-7) as in after it's own species/ race. and there are specific laws YHWH has given humans concerning mixing races.. primarily, that it is not done. interbreeding different species of animals is prohibited (Lev. 19:19) and interbreeding with fallen spirits is also prohibited - and much more disastrous (Gen 6:4,5 Jude 6,7)

often ethnicity deals on the surface with where a person is from.. but more precisely ethnic differences come from what genetics make up a person.. nations tend to be thought of in terms of where they are on the map but as we know, nations are actually made of individuals.. and nations, despite where they originate, tend to migrate, thus ethnicity of nations and individuals is more specifically defined by what genetic descent they are.

places are often named for individuals, as with the land of Canaan.. the people in that land were descendants of Canaan thus their ethnicity was Canaanite based upon their specific lineage, not necessarily their specific location. Ethnicity and Citizenry are often confused but an example of how this works properly is Paul.. Paul was an ethnic Benjamite but a resident of Rome, therefore making him Roman, as in a Roman citizen.

the Human species is a singular race with many ethnicities. Human/ Angel hybrids and other GMBs (Genetically modified beings) are equalized in Yahushua.. all sinners are sinners and all sinners need to be brought to repentance in Him and all sinners need salvation in Him.. whether they are Nephilim (human X angel) Shemite, Hamite or Japhethite, or some various Heinz 57 mixture of all of the above.. all sinners need salvation and it's good to know that, as you brought up, YHWH is not partial.. and we should be like Him and not be partial either.

Christians are often taught to hate the enemy.. even though scripture plainly states we are to love our enemy.. and we are often taught that we are better than the enemy.. even though scripture states that no one is good but Elohim.. we often believe it is OK to blame the enemy for our faults when we know that on the contrary, as it's written in Jer 17:9, our own hearts are deceitful above all things and from Mat 15:19 that out of our own hearts proceed sin.

clearing up the issues of real race and real ethnicity.. letting them be the simple things they are.. allows people to move forward and learn the realities and ramifications of how those conditions are used and shown in scripture.

no one who believes he is better than anyone else for any reason can truly be said to love. as the redeemed we are better off because of salvation, but we are no better than anyone else, saved or not.. 'no one is good except Elohim' (Mar 10:18) Pride is the root of the idea that anyone is better than anyone else, and it takes love for any other than ones self out of the equation.