Onto racism. I find racism very, very similar to pseudoscience, especially when we add their "scientific" methods of justification. I was highly amused the other day when I found out that Nick Griffin was allowed to go on Question Time. Despite the controvesy it caused, I was pleased that the program seemed to be a whole hearted dismissal of the BNP and Nick Griffin was proven to be a smug, lying pompous idiot with the knowledge of a peanut and the honesty of a wanted paedophile. I found the hour program had been posted on Youtube here (my apologies for the racist comments that may be on the comment pages of these videos):
Besides this, I was also amused when I found that Nick Griffin stated that true British people are those that can trace their line back 1700 years! As far as I am aware, I can only trace my grandmother's side back to 12th Century (thanks to an extensive piece of research on a very obscure surname) and my surname to the Scandinavian/Norman roots. With comments like this, it is no wonder why the BNP will probably slip back into insignificance again after that scenario.
And for those that wish to have their dose of true pseudoscience, here is this week's RaptureReady poster with how the world looks as old as it is:
Ok y'all stay with me.The thread is here however, you need to be signed up to see.....
For this Experiment you will need: a Bible, one brand new sheet of paper, bowl full of water, hair dryer, blue,yellow, gray, and brown crayons, a lighter, and a pen
Look at the sheet of paper, note that it is brand new.
Step 1: Open Bible to Gen 1 and read verses 1-5
Step 2: Using pen draw a circle on the sheet of paper and label it earth
Step 3: read Gen 1:6-13
Step 4: using crayons draw clouds, water, land, grass, plants, and trees
Step 5: Read Gen 1:14-19
Step 6: Using crayons draw the sun, moon, and stars
Step 7: read Gen 1:20-23
Step 8: Using the pen draw fish in the water and birds in the air
Step 9: Read Gen 1:24-31
Step 10: Using pen draw cows, spiders, and a cat or dog. Then draw two people and label them Adam and Eve.
Step 11: Sit back and look at picture. See how wonderful and perfect it looks?
Step 12: Read Gen 3
Step 13: Using pen draw a snake
SIN has entered the world
Step 14: Crumple your picture and straighten it back out. Do this 10 times. It doesnt look so brand new now does it?
Step 15: Read Gen 6&7
Step 16: Throw picture into bowl of water, crumple and straighten it out
Step 17: Read Gen 8:1-14
Step 18: Using hair dryer, dry your picture compleatly. Your picture is looking a little worse for wear.
Step 19: repeat step 14
Step 20: Using lighter burn hole in middle of picture and quickly put it out.
(I SAID THE PAPER NOT THE HOUSE!!! call fire dept! )
Step 21: Repeat step 14
WOW!! Your picture doesnt look new anymore. Its only a few minutes old!!! But because of it being crumpled and straightend, drenched in water, being blow dried, and set on fire, your drawing looks like it could be 100 years old.
God created the Earth 6,000 years ago. But because of SIN, a flood, earthquakes, and volcanoes it only LOOKS 4.5 Billion years old.
Now look at your Bible. Look at how new it is. Did you know that the words of the New Testament are about 2,000 years old? The Old Testament is even older than that! How cool is that? God can take something so old and make it brand new!
Posts
Racism begins with our families, parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents, people we admire, respect and love.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as we grow and mature we come to the realization that what we were told by our family when we were children were slanted lies base on their prejudices. We realize that most people are like ourselves and not so different and want the same things, like a home, steady work, a Medicare plan and schools for our children (if you travel you will see this). We realize that most people are of good hearts and goodwill.
This reminds me of a parable from the good book where a Levite and Priest come upon a man who fell among thieves and they both individually passed by and didn’t stop to help him.
Finally a man of another race came by, he got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy and got down with the injured man, administered first aid, and helped the man in need.
Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his fellow man.
You see, the Levite and the Priest were afraid, they asked themselves, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”
That’s the question before us. The question is not, “If I stop to help our fellow man (immigrant) in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help our fellow man, what will happen to him or her?” That’s the question.
This current climate of blaming others for our woes is not new. We have had this before and we have conquered it.
Remember “Evil flourishes when good men (and women) do nothing”. Raise your voices with those of us who believe we are equal and we can win this battle again.
I'm sorry but whilst some people around you may have roots in your family and especially the close knit community that distrusts outsiders as you describe, this is not the root cause. It is a fear and mistrust of new things, of wanting to blame problems on others.
ReplyDeleteLooking at your Bible reference, I'll show you another part, in Genesis which refers to the Curse of Ham, which has been well-documented as an excuse for racism (see Genesis 9:20-27 and Numbers 12) by Jewish and Christian writers. Last time I checked, according to the Bible, this is being racist to a branch of your own family!
If we look at Nick Griffin he stirs up hatred of the unknown, those "foreigners" coming here and taking our jobs, simply because those that complain about this are often those that are too lazy to make the effort.
People often fear different things, a great example is creationism, often these people fear Evolution because they can't cope with a different viewpoint to life. That is more the problem that racism poses. Whilst fear and distrust can certainly be inherited and I agree with the principle of the parable you cite, it was the fact someone was different often causes them to be singled out.
Racism is often bullying under a different name. Not much to it.