Poisonous Prejudice

"POISONOUS PREJUDICE"

I [Paul] charge you before God...that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.[1]

There is a disease that transcends every socioeconomic, political, and even religious class in the world. It is a virtual virus that tears away the thin fabric of an already degenerating world system.  It is something so horrendous that countless lives have been debilitated in wars for centuries to stop its beating heart. It is so cleverly cataclysmic that most people have no idea that they are infected with it. In fact, to say that every person that walks this earth today is contaminated with this malady would be an understatement. It even affects those with the best of intentions and its force is undeniably prevalent in the world today. Its symptoms are filled with the pride of partiality, the root of this dastardly and devastating disease. It is a vile pandemic penetrating our society without palpable ante venom. This sickening condition is the illness of Prejudice.

            Before I delve into this subject, let me say that I understand that most people will not want to read an article with subject matter so seemingly uninteresting and confrontational. There is, however, something that must be said. Prejudging someone is a sin (James 2:3,9). If we claim to want to walk closer to the Lord, it would benefit us to gain the mind of Christ regarding the very races, ethnicities, classes, and various other groups that He made (John 1:1-2; Job 34:19).  After all, when we stand in front of the pearly gates of heaven all races, tribes and tongues-every social, political and demographic class will be there, whether we approve of it or not (Rev. 5:9). In fact, based on the Bible, prejudice people (sinners) will not be let in (Rev. 21:7). If that is so, we should be determined to flush out this poisonous toxin that permeates the veins of so many people-perhaps even yourself. If you are not interested in walking closer to Jesus Christ, or one day walking the streets of gold in heaven, then simply file this paper in the nearest trash receptacle. If, however, you want to strengthen your attitude toward different races, religious groups, and even the Bible, then read on and challenge yourself to examine every area of your life.

            God was very specific when He said not to show partiality or respect to a particular person or class of people. We would do well to observe these commands:

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Leviticus 19:15 KJV

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. James 2:3, 9 KJV

MANY FACETS OF PREJUDICE

            When someone hears the term "prejudice" they automatically think of partiality toward a specific race. While that is indeed a very valid nuance of the word, it does not, by any means, exhaust the term completely. Prejudice can be found in several arenas; a few are listed below:

• Socioeconomic Prejudice (prejudice involving income, education, occupation and community status).
• Gender Prejudice (preference of gender).
• Hermeneutical Prejudice (prejudging Scripture).
• Racial Prejudice (preference of race or ethnicity).
• Religious Prejudice (prejudice attitude toward other religions).
• Appearance Prejudice (preference toward fat, skinny, tall, short, people etc.).
• God Prejudice (being prejudice toward God)

The World Book Dictionary defines prejudice as "an opinion formed without taking the time and care to judge fairly. It defines partiality, a synonym of prejudice as "a favoring of one more than another or others; particular liking; fondness; preference; bent; favoritism; bias. The Webster's Dictionary offers a slightly different definition: a judgment or opinion formed before the facts are known; preconceived idea; suspicion, intolerance, or hatred of other races, creeds, religions, occupations, etc. I define prejudice as this: Reacting negatively (whether in the mind or manifestly) with an uneducated and unsubstantiated exploit against a person, place, or thing without having sufficient evidence to back up the belief that propelled the reaction.

Prejudice is nothing more than judging something before all the pertinent evidence can be collected to draw an educated conclusion. The word prejudice is made up of two essential words, "pre" and "judge"-literally to condemn a person (or in the case of hermeneutical prejudice, a thing) to whatever you believe at the onset without any other evidence, if there is actually any evidence at all.

A prejudice person essentially believes a lie-and all lies are from the pit of hell. What's worse, all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8). There is a quote that I like from Irenaeous of Lyons that should be converted to include prejudice: "[Prejudice] never shows itself in its naked reality in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly so that the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than truth itself."  All Christians must be determined to make a concerted effort to cleanse themselves from this atrocious disease.

THE VERY FIRST PREJUDICE

The very first idea of a prejudicial mindset can be found in the opening chapters of the Bible with Adam and Eve and then also with Cain an Abel. Prejudice involves the instilment of an untruth at some point in the partial person's mind toward what ever they are being partial. When the devil came to Eve and placed doubt in her mind against God, provoking her to presuppose on God, he was planting the seed of prejudice. She based her reaction upon very little facts, and came to believe Satan rather than God and her husband. The devil had prompted a "God prejudice" in her mind. He was insinuating that God was keeping some good thing from her. Eve did not get all the facts and went on mere emotions succumbing to the temptation. Adam followed shortly after. It was because of this sin of pride that Adam and Eve murdered perfection for all humanity. No longer could individuals walk on this earth perfectly-they had the disease of sin passed on to them by the first humans on this earth.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:1-6 KJV

Another murder occurred in the Bible shortly after the introduction of Adam and Eve. It was their offspring, Cain and Abel-brothers of the infamous first family. At some point Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain and Cain gained a prejudice mindset against his own brother and even God. He misjudged severely and killed his own brother because of it. This was the first mention of a religious prejudice (Gen. 4:1-15). Abel had offered a pleasing sacrifice to God and Cain's was refused. Cain thought that he could make his way acceptable by erasing Abel's form of worship altogether by eliminating his brother from the picture altogether. This is precisely what most religious wars are about today. Yes, prejudice is a sin that must be conquered.

RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE

It should be understood that prejudices are learned. No one comes across another individual and dislikes them based solely on what they see. For example, no one picks up a Bible and draws an anti-Semitic worldview for the Jewish people thinking that they murdered Jesus. This is something that is taught. It is a learned worldview that was implemented into them at a specific time. It is a belief that has been surrendered to illogical thinking based solely on what someone told them were true without any real evidence. It is one thing to have faith to believe in something good and perfect like God, but to believe a "bad" statement about someone else at the inception without investigating it shows a lack of education and maturity. In Mark 9:38-41, John came to Jesus and told Him about "someone" who was casting out demons but was not a direct follower of their inner group. John proceeded to tell Jesus that he had "forbade" this person from doing such because he was not in the "right" group. In this small passage John brings up the sin of being religiously prejudice. He was under the impression that Jesus' direct group were the only ones that should be doing this type of ministry-especially using Jesus' name in the process. But read what Jesus tells John:

Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. Mark 9:39, 40 NKJV

            Jesus was forbidding sectarianism or denominationalism-to the point that someone should forbid another from doing the work of the Lord. There are certainly two extremes today concerning this prejudice. The first is to condemn other ministries for doing a work for the Lord because it is slightly different than what someone might be accustomed, similar to what John was doing.  The second extreme is to not say anything at all when a religious group claims that they know a way to heaven outside Jesus Christ or teaching something that is blatantly misconstrued from biblical Christianity. Also, if some group is not walking or teaching solid biblical doctrine with the redemptive work of Christ as its core message, their preaching is futile. Many churches have "good, inspiring messages" but without Christ it is empty nonsense-little more than pop psychology. There are several "Christian Lite" ministers that won't dare to mention Jesus' name, or even words like sin or repentance. One of these churches personally invited me to speak at a small inter-denominational study group, but I had to decline because they said I could not use Jesus' name. Many of these purported ministries have compromised the true message of Christianity and are creating "feel-good" zombies that are unknowingly walking straight to the pit of hell ignoring the smell of burning flesh the entire way.

Many Christians, in their attempts not to be what they call "unloving" have purposely suppressed the role of the prophet in the church (Eze. 3).  They believe that because these plastic preachers have a "Reverend" in front of their name that they should not come against the fallacies that pump out of it like the last gas station standing after a nuclear war.  These men and women have been so abused by spiritual authority that they would never dare to speak out against these malignant ministries-not even in prayer. Many will say things like, "But this minister is doing such a good work; I heard the other day that someone found God through that ministry. I know not everything they say is right, but God is using them." This is a deplorable and prejudice statement against none other than God Himself. To presume upon God is a sin. The reality of the matter is that when people make statements like this they assume that God actually needs the particular person in question to get the "job" done. But God, my friend, needs no one. If we don't praise Him the very rocks will cry out (Luke 19:40). If kings don't obey God, He'll get a new king that will (1 Sam. 16:13-14). I would venture to say that God does not need a minister that has compromised their message just to get a few people saved in their pitiful process-if they truly are saved-but that is another topic that I will leave alone.

 A good case in study of religious prejudice is the Nazi regime under Adolph Hitler. Many do not know that Hitler was actually influenced by the reformer Martin Luther. Martin Luther is, of course, the outspoken minister who brought the church as a whole out of a very dark period in its history, but he was by no means perfect. He believed and taught, even writing a book, that Jewish people were a "base whoring people, that is, no people of God, and their boasting of lineage, circumcision, and law must be accounted as filth...[the Jews] are full of devil's feces...which they wallow in like swine...their synagogue and schools should be set on fire...homes razed...money confiscated...they...should be shown no mercy or kindness...[and] we are at fault for not slaying them." [2] Luther's ideology was corrupted because he still accepted and maintained the traditional Catholic position that the Jews were evil for murdering Jesus on the cross.[3] It is hard to believe that this is the same man who began Protestantism (protesting the Catholic position on indulgences, abusive control over its parishioners, political agendas, and other unscrupulous and unbiblical viewpoints). Its even harder to believe that he had a theology degree. Actually, many people that I have spoken to with theology degrees misunderstand much of the Bible-and I'm sure they think the same about me. Luther misunderstood that Jesus went to the cross of His own accord and that He laid down His life willingly so a holy God would be satisfied with a perfect substitute for imperfect sinners like Martin Luther and all humanity. When someone murders another they destroy that person's life against their will. Jesus, however, volunteered for the cross. He had to go willingly to show the greatest act of love ever given for humanity. No one took His life from Him. This was and still is a misconception taught among many churches. Sadly, Adolph Hitler, like Martin Luther, never bothered to examine the biblical evidence for themselves and so became some of the most debased bigots to ever live. This Prejudice had seeped into their very soul and contaminated their whole being. Please understand that I do not believe that Hitler and Luther are at the same position on man's moral scale. I believe Luther was slightly worse. He was a minister. He was responsible for leading the people into a greater revelation of Jesus Christ; and while he did do some incredible things for Christianity, he also helped produce one of the most violent, murderous and hateful machines this world has ever known-the Nazi Regime. Hitler praised Luther and even ordered the mass production of his book, On the Jews and Their Lies that he used to substantiate his sadistic and detestable schema.  Both these men were prejudice sinners that needed a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. John 10:17-18 NKJV

            If these powerful and influential men had read this one scripture they would have erased all of their preconceived notions concerning God's chosen people, the Jews. In fact, had the majority of Nazi's and the German people read the Bible they would not have followed such a ruthless and depraved leader right to the very depths of hell. They would have revolted against him-just like Great Britain and the United States-because they would have known the truth and would have seen through one of the most hedonistic men to ever walk the earth. 

Religious prejudices have been the cause of more wars, more murder, more hate, and more discrimination than any other reason. If people could see this in themselves when it is happening they would be appalled. What is even more amazing is that all of this hatred and often violence stems from one religious group claiming that they understand God more than another. This is the incontrovertible difference between having a religion of God and having a relationship with God. One breeds contention and controversy, the other breeds compassion and the desire for a clean conscience.

 I can personally attest to the fact that religious prejudice is alive and well today. I have been severely criticized by employers, seminary students, pastors and even extended family members for embracing some facets of what they consider to be the Charismatic Movement; although the parts that I believe are not "Charismatic," but "Biblematic"-truths straight from the Bible that should not be ignored nor reasoned away. Charismatics, however, are not the only ones that are discriminated against. Actually, in recent years, the Charismatics have begun to fight back, but not in a biblical way. Instead of praying, they are caught up in the same revolting actions of those who discriminated them-they even go as far as saying things like "you must speak in tongues to get to heaven." Truly, religious prejudice is still flourishing in the church.

One parable in the Bible that Jesus spoke of illustrates the problem of religious prejudice very well. He taught a spiritual lesson where a man was traveling along the road when all of a sudden he was robbed, stripped of his clothing and beaten to within inches of his very life (Luke 10:25-37). Then Jesus shares something almost inconceivable. He said that a priest, a Jewish holy man, had come by this same way by chance, but when he saw the man who was close to being dead he moved to the other side of the road and passed right by. Another man, a Levite-the tribe chosen to produce the priests, did the same also. Finally, a Samaritan, a person despised of by Jews, came by and took care of the man, bandaging him and even took him to an inn where he could heal.

I won't get into the particulars of why the Jews despised the Samaritans since I have covered that in other papers, but the main point is that a man was near dead and the people who should have helped the most, didn't help at all. When it came down to it, the person that they thought would have finished him off actually helped him the most-in fact, had it not been for the despised Samaritan the man would have surely died. What is the moral of this parable? That sometimes the most spiritual are actually the most partial and unloving. The Pharisees of Jesus' time was the epitome of religious prejudice. They believed that they had the absolute understanding in the law and the way God existed and conducted His dealings with humanity. They were mostly wrong.

Even today, Christians get caught up in religious prejudice. I hear comments all the time about a person's pride in claiming a certain church over another. Phrases like, "I am a ______, or I go to such and such church."  I have even been guilty of this myself. Just recently, I had a conversation with a certain church leader who had called me to inquire about starting a bookstore in his church. At that time, I was working as a general manager for an independent Christian bookstore and he knew that I could point him in the right direction. When I inquired about what type of books he was interested in carrying he immediately tuned me out and wouldn't stop talking about and seemingly praising a particular minister he was infatuated with whose books he wanted to carry.  He even claimed that this minister was the "real deal" because of his supernatural claims of seeing angels of fire ministering to him on a daily basis. This bothered me greatly because I knew this person was inflicted with religious prejudice and he had the potential to influence so many. I didn't say anything to him right away because I was concerned that I would step out of line and injure our relationship so that he would never be able to receive from me again. After our conversation I went home and prayed about it. Long story short, I sent him an email with this admonishment:

As Christians, sometimes we get caught up seeking others' experiences and longing for that in our own life. What I have discovered is the more I spent time in God's Word reading God's revelation to man, the more I encountered outrageous experiences with Him-experiences so intimate they should not be shared. I often think about Paul when he was caught up into the third heaven (2 Cor. 12)-God's abode-and how he declared his own visions and experience with God "not lawful for a man to speak." When those times come, it is like a closed bedroom experience with a spouse-no one else is or should be included. That is why I worry about every new fangled book that seeks to illustrate someone's new "encounter" with God; and, yes, they line the shelves of many independent bookstores. I try to challenge every person I come in contact with to seek their own relationship with God as if they were marrying a foreigner from another country. If I was in love with a foreign woman I would want to find out every detail that I could about her; her family, her likes, her dislikes, everything! If we claim that we have an intimate relationship with God how much more should we be seeking who He is and what He is like; and this only comes from reading God's revelation of Himself-as much as He desires to tell us-in His love letter to us, the Bible. Many other side revelations are either too intimate to be shared or becomes borderline cultic-although, this is not always the case.

 ...I encourage you to use your influence to impact the lives of others around you to seek Jesus Christ with all their heart by getting into the Word of God and through personal prayer. I have had much more revelation using concordances, topical bibles, manners & customs books, encyclopedias, dictionaries and other tools that support the reading of the Bible than I ever had from books written by others for a profit. If all the books that are available today in the Charismatic market are that life changing they should be posted without hesitation on the Internet for everyone to read. After all, if God inspired them to write it, surely He can inspire me to read it-and it shouldn't involve money.  The reference books that I listed above are not books that you pick up and read through to read about someone else's so-called experiences with God; they simply aid the Bible student in reflecting on the very nature of God to facilitate a greater vertical fellowship with Jesus Christ.  My only desire in helping the church start a book area is to get this point across. Much of the media outlets in Christianity have been "secularized" for profit with no real goal of encouraging the Body of Christ to grow deeper in God's will. I could even tell you insider information concerning the manifold Bible translations (120 English translations and counting, and the 2000 people groups with no translation into their native tongue) and the self-centered publishers that are only concerned with monetary gain. But some things are better left unsaid...

As Christians, we must not get caught up in the trap of religious prejudice and thinking that one minister has more of the Holy Spirit than another. In my experience there are two different types of ministers: those who read their Bible and those who do not. Those who read the Word have and are having genuine encounters with the Lord; they are baptized in the Holy Spirit because they have read about it and have not prejudged the scriptures based on what someone told them was true or false-something I will cover later in this paper. You will always know the ones who read the Word-I can pick them out any day of the week, no spiritual discernment necessary. Concerning religious prejudice, one popular saying goes like this: In the essentials unity, in non-essential liberty, in all things love. If we can remember this we will erase any potential problem that might arise.

[God] is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; for they are all the work of His hands. Job 34:19 NKJV

RACIAL PREJUDICE

Shall I dispose racism?

A task easier undertook, absent my white vocabulary,

 If being black wasn't scary to an ignorant mind.[4]

The most common example of prejudice is undoubtedly racial. When people hear the word prejudice they immediately think of a person's skin tone or ethnicity and some form of discrimination against that particular group. This form of prejudice is actually found in the Bible as well. Moses, who married an Ethiopian woman, probably darker in skin complexion, was taking heat from even his own sister because of who he had married.

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. Numbers 12:1 NKJV

            When this story is read in context, it is clear that Miriam had an issue with Moses because he married a woman who was from a different region and with a different skin color. Because of this partiality, God actually turned Miriam's skin color to a super pale white-leprous in fact. Because she had a problem with Zipporah's skin color and ethnicity, God allowed Miriam to be inflicted with a skin disease. God was trying to show Miriam the diseased condition of her own sinfully prejudice heart toward Zipporah.  God essentially said that she spit in his face when she didn't accept Zipporah (Num. 12:14).

            Recently, someone asked me where all the races and skin colors came from and I could only speculate. I did some research and came across a great article from Dr. Morris from the Institute of Creation Research:

Genetically speaking, the differences between the various races are extremely small... The most noticeable difference is in skin color, but the fact is, we are all the same color; some people just have a little more of that color than others. Skin shade is due to the amount of a substance called melanin in the skin; the more melanin, the darker the skin. Racially mixed individuals can parent children who are all the way from quite dark to quite light, or anywhere in between. The predominant shade for freely interbreeding individuals would be brown.[5]

Basically, what Dr. Morris is inferring is that Adam and Eve were probably racially mixed with a brown, Middle Eastern, skin tone. Because of this, they had the ability to produce offspring with a black, white or brown color. Other ethnic characteristics, according to Morris, were either suppressed or supported by the environment in which they live or lived.[6]

It is actually very idiotic to base a prejudice on someone's skin color. After all, the life of the flesh is in the blood and everyone has red blood. God has made, from one blood, all nations of men (Acts 17:26). In fact, a person's body is not even the eternal part of them that will live on forever. The person's spirit is the real man, but that is for another writing (Pro. 20:27)).  I think a gold miner could teach people a lesson or two about the disingenuousness of appearances. If a miner simply prejudged the quality of a rock on its outer shell or covering, he would be out of a job. Discovering gold nuggets require work-he must chip away the outer substance to reveal the real beauty within. The same is especially true of people.

Recently, a friend of mine, a former Pakistani Muslim convert to Christianity, shared a very interesting story of his experience on the terrible day of infamy in American history-September 11, 2001. He told me that he was delivering medical equipment to a local business owned by what he calls a non-extremist Muslim. What he said next shocked me and awakened me to the truth of Islam, this so-called "peaceful" religion. He told me that as soon as he dropped off the equipment he was greeted by the Muslim owner with a warm embrace followed by this remark, "Ahh, we have had a great victory today. Islam has had a great victory. Finally, America will begin to bow to Islam. This was a great day, wasn't it?"  What this Muslim man did not know was that he was speaking to a Muslim convert to Christianity.  My friend looked down in disgust and told him that he was no longer a Muslim.  He told him about his conversion and the conversation quickly went sour.  After a brief witness to the man, he told my friend that he was brainwashed and confused and finally told him to get out of his store. This Muslim man simply looked at the color of skin and heard the accent of my Pakistani friend and prejudged him to be a Muslim. He had another thing coming. I think that most people will understand from reading this that contrary to popular opinion, Islam is not a religion of peace-that does not mean, however that Christians should prejudge, belittle or spawn a hatred toward these people. My statement about Islam not being a religion of peace is a general statement that is backed up by a former Muslim that is now a Christian; it is also supported by reading the many verses in the Qur'an (Muslim holy book) that talk about killing infidels (unbelievers) wherever they are found. The main point is, as Christians, we are to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world-that includes Muslims (Mark 16). Jesus said to love those who hate you, turn the other cheek to those who hit you and to live peaceably with ALL MEN. Mohammad, on the other hand, said to slay infidels (Christians and Jews) wherever they are found (Repentance 9:4-7 Qu'ran-Penguin Classics 1974). One of these religious leaders was prejudice.

As Christians, we should be the ones setting the proper example realizing that one day we will be in heaven with every tribe, tongue and kindred. One man said, "We better learn to get along down here because we will be with them forever up there." I would like to share a short poem, called Scrape Me Clean, about the importance of overcoming racial prejudice:

Red and yellow,

Black and white.

We are precious in His sight.

When we were young.

It's been a while-hasn't it?

When this song was real and we accepted it.

What happened to the children?

When did the hate find you?

When did it gravitate to your soul?

I remember-your heart of a child.

But now any love vacates your being.

Where are the children?

Red and yellow,

Black and white.

Hated colors.

But below the surface are we not all the same?

We all deserve part blame.

We all bleed red.

While your daggered cuts of hate

    Continue to penetrate the souls

        Of those whose skin you've vowed

             To scrape off-just remember,

                  Below the surface-he is you!

Your hate scrapes me clean.

[Note: God is not white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, or otherwise. God is a Spirit and Jesus Christ walked this earth as an olive-skinned (light brown) man from Nazareth; furthermore God is light-I John 1:5. Light emits all colors].[7]

HERMENEUTICAL PREJUDICE

            This prejudice is quite possibly one of the most dangerous. When someone misconstrues the Scriptures making them say what they want they can actually take other people to hell with them because people are, like Jesus said, sheep-followers of anyone who will give them food and water regardless of whether it is contaminated or not.

            Hermeneutical prejudice is taking a scripture out of context and making it say what you want, or believing the verse without researching what it really means. The process of hermeneutics is actually very extensive and I could not begin to cover all that is necessary in making a correct observation when reading and studying the Bible in an article like this. I was going to refrain from sharing this next segment because I have written about it before, but it is so necessary that people know what they really believe and study the Bible, if at all possible, by purging any preconceived notions:

 Many people within a religious or church community claim that they have a basic doctrinal belief pattern or system.  That is, they believe a certain teaching or set of teachings within their multi-faceted religion and hold these ideas, or dare I say theories, as absolute truth.  However, this supposed belief system is comprised of a world view that is presupposed based solely on what someone told them was true, or by merely catching these preconceptions from the society in which they surround themselves.

A true belief system can only be claimed by those individuals who have enough understanding to weigh the evidence for themselves by laying aside preconceived notions to determine truth based on a preponderance of evidentiary findings and allowing that alone to be the paramount judicature...

Moreover, a real belief system is constructed only when you set aside previous theories, misconceptions, and Brother Tom's Sunday School dissertation, and collect the evidence like a good detective to determine what is truth, what is half-truth and what is flat out lies from Satan's domain.[8]

            While I was researching the content of this article, I came across a web site on the Internet that actually exemplifies a person's misconception of the Scriptures. Read this next portion very carefully; this is the problem with believing someone that misconstrues Scripture to their own benefit-in this case, to mask their blatant sin.

An inclusive Christian is one who takes seriously the teaching of Jesus, "Do not judge so that you may not be judged." (Matthew 7:1) The majority of Christians have come to believe quite the opposite, some of these are church leaders. These Christians have decided that it is perfectly appropriate to judge others, but usually only for certain practices or beliefs that they have decided are contrary to God's will. Thus the Church has often allowed prejudice to become rampant and even dominant in its philosophy of life. Inclusive Christians are those who strive to be accepting and non-judgmental toward others.

Most of organized Christianity has come to exclude certain people...because they are attracted to someone of the same gender. Christianity has been presented as a heterosexual, nuclear family and wealthy religion. Inclusive Christians know that this is not the Christianity that Jesus proclaimed and taught. It is not the message of the Bible.

Some of organized Christianity has begun to change. Multi-racial churches are becoming more common and the poor are beginning to get more notice in some ways. However, homosexuals ...are still treated like second-class Christians. These churches have grown enough not to deny these groups all of the sacraments, but they continue to deny them some of the sacraments... A homosexual cannot marry the person of the same gender he or she is in love with. A homosexual is denied Holy Orders, and often denied simple pastoral care. Yet these same churches welcome gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to come and worship, and give their money, but not to be totally included into the Body of Christ.

Inclusive Christians are those who understand and promote the concept of complete acceptance and love that the Gospel is all about. We are Christians who fight prejudice because of race, economic status, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, familial status, or for any other reason, believing in giving all of the Sacraments to all of the people.

            First, prejudice has nothing to do with sin. What the Bible says is sin is just that-sin. Sin is simply rebellion against God and His will. If God hates sin (notice that I said sin not the sinner), that means a Christian should come to hate those very things as well; this is a part of true repentance (2 Cor. 7:11).  The man quoted in the above article is very misguided. Notice that he says Christians should not judge, because Jesus said that we are not to judge. Matthew 7:1 is often quoted in defense of non-judging by people who have not truly read their Bible. The fact of the matter is, this is usually quoted when people are confronted by their own sin. This is what I call, "Bible Ammo;" weapons for retaliation when the heat gets hot. The Bible clearly says to judge anyone who calls themselves a Christians who is involved in anything that is against God's will; and, yes, homosexuality is high on that list (1 Cor. 5; Rom. 1:28). The reason God allows Christians to judge other self-professing Christians is for the simple fact that association with sinners will actually cause their rebellion to rub off on us if we are not careful. Think about an earthly father for a moment. Would a father want his children to hang out with other drug using, violence prone, sexually immoral, children? Surely the answer to this question would be a resounding NO!  The same is true with our heavenly Father. When Jesus refers to judging, He is not saying that we cannot judge sin according to the Bible. He is saying not to judge out of our own definition of sin. For example: To say that a person is going to hell because they drink one glass of wine is judging out of our own definition of sin because it is not mentioned in the Bible. To tell a young person that Christian rap music will secure their position in hell is to judge outside of the Bible, and this is what Jesus was referring to when He said not to judge.

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. John 7:24 NKJV

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:3 NKJV

            Any student of the Bible, any Christian, should take the time to understand the proper rules of interpreting Scripture; this is necessary to have a solid understanding of God, doctrine, sin, salvation and many other biblical concepts. Without a firm grasp on hermeneutics, a person can become about as solid as Jell-OÔ.  Christians must know how to properly interpret Scripture, which begins by reading it, so every philosophical thinker, sin approving junkie, misguided theologian, or the homosexual saturated in sin cannot persuade and draw us into believing something that God disapproves. 

SOCIOECONOMIC PREJUDICE

            Socioeconomic prejudice is prejudging someone based on their social class, education, income, occupation or community standing. Even Jesus was socially pre-judged because He was supposed to be little more than the "carpenter's son."[9] This sin is so common that the American system of government shows partiality toward different social classes and minorities when it is time to hand out scholarships and other perks.

            I have had many encounters with socioeconomic prejudice. I remember a certain minister that wanted nothing to do with me until he found out where I attended Bible College. Before he found out my educational standing he simply judged me in ignorance. But when he found out where I went to Bible school, regardless of my current spiritual standing, he wanted to hear everything I had to say. He was prejudging me based on my education-or where I attended school. I have had similar encounters regarding my social standing, occupation and income. I remember a local minister almost bowing to my parents because they gave several hundreds of dollars to the church every Sunday-they were blessed and wanted to be a blessing. This, however, went directly to the pastor's head and he began to show partiality toward them. This is directly forbidden in the Bible.

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. James 2:3, 9 KJV

            I have watched several people treat others in low paying job positions like they were second-class citizens. They might treat a worker at Wal-Mart this way, but they would never think of speaking to a physician, lawyer or a CEO of a large corporation with such disrespect. This is socioeconomic prejudice. All humanity must remember that Jesus said that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."[10]

 Some of the greatest Christian men and women down through the centuries would be considered nothing to write home about. Some were mere illiterate plumbers who transformed and reformed the ranks of Christianity; others were farmers who brought a fresh understanding of the Scriptures. While many were merely poor peasant farmers and simpletons, we all owe a great deal of respect for their contribution to Christianity. Prejudice robs everyone of the beauty of differences. If everyone were the same it would be a very boring world; if all the trees, houses and animals looked exactly alike it would drive us all crazy. Embrace the differences and thank God for them.

There is one last element that I want to share concerning socioeconomic prejudice. For years I have wondered how so many people have been enticed into thinking that the theory of evolution is actually true. The problem stems from a socioeconomic prejudice.

Many colleges pride themselves on having some of the most top-notch professors in the country in their respective fields-science included. Students attend these schools, paying thousands of dollars every year to have what they call, a quality education. But are they really getting quality? In America, people prejudge others based on very little information. One of the main facets is how much education someone has. If a college professor has a masters degree or higher, they most likely will not be questioned as to the authenticity of what they are teaching. This is prejudice; and this is why evolution has seeped into the hearts and minds of many intelligent individuals. If someone stood on the street corner spewing out his theories of evolution, no one would stand there and listen for very long. They would immediately think that he was a lunatic-or at best the mad professor who was just kicked out of some college for his insane experiments. The point is, prejudice is very common when it comes to education. Educational institutions teach these things because there is no way to teach faith in God-faith cannot be understood with the intellect. Actually, an extreme faith is necessary for evolution since no hard evidence can be procured. This is why so many dollars are spent researching the most unprovable theory ever developed.[11] These colleges do not teach evolution, just like Bible colleges do not teach God. Both require faith. Colleges teach the "theories of" evolution.  If more people would challenge their teachers and ask for evidence, clearing up many inconsistencies, these far-fetched theories would not make it past the school bell. If I knew this information when I was in high school or my first year in college I would have asked some serious questions regarding the misconception of evolution. Below is a sample of some of the questions I might ask:

1.      According to science, the second Law of Thermodynamics involves entropy, or bondage to decay. This simply means that everything in the world is getting worse. It's like a G.P.A. (grade point average); the first time you get a B or lower on an assignment you can never obtain a perfect G.P.A. ever again. The same is true in regards to entropy and every thing in the world. Because this is true, how can evolution even be considered as a reality? Evolution theorizes that things are getting better. One of these concepts is wrong. Isn't it amazing that modern science actually supports and teaches both?

2.      I would ask what evidence actually led the proponents of evolution to believe this theory over special creation. When the average person is asked they cannot provide a logical answer. Usually they refer back to the "scholar" that instructed them in school.

3.      I would ask, "Where did that come from?" Many instructors of evolution will build their case around one particular theory; for example, we evolved from some primordial soup; or that we evolved from a fish; or after the Big Bang, etc. The problem for them should be ex nihilo-creation of something out of nothing-something that is only taught in the Bible. In questioning a evolutionist always go one step beyond the theory. If the instructor tries to say we came from monkeys, ask where the monkeys came from. If he says a soup, then ask where the soup came from. If he says it came from planets exploding, ask where the planets came from. If he says it was as a result of an explosion in space, ask him what caused the explosion-or where space came from. What was there to explode? What was the catalyst for the explosion? When he gives you more "somethings" keep backtracking until he gets stumped; he will, right before he gets real angry at the questions.

4.      If evolution is true, then why are the theories always evolving? One century evolutionists taught that we came from fish, then monkeys, then a soup, etc., etc. The Bible has never been changed and nothing is more logical than special creation.

5.      In evolution, what first developed in the first evolved creature? Was it a mouth? Maybe it was a stomach. If the mouth evolved first, how did it digest the food. When did it evolve an appetite or the ability to actually seek out and eat food?

6.      In the first evolved creature, when, and why did it produce a male and female? If it was a male, why the necessity of a female. When did it produce male or female parts and why did the male or female parts not cease to exist-in other words, why are they still around? Why would a creature want to reproduce? Aren't too many mouths a problem when survival is of the utmost importance?

7.      Where are the transitional forms, the fossils that show how one creature slowly evolved into another? For example, there should at least be one fossil form where humans are progressively less hunched over like in the man-made pictures. [12]

8.      Finally, why I am I paying a college thousands of dollars for a doctor of biology to beat around the bush concerning the unproven theory of evolution?

There is one principle that had been interlaced throughout the entirety of this article-to not accept anything without evidence. The simplest way to remember this is to think of a child. A child always asks, "Why?" If we learn to ask "why" concerning biblical matters, evolution, etc., much of the misunderstandings will be cleared away. If a teacher, minister, priest, etc. does not want you to ask a question concerning the topic then they have no right to be teaching it. Always receive like a child.

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. Mark 10:15 NKJV

GENDER PREJUDICE

            I understand that there are still many areas of the church that are plagued by prejudice, and gender partiality is by no means exempt. I am not at all a proponent of the Women's Liberation Movement because I believe that it caused much harm to society. In fact, just about everything that is evil in the world increased in percentage shortly after the movement began (1970's).[13] This is probably as the result of women leaving the home and leaving another person or even the state to raise their children. As Christians, it is our job to realize that God has made a "help meet" for every man (Gen. 2:18). I personally don't believe that a woman should be a senior pastor, in the head position-but then again, I don't believe that a man should be a pastor without a woman co-pastor. There are some things that a man cannot handle in the congregation; there are certain woman issues that are best handled by another woman-and let's face it, today many men are short on compassion-something women seem to have in abundance. Some of the seeming problems in the Bible can be cleared away if extremist positions are nullified. I tend to take the middle of the road on many issues in the Bible that pose serious problems even for Bible scholars. For example, I believe, and the Bible supports, both a freewill and predestination (Josh. 24:15; Rom. 8:29). I believe this one scripture should be sufficed for this subtopic on gender prejudice.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 KJV

GOD PREJUDICE

            This last prejudice is one that is very detrimental if it is not overcome. Some people have a prejudice toward God thinking that He has it out for them because of adverse events or certain circumstances in their life. Others have been hurt by people in the church and they automatically connect that hurt to God.[14] Some have been hit hard with disease or accidents and they blame God because they have not been told otherwise, nor do they read God's Word to find out what it says concerning their situation.

            I believe that ultimately people who do have a God prejudice do so because it is easier to blame Him than to take responsibility for the own life and circumstances. There are very few people who have had tragic events take place where they were completely innocent in it. Sadly, for these people, it will be an even more tragic event to get to heaven and have God waive them off to hell; a place where the pain in this life is not even a small glimpse into an eternity of burning flames and the same reverberating thoughts that will constantly say, "You could have accepted Jesus on this day, and that day, and that day, and that day, and that day..." It will be a very sad to know that a person prejudged or presumed upon God something that He never did-or worse-to blame God for something they thought was bad when all the while God was protecting them from something worse. In another article I wrote, I asked this question: If you were walking on the road to hell and a piece of debris fell from the sky cutting off your legs so you could never walk again-and moreover would not be able to travel the path to hell-would that be a "bad" thing? Sometimes we blame God because we only understand based on emotions and experiences, and the current experience tells us that it hurts. God, however, knows the end before you were ever created (Rev. 21:6). All He asks is that we place our faith in Him to keep us from the ultimate danger, hell. God does not want to hurt you, He loves you and desires a relationship with you.

CONCLUSION

            Prejudice is a disease; that much is undeniable. There is, however, a cure. At the base of prejudice is a word that is hidden within it-P-R-I-D-E. Often our pride keeps us from seeking the truth-a truth that will liberate us from the snare of prejudice and the grip of the enemy. Often, pride persuades a person to segregate from others with a callous reasoning that the individual or group is not good enough, educated enough, green enough, rich enough, skinny enough, etc., to be in "our" group. This is a prideful attitude. It limits relationships on a purely superficial level. If you ask me, I wouldn't want to be in that group anyway. People want attention and respect so much that they are willing to bow to the devil's tactics. Satan wants people to hate one another. He wants us to presume upon God and read the Bible, or not read it at all, with a prejudice and partiality that keeps us in bondage from ever seeing the truth. He knows that if we ever come to the knowledge of the truth that we will forever be set free and we will want others to be free just as we are. I like how Dr. Lester Sumrall summarizes the steps toward a freedom from prejudice:

A.     Recognize that you have prejudice

B.     Confess it to God.

C.     Do the opposite of your prejudice. It will correct itself.

D.     Love thy neighbor as thyself, without prejudice.

This formula seems overly simple, and it is. Sometimes, as Christians, we make things so complicated that no one could ever find real freedom if they put all their energy into it and gave 100% of their money as a tithe to the church (that's a joke). Dr. Sumrall simply says to know that you have a partiality and to confess it as sin to God. He then says to do the exact opposite of your prejudice. If you have hate toward blacks, then purposely reach out to blacks in your community. If you find yourself believing something about God that you have never read in the Bible for yourself, then start looking for the scriptures that make or break the theory. Finally, do all things in love. Why are we really trying to overcome prejudice? Is it for us, so we can go to heaven? Or are we genuinely concerned with that person's soul that we decide to reach out to all humanity-regardless of whether their skin offends our tainted optical receptors? Only one of the above questions involves love. Actually, they both involve love, but only one is a self-less, God type of love. Above all, we must remember that one of serpent's poisons is the sin of prejudice. I pray that we all find total freedom from this paralyzing poison.

YOUR POISON

Keep that veil over your face.

   That's what I like.

I've given you this shame,

    Befitting what I wanted you to become.

I have so many slaves.

   So many occupations, temptations to choose.

          What's your poison?

You racist.

   You molester.

       You addict.

          You slut.

Don't ever forget your title.

You're the whore I'm married to and I'll never let you leave.

How do you feel now?

Contradict me with your self-inspiring deceits.

You keep telling yourself you matter-I laugh, doubled over.

You even think God loves you,

    But you're a lost failure, and...

I live through your poison.

Maybe you didn't hear me.

I live through your poison.

Keep searching for this so called destiny.

Anything you do will be in vain.

Your purpose has already drowned in your pathetic cries-you'll never amount.

ALL LIES.

Don't you know that Satan has lied to you?

Held you captive from the beginning.

   Your eyes have been singed by his ulterior motives.

Don't give in to his control.

   Beyond the darkness is a sunrise.

         Freedom is knocking.

Look into the serpent's eyes and shatter the lies with God's truth.

Don't allow him to identify you.

   He lives for it.

Do you not understand?

   He lives through your poison.

[1] 1 Timothy 5:21

[2] Luther, Martin. On the Jews and Their Lies, 154, 167, 229, cited in Michael, Robert. Holy Hatred: Christianity, Antisemitism, and the Holocaust. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p. 111.

[3] Theologian Lederer again writes that "what seemed to exacerbate the rift between the Jews of the first century and Christians to a point of no return was the accusation of 'deicide,' that by conspiring with the Romans to crucify Jesus, the Jews who did not embrace the prophesied Messiah had actually killed God on earth" (Lederer).The charge of killing God wasn't levied solely against those Jews who were alive in Christ's time, but against the entire Jewish race for all time. Sister Pista quotes the early Catholic theologian Chrysostom (344-407) as setting up the most murderous rationale for genocide. For their alleged deicide, the Jewish people's fate in being butchered was forever justified. For this crime there is "no expiation possible, no indulgence, no pardon"; their "odious assassination of Christ" had brought this fate on them.

[4] A portion of a poem that I have written called, Skin Disease.

[5] www.icr.org/article/1062/-

[6] Ibid.

[7] www.phy6.org/stargaze/sun4spec.htm (black is necessary to understand light).

[8] Smith, Scott. Originally published on http://www.thebcalumni.com/ Ó2007.

[9] Mark 6

[10] Luke 14:11.

[11] Sir Arthur Keith, in writing the forward to Darwin's Origin of Species (100th edition), says that evolution is unproved and unprovable. The only reason he believes it is because special creation is unthinkable.

[12] Comfort, Ray. School of Biblical Evangelism. (Gainesville, FL. Bridge-Logos Publishers Ó2004) p. 445.

[13] www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

[14] God is not the one at fault, neither is the church; it is the people that caused the problem.