Interracial Marriage and Racism

Genesis1:26"Then God said, " Let Us make man in Our image,according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth".

A touchy topic with many still today is the issue of racism and especially interracial marriage. I did this as a topic to one of our Bible studies we have at work every day during lunch. I always wondered what the Biblical view was on interracial marriage , so I sought the Good Book for the answers. Lets look at a verse on racism first.

Acts 10:34-35 "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him"

Peter pretty much lays it down here as clear as one can get. God does not show favoritism, He even instructs us to not do it in James and other letters. Notice it doesn't say here that God shows no partiality except to blacks or Latinos or whites. This would be the perfect verse to slip it into if God felt that way, don't you think? It's not here because God is not a racist, as we saw in Genesis 1:26, God created us in His image and likeness. I said in a comment to Random thoughts of an idle mind that I will not be one to mock God's craftmanship and tell Him He messed up by creating one color or nationality of people. You may be bold to do such a thing, but I'm gonna have to pass on that. Now the Son of God did come as a Jewish man, and all the Jews I know are white, but we have to understand that the Jews were Gods chosen people from the beginning, to bring and preach salvation to all the peoples. They failed in a sense as we see throughout the whole bible through doubt and unbelief. The Gentiles were believing while the Jews clung to works and the Law, of which still is the case with orthodox Jews today, but that is an entirely different subject for another day.

I have had MANY people throw Exodus 34:15-16 as a verse they say means that God wants us "to stick to our own kind". They always throw in right before that that they are not racists. Well to those not familiar with the Israelites coming out of Egypt and their wandering around in search of the promised land, let me break it down as quick and simple as I can. The Israelites were saved from Egyptian captivity by God through Moses as His servant. They were a very stubborn and unfaithful people even after many miracles they saw such as the Red sea parting, as well as others. God gave them many commands to keep them on the straight and narrow so to speak. Well in theses two verses He gives this command (to the Israelites) Exodus 34:15-16 "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same."

They are commanded to "stick to their own", so all those people were half right, however it had nothing to do with skin color. It simply says why, they will lead their sons into worshiping the pagan gods and not the one true God whom rescued them from captivity in Egypt to take them to the promised land. Please don't ever try to make the Bible say something it does not, that is why we have so much separation and denominations out there these days. Read what it says and "interpret" it by what it says, rather then grasping at straws to make it say what fits your agenda.

1 Corinthians 7:39 "A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives: but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord."

So a wife is to remain faithful (as is the husband of course gentleman) to her husband as long as he lives. But if he dies she can remarry anyone she wishes if it's in the Lord. In the Lord? Christian + Christian = In the Lord. I noticed it also does not say anything here about except if hes black, Latino, white, etc.. This too would be a perfect verse to slide that into if it was the inspired view of God. God tells us all He wants us to do and what is well pleasing to Him. It nowhere says God hates any people because of the color He created them. It does say things like God Hates sin and that the greatest commandment is;Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus said to him" You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

If Jesus was racist He would have most assuredly said here to love our neighbor as ourselves unless he's black or white or Latino etc... He doesn't, He says love your neighbor as yourself. Our neighbors are not just the people on the street , God's vision is much bigger than the people on your block. He wants you to love all people no matter if they are white, black, Latino, crippled, rich, poor, stinky, well groomed, well mannered, funny, odd, and on and on. We may all be different in one way or the other, but the blood of Jesus was red for all. Remember the skeleton man and muscle man back in science class? Its funny that the teacher didn't have to tell us what color the person was, it didn't matter because we are all the same on the inside. When God comes into your life, that's where He is, on the inside. I hope that we all knew that racism is wrong and that people can marry whomever they may choose if they have God's blessing, Him being the central part of the couple's lives.

My prayer to all out there is that we can overcome such silly conflicts as racism and see all people with the love and respect that is pleasing and glorifying to our Creator Whom created us all in His image. Let us do all we can to reflect the life and teachings of our Saviour Jesus Christ
With love and prayers always.
C.