What does your faith say and do to promote race unity?

[CG Didymus]

Every person who holds a position or view has something to say about the opposing view. Its not just the Baha’is but part of human nature.

Let’s focus instead on points of agreement and that which unites us. The is plenty of common ground for us to share and enable us to work towards the betterment of all.

Yes, that's what more people should be doing... Being the peacemakers. But sometimes it's necessary to point out differences in beliefs... like the belief that one religion thinks it is better than the others. And then, we, too easily, move away from finding the things we all have in common and focus on arguing about those differences. But those differences are words on a piece of paper that each religion believes to be The Truth. How can we stop arguing about that? But race unity? There is no way to keep justifying it. It is wrong and time to be gone.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Building better relationships between peoples of different races has always been an essential part of my faith (Baha’i). The process of race unity accelerated greatly when it was established in North America near the end of the nineteenth century.

As I grew up in a cosmopolitan city I naturally spent a great deal of time round people of different cultures and ethnicities. Working in medicine attracted a racially diverse work force and I eventually married someone from a very different culture and ethnicity.

Currently I’m part of a very multicultural faith community and our community works with our countries police force to sponsor the race unity speech awards each year. The writings of the Baha’i Faith see race unity as an essential element of creating peace in the world. The history of our faith wherever its been established as always had challenges bringing those ideals to fruition. Sometimes the Baha’is have fallen far short of the ideals promoted by the examples of our leaders.

I know that most other faiths these days place an enormous emphasis on not only overcoming racism but race unity as well. I thought it would be timely to hear each other’s stories about the challenges, successes and opportunities for building race unity whether personally or as part of a faith community. So a few questions to get us started:

How important is race unity to you and why?

How important is it to your faith community?

What are some of the steps you or your faith community have taken to foster race unity?

Has your faith community been racist in the past and had to overcome prejudice?

If your faith has scriptures, what do they have to say about race relations?

Any other comments?

Thanks for dropping by.

Jews have a long and well established history of being involved in the civil rights movement.

 

[The Anointed]

My faith says that I love God with all my body, with all my soul and with all my mind, and to love my neighbor, whether black, white, or brindle, as myself, and do only to my neighbor that which I would have done unto myself..

 

[ajay0]

As per the Prajapita Brahmakumaris, all human beings are eternal souls in bodies, and children of the one God Shiva, also known as Jehovah, Allah and Ahura Mazda in other religions. Thus all souls are brother souls, and are children of God.

Due to the principle of reincarnation, the same human being reincarnate in different religions, races, countries, genders and so on , and thus all such traits such as religious identity, racial identity,gender identity and national identity are all temporary and superficial.

What actually counts is the original identity as an eternal soul who is a child of the Supreme Soul Shiva and a brother to all other souls.

The Prajapita Brahmakumaris is the world's only spiritual organization led, administered and taught by women and they have teaching centres in almost every country in the world, where they teach 7 day courses on their philosophy and meditation techniques free of cost.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

I found an article about an Australian JW sister’s life experience that touches a little on this subject....she was an Aborigine.....

My Love for the Earth Will Be Satisfied Forever — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

(For those who don’t want to read the entire story, the relevant part is under the sub-heading “Made to Feel Welcome”)

 

[CG Didymus]

Building better relationships between peoples of different races has always been an essential part of my faith (Baha’i).

As Baha'is say, there is only one race the human race. But culturally people are so very different. Like a lot of the integrating into the American culture wasn't necessarily something that was all that positive. We have the break down of the family, a very materialistic and consumeristic society, and a very strongly independent attitude... which leans toward not trusting others. And others are anyone who is not like us. And can be anybody. Right now lots of Americans don't trust Middle-Easterners, socialists, definitely not communists, and unfortunately, these past couple of years, some Americans still consider some dark-skinned people as "others" and don't want them here. And that ties in with what people have done to the Jews.

Jews have a long and well established history of being involved in the civil rights movement.

When the people of the world stops hating, blaming and wanting to get rid of Jews, then we'll really be getting somewhere. And since it is not because of the color of their skin, there are deeper things going on here. Why? Why are they still going on? The U.S. sent a boat load of Jews back to Europe. How many died? The U.S. just last year turned away Central American refugees. How of them died? The world is not one. People have their piece of it and don't want anyone else in to mess things up. Can religion fix that?

 

[Dawnofhope]

As Baha'is say, there is only one race the human race. But culturally people are so very different. Like a lot of the integrating into the American culture wasn't necessarily something that was all that positive. We have the break down of the family, a very materialistic and consumeristic society, and a very strongly independent attitude... which leans toward not trusting others. And others are anyone who is not like us. And can be anybody. Right now lots of Americans don't trust Middle-Easterners, socialists, definitely not communists, and unfortunately, these past couple of years, some Americans still consider some dark-skinned people as "others" and don't want them here. And that ties in with what people have done to the Jews.

These are all consequences of globalisation and modernity. Consider the accelerating changes that have taken place since the nineteenth century.

1/ Human's are living longer with much better health.
2/ Levels of education have dramatically increased with basic education universally established.
3/ Levels of prosperity overall have increased dramatically.
4/ The means of communicating with people across the globe have improved dramatically.
5/ Travel and migration have increased.

So we have the opportunity to have much more contact with people from different cultures, races and religions if that's what we want. With materialism we do have access to technologies that have greatly improved the quality of our lives. With these changes we are much greater awareness of poverty, inequality, racism and religious prejudice.

Urgent needs for humanity include establishing better means of cooperating to manage the environment and shared resources, seeing ourselves as one people. Obviously there is an increase in the forces that would divide us including nationalism, racism and extreme political ideologies.

The best means to ensure we are on the right side of history is to become aligned with communities and organisations that are genuinely promoting the values and skills needed to negotiate the challenges of our modern world.