Vol. 11 No. 2 – October, 2013

Racial Prejudice & Human Suffering

Gilbert Alexander

Prejudice is a judgment or opinion formed before one knows all the facts or such an opinion held in spite of the facts. It often involves suspicion, intolerance, and hatred. Sometimes it favors a person or thing without reason, and sometimes it opposes a person or thing without reason. Racial prejudice and religious prejudice are two of the deepest kinds of prejudice, sometimes affecting behavior to the point of insult, mistreatment, and violence.

Racial prejudice has interfered with the carrying of the gospel to some peoples of the world. The Jews’ mistaken evaluation of the Gentiles caused some to stumble at the right of all people to hear the Gospel of Christ. Paul encountered much opposition from the Jews for his work among the Gentiles. Peter was called in question for associating with the household of Cornelius, and on one occasion he separated himself from the Gentile brethren because of some of the Jewish brethren coming down from Jerusalem to Antioch (Gal. 2:11-16). (I recall when I first  started out preaching, I held tent meetings where I mainly taught black people. Some of the white people of the community were very agitated by what I was trying to do, and they tried in many ways to intimidate me and those who were meeting with me. Some years later, I determined to go the Nigeria, West Africa to preach to the black people of that land. In trying to raise the necessary funds for such work, some were heard to say that we did not need to go to preach to the black people, while there were so many  white people in this country that still had not heard the gospel. This was said, even though more than ninety percent of gospel preachers were in the USA and the great majority of people, both white and black, lived in other countries.) (JWS)

Racial prejudice is common to many races if not all of them. Some white people think they are superior to black people. Some black people think they are superior to white people. The Germans under Hitler were taught that they were a superior race to everybody of other races. The violent Aryan movement is a  classic example of the destructive nature of racial prejudice.

Reality needs to shine upon many who are in racial and prejudicial darkness. Individuals of all races have the capacity to choose good and evil. In Christ there is no distinction between the races of peoples of the earth (Col. 3:11). Human suffering has been inflicted upon others by people of all races. Those who are responsible for causing such wrongdoing and those who commit such  wrongdoing will answer to God for their sins (Rom. 14:12). It is wrong for people to blame whole races of people for the sins of some individuals of those races. The son does not need to bear the iniquity of his father (Ezk. 18:20). Again,  reality makes us see that wickedness and human suffering take place within races, against those of the same race, as well as crossing racial lines. There is no room for racial prejudice and hatred in the lives of the people of God (Eph. 4:31; Gal. 5:19-23).

The Gospel is a great equalizer. It exalts the lowly and humbles the mighty. Good people find favor with God. People are good when they reject sin and obey God. Rahab was delivered by faith. Ruth the Moabitess was ancestor to David. Onesimus became a brother to his master. Matthew the tax collector be- came an apostle. The Philippian Jailor washed the stripes of  Paul and Silas and brought them into his own house to feed them, having  become a brother in Christ. Lydia also became a sister in Christ by listening to and accepting the teaching of Paul and Silas. How many times we see God’s grace erasing racial and social and economic barriers and making people to stand side by side as brethren. Let us be color blind and be not guilty of respect of persons because of prejudice of any sort.