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Racism in America and the Religious Right
Cinorjer
Veteran
A recent telephone poll found that nearly half of the registered Republicans in Mississippi think "mixed-race marriages should be against the law". That's almost half of the people in that political party down there, who not only subscribe to racism but are proud enough of the belief to tell a stranger over the phone about it.
And this during the twenty-first century, when we have a President who has parents of different races. So about half the Republicans in that state, at least, don't just vote for someone else, but think our President's father should have been locked in prison for the crime of marrying a white woman.
I swear, I despair at times. And the fact that this is supported and even encouraged by the Christian churches and Preachers in every town around there, the same as they did slavery and segregation and Jim Crow laws and have never changed their teaching, is why I refuse to allow people to say "Oh, all religions are really the same, fundamentally!" No, they are not. Exclusive religions of any type, the kind that preaches that some people are chosen and others are evil, contain the seeds of hatred.
There are times when I look at my Bodhisattva vows, and sigh. One day. One day, people will learn. Or maybe they won't.
And this during the twenty-first century, when we have a President who has parents of different races. So about half the Republicans in that state, at least, don't just vote for someone else, but think our President's father should have been locked in prison for the crime of marrying a white woman.
I swear, I despair at times. And the fact that this is supported and even encouraged by the Christian churches and Preachers in every town around there, the same as they did slavery and segregation and Jim Crow laws and have never changed their teaching, is why I refuse to allow people to say "Oh, all religions are really the same, fundamentally!" No, they are not. Exclusive religions of any type, the kind that preaches that some people are chosen and others are evil, contain the seeds of hatred.
There are times when I look at my Bodhisattva vows, and sigh. One day. One day, people will learn. Or maybe they won't.
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Comments
What to do?
A black man would not have been jailed for this offense, because he never would have gotten a marriage license for it in the first place.
I agree with the general tone of your post- the remaining racism in America at this late date is truly tragic. Despairing (your word) of your Bodhisattva vow is equally tragic.
There is good news. Specifically regarding mixed race marriages, just a few days ago (wish I could remember where) I read an article about the huge increase in mixed race marriages in the deep South. And, on politics, Glen Beck will no longer have a nightly show on FOX beginning sometime later this year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Ham
"Buddhist extremists target Christian churches in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan churches came under attack again this Sunday by organized groups of Buddhist extremists led by influential monks, according to Police sources.
Two Christian churches were attacked amid mounting inter-religious tensions according to the police. This incident - which comes four days after unrest at a cremation of a controversial Buddhist monk who know for stirring Sinhala nationalist sentiments - is the latest in a pattern of violence against churches in Sri Lanka, police sources further told TNS...
...The call for “unethical conversions” to be banned was made at a convention of 1,500 Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka's capital on September, according to church sources. The demand followed a ruling by the country's Supreme Court in July that Christian groups cannot register as social charities since their work contravenes the Sri Lankan constitution, sources further stated.
Article 9 of the Constitution holds that the state should give "foremost place" to Buddhism and that it is its duty to "protect and foster" Buddhism..."
http://www.tamileelamnews.com/cgi-bin/news/exec/view.cgi/1/1557
Racisim in the south wasn't really about hating minorities, it was about economic viability. You had to own slaves to run tobacco (and then cotton) farms with any hope of profit. In order for a loving heart to be able to see slaves, they had to be seperate, different, like livestock.
This is less than 200 years old, and their economy is still horrible, generally speaking. Their poverty and fears still abide, and racisim is a fruit of it. Sad, sure, but if you consider the present patterns of racial tension to be unjustified as though they are just bad people, you have also missed the target. Luckily, everyone learns.. at their own pace of course.
And don't even get me started about how the greedy "slaveless" north helped decimate the south through price fixing and tariffs, all the while using sweat shops and child labor to... ah well.... (deep breath)... the past is gone. Too many people need us today to dwell for long.
The main view to consider is that people are not static "racist right wing christians", but living, fluid continuities of tradition, fear and mental fixations that are passed from parent to child in their small communities. Are they so hard to accept?
I do my best not to be racist, *but there are stereotypes that seem to just hold a lot of truth to them. Living in L.A. I am around all races and I still see a lot of racism. From *everybody. Every ethnicity is racist. And this is a natural adaptation. Those who know a bit of psychology will know about the "tribe" simile. Where people tend to make friends who are like them. So that right there can be seen as racist to want to be with people of your own ethnicity, culture, or background, but it's a natural adaptation unfortunately that I see happen over and over in every type of community.
It's the same thing with interracial marriage. If someone can actually make interracial marriage work that is a beautiful thing, but in my experience from what I've seen, interracial marriages can have a lot of culture clash. That doesn't mean I am against them. It means that I believe to make them successful both sides have to work on getting along and liberating themselves to be more tolerant of their partners differences.
The people are the same, but the teaching is not. What's going on in Thailand and places like Sri Lanka is an aberration, not the norm. There is a nasty side to exclusive religions devoted to fighting evil. It's built into the teaching. If all religions were equally valid or useless, then what is anyone here doing messing around with Buddhism, unless you're from a Buddhist culture? Why don't you just walk down to the nearest church?
I just get sad at times, looking at what people do to each other. Looking at the world around us, and how people use their marvelous minds to justify their selfish desires, I realize we have a word to describe the problem that did not exist in Buddha's day. That world is addiction. I have dealt with family and friends who were addicted to alcohol or drugs, and I realized that the dukkha people inflict upon themselves is not just because they have selfish desires, but because they're addictedto their selfish desires. And like addicts everywere, their minds have a near infinite capacity to justify and excuse and ignore reality in the quest to temporarily satisfy those desires.
You can't blame a wolf for acting like a wolf, and I know you can't blame people for acting like people. It's just...wouldn't it be wonderful, if they could just see each other as the precious beings they are, just a tiny bit, for once?
I need to spend a few days meditating and recharging the old batteries. Sorry to dump on everyone. See you in a few.
I apologize for not addressing your despair more directly, there seemed to be a rising sentiment that I focused on first. I can hear the sorrow you have, seeing extended family caught in cycles of addiction and ignorance. What rich empathy you've cultivated, to love ignorant strangers so potently!
People do spin in their suffering, but eventually, when many of them open their eyes, that spinning becomes their greatest teacher. It is sad, to see people in cycles of confusion and pain. I've found that in order to accept the sadness, for me, I had to spend time learning to respect just how rich the soil becomes for people as they cycle. Suffering isn't just random and unfortunate... it is a miracle of nature that teaches us how to live in harmony. Their unskillful behaviors and thoughts are fueling the rocket... preparing the impetus of evolution, both theirs and ours. How lucky!
Good luck with your recharging.
Matt
It has reminded me of a tennis match, later - so I gave up.
Firstly you use terms like:
Republicans in Mississippi
Political party
Christian churches and Preachers
Etc.
Those are only populist terms to the brainwashing of ‘’Alpha’’ individuals in our society.
I call them alpha with but a negative interpretation.
Nonetheless, we all have brought them to the power /at least in so called democratic countries/. Consequently, negativity applies to all of us.
The slavery exploitation, religious intolerance is much more prominent in non democratic places.
All this seems to escape the media and our philosophical divagations about morality, Buddhism, philosophy, at the same time.
As to your statement: ‘’ One day. One day, people will learn. Or maybe they won't’’
I hope we will as humanity.
This site is full of compassionate people and Buddhists - following the Buddha teaching.
Let me as a question:
How many of you gave some of your money to less fortunate? (Pls forget a tax reduction).
How many are prepared to put their wellbeing at risk to the less fortunate?
Don’t take this post as patronizing.
I feel guilty enough for looking after my family and friends and not spending enough energy for others.
:vimp: :facepalm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States#Race_and_ethnicity
americans can be so dumb. when i grew up, i learned america was "the melting pot," a combination of people from all over the world. we seem to have forgotten this somewhere as we push away people of other origins, some asserting, "well, we were here first!" which in reality, is the biggest lie since we stole the land from the native americans anyways.
america had so much potential to truly be a meeting of the world, blurring the lines of nationality and race, but people seem to forget that, (aside from the native americans) everyone here was once just a foreigner on a boat.
I thought I'd watch it again on youtube
yup its still scary :hair:
Metta to all sentient beings
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
This is not the America I down't want. A good number of Republicans who are running for President supports this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/v/iwWfcZTEhA8?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1
...i feel like this conversation is really pointing out how ridiculous these concepts of country and borders really are. i imagine, if we really wanted to get into it, we could talk about how they speculate that the original people were nomads originating in africa. they speculate that the indigenous people of america walked across the land bridge.
This is also not just a phenomenon of the so-called "Bible belt" in America. The Bible belt has grown to encompass a large majority of America. Sadly, I am firmly of the belief that within my lifetime, blood will be shed in America over the issue of "religion". The far "Christian" right, or at least a good portion of it, believes it is their duty to be sure that America is, or becomes a "Christian" nation, and many of them would likely be willing to fight to make that happen. Not much different from the fundamentalist Muslims in many countries in that respect. I surely hope I'm wrong, but I don't believe I am.
but I do think education helps and its not like the education system in the United States is that great, so thats not the model I am thinking of. I think if education doesnt solve the problem...then its game over for all of us.
It was in the 1500s when Spain invaded the Aztec empire, so from there is when the interracial sex began and the Spanish basically became "Mexican". That is also why Mexico is primarily Catholic rather than "Aztec religion" though you'd be surprised how many still worship the Aztecs and their gods. It was before that where they were already living in the South West of the U.S., but even after that the new mixed race of Mexicans still moved upwards. Mexico lost Texas and a few other states in the 1800s, so yes even the Mexicans who are part Spanish can be called Native Americans.
When a group of humans see that the other tribe isn't like them, they want to exterminate them. That's what is going on right now between Republicans and Democrats. Damn Republicans and their Christianity just don't want to try to get along. Everyone needs good psychology to change their way of thinking otherwise it's very easy for them to be naturally racist or naturally prejudice, it's in the human genes.
isn't that somewhat argumentative, antagonistic and controversial?
You actually want to stir up some argument by metaphorically slapping someone in the face with a gauntlet, and say "see what kind of people we have here?"
Isn't that actually the whole crux of this argument?
Intolerance, division and hostility?
Wouldn't it be more mindful, considerate and generous to NOT venture into said territory, and let sleeping dogs lie?
You know I've banned people for less, don't you?