Healing Our Society and the Root of Misogyny, Feminism, Racism, Prejudice, Hatred and Bigotry.
When a society is not in balance, there’s Racism, Hatred, Bigotry, Misogyny and Feminism.
It would be easy to say that one group or one gender, or one color is bad and write off a whole group of people as “bad”. But the truth is; there exist “bad” (I would rather choose the word “broken”) people in every race, gender, religion and color. Racism and hatred is rooted in fear; the fear of the unknown, fear of people and things who are different from us.
Fear and “tribalism” comes from our natural instincts to protect ourselves and our group.
When a person or a group of people feel threatened, their natural instinct is to fight back. When women feel their safety and rights are threatened, Feminism increases. When men feel like their identity and role as a man is threatened Misogyny increases. And if we don’t learn to put our egos aside and try to learn and understand another person’s point of view and where they are coming from, then we will never heal as a society. Or heal the division between men and women, blacks and whites, Democrats and Republicans and all of the groups of people that are divided and are fighting against and opposing each other. You can go to just about any country and you will find some kind of tribalism between different races, colors, religions, genders and cultures.
The Definition of Tribalism is: The state of existing as a tribe, or a very strong feeling of loyalty to your tribe. A very strong feeling of loyalty to a political or social group, so that you support them whatever they do. (Cambridge English Dictionary)
“This word is also used to describe situations where people are overly loyal to their own group. For example, a newspaper editorial might complain about tribalism in American politics. Today, tribalism is often seen as putting one's own group above every other consideration, including kindness or justice. Tribalism can lead to bigotry and racism.” (Vocabulary.com)
The only way to heal the gap between Democrats and Republicans, Blacks and Whites, Males and Females is to try to leave Tribalism behind and try to understand each other’s beliefs, views, cultures, traditions, values, thinking and behavior. It means putting our ego’s aside and Try to understand someone else’s point of view.
This can also help us grow in the areas of conflict solving which can be very useful both in leadership and in everyday life. When someone hurts your feelings or offends you or attacks your morals, values and beliefs; try to understand where they are coming from and why they do the things they do. Our natural instinct to any attacks on our personal beliefs, morals values or identity is often to fight back. What if instead of reacting and acting out of your emotions, you would try to see things from another perspective? What if we all did this? Maybe we all could actually get along.
I feel blessed to be half white and half black, because I can’t engage in racism without hating on myself or one side of my family. When you’re half white and half black it can often be easy to feel like you don’t fully belong to any group, you can feel like you’re too white for some and too black for others. It can be easy to feel like you’re never really “Good Enough” for one group or the other. But the good thing about having families from two different cultures is that it allows you to see things from a different perspective. It helps you to have compassion on people with different kinds of backgrounds, black or white, Christian or Muslim, Democrat and Republican. If you know good people in each of these groups it’s more difficult to judge a whole group of people and write them off as bad. I know about good and bad people in different genders, races, religions and cultures, and we all have to learn that good and bad comes in different shapes and forms.
If you’re either just white or black it can be easy to hate on the other group and race, because they are “different” from you. But in reality our differences are only “skin deep”, and it’s not really a matter of color, it’s a matter of having the right or wrong heart and attitude. Hatred and fear doesn’t come from a place of godliness and righteousness.
In the Bible 1 John 4:18 says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
While 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 say: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
The Definition of the word “Skin Deep” is: “Something that is not a major or important feature of something, although it may appear to be.”
To some people, color may seem important, but what really matters is the matters of their heart. God looks at people’s hearts and at the end of the day we will all be held accountable for our actions good or bad and how we have treated others. We should all have that “Love the sinner, hate the sin” kind of attitude. Love the person, even though some of their behavior, beliefs, morals and values don’t align with yours. We are all sinners; we all just sin in different ways. We all need mercy and grace, therefor we should extend that kind of mercy and grace we need to others, regardless of whether they are like us or not. Try to love someone who is not like you. It’s easy to love someone who is like you, but try to love someone who’s different; that is True Strength and Love.
Luke 6:32-38: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
You can’t justify hating on another group of people because of their gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or the like, because one of the greatest commandment of them all is to “Love Your Neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). That means to love people; even if they don’t share your same beliefs, moral, values, race, religion or color.
I’ve had family members talk about people of other colors and races in a preconceived and prejudice way in front of me. I’ve experienced prejudices from both sides, and it’s not right whether it’s coming from black or whites. The good and bad part about being half white and half black is that I can understand both groups point of view. I can understand that black people are angry after years of oppression, because I’ve experienced racism and hatred.
I can also understand white people and their mindset, because I grew up in a white society, community, family, country and school. I used to share some of the same beliefs, and didn’t understand why some people behaved the way they did. Until God woke me up and helped me to understand and see why other people are the way they are. When you grow up privileged, you don’t have the same kind of pressure, difficulties, poverty and many of those problems and opposition that causes people to behave the way they do, and which causes some of those people to commit crimes. It’s easy to judge someone, when you haven’t walked their path, and gone through what they have gone through.
It’s easy to judge a book by its cover, but I’m challenging you today to try to set aside your views and prejudices and pre-conceived ideas and thoughts about other people, cultures, races, genders and religions. I challenge you to not judge neither blacks, whites, men, women, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Democrats or Republicans, misogynists or feminists, rich, poor, struggling parents or disabled people or minorities, criminals or terrorists. Everybody are a sum of their upbringing, their environment and the things they have been or haven’t been exposed to. You have been blessed with something other people don’t have. Your blessings, your privileges and the education and knowledge you’ve been blessed to receive, has helped you to make better choices and have a better life.
Your blessings should make you more humble and grateful, not prideful, conceited and judgmental of other people who haven’t been as blessed.
Think before you judge Democrats or Republicans, Pro Life or Pro-Choice. Think before you judge struggling parents, whether single parents or not.Think before you judge people who have committed crimes, because you don't know their story.
Before you judge that poor person on the street thinking “He or she must be on drugs, or is a criminal or a bad person.” Change your thinking and start researching. Watch videos on YouTube and the stories of people who ended up homeless. It might make you change your thinking. Think before you judge rich people, thinking they have never gone through anything difficult, you don’t know their stories either. There’s a price to pay for every blessing.
Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover, because you never know the story that is on the inside.
Before you speak; Think.
Is it True? Is it Kind? Is it necessary?
“Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.” - Bernard Meltzer
I challenge you to look inside of yourself, because sometimes to change the world you have to change yourself. I know loving and forgiving everybody can be difficult, but it is something we all have to learn to be good at if we’re going to heal this society. If we want to make this world a better place for everyone and for present and future generations, then we have to learn how to get along. Evaluate your views, thinking and beliefs and try to be more open to loving and understanding people who are different from you. When you start seeing the world differently, your world will begin to change. When we all learn to have a Better perspective, maybe our world will be a Better Place for Everyone.
Biblical References:
Love
1 Corinthians 1-8: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 11:13: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love Your Enemies
Luke 6:27-31: But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 6:41- 45: Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? How can you say, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, people do not gather figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from brambles. The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:36-40: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Definitions Used in Article:
Prejudice: “Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason, or actual experience.”
(Oxford Dictionary)
Bigotry: “Intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself.”
(Oxford Dictionary)
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