There's a way to get rid of "racism" - get rid of the word "RACE"

At least get rid of the definition:
-A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
[French, from Old French, from Old Italian razza, race, lineage.]

So, what has this to do with our church plant? Well, my husband is planning on speaking on the beginnings of things, according to the Bible. One of the titles he listed was "race." I told him he needed to research that a little more before he spoke on it. I personally don't believe that races exist. There's nothing in the Bible that supports it. Any english version of the Bible that uses "race" in it, you will find the original word is "tribe" - a VERY different term which usually refers to a group of people that are in one location, not a group of people only defined by the color of their skin. Also, during the Tower of Babel, the Bible specifically states that only language was confused. It never refers to outward physical characteristics being affected, at all. Lastly, nothing in the Bible ever separates or defines people by "races". The Bible *does* tell the NATION of Israel to not intermarry, but that was a different law for a specific reason, and referring to the "nation" not race.

I read a book called "One Blood" by Ken Ham, and it is an *excellent* explanation on how Adam and Eve were probably the genetic pool of ALL nationalities, and as the groups of people moved into different regions, certain genetic traits popped up and became dominant. The scientific proof is there. There is no scientific or medical reason for a division of races. Blood types, diseases, and all sorts of genetic traits cross racial lines. Here is a note from the online dictionary after the word race was defined:

Usage Note: The notion of race is nearly as problematic from a scientific point of view as it is from a social one. European physical anthropologists of the 17th and 18th centuries proposed various systems of racial classifications based on such observable characteristics as skin color, hair type, body proportions, and skull measurements, essentially codifying the perceived differences among broad geographic populations of humans. The traditional terms for these populationsCaucasoid (or Caucasian), Mongoloid, Negroid, and in some systems Australoidare now controversial in both technical and nontechnical usage, and in some cases they may well be considered offensive. (Caucasian does retain a certain currency in American English, but it is used almost exclusively to mean “white” or “European” rather than “belonging to the Caucasian race,” a group that includes a variety of peoples generally categorized as nonwhite.) The biological aspect of race is described today not in observable physical features but rather in such genetic characteristics as blood groups and metabolic processes, and the groupings indicated by these factors seldom coincide very neatly with those put forward by earlier physical anthropologists. Citing this and other points such as the fact that a person who is considered black in one society might be nonblack in another many cultural anthropologists now consider race to be more a social or mental construct than an objective biological fact.

Why should race even be used for social reasons? It is only divisive when it's used! To define me by my race is to say, your outward appearance is more important than your heritage, and the real, inner you. You see, in reality, my heritage is American/Italian, but I *look* Asian. If we erased the word "race" out of our minds, it would allow us to ask more questions, care more about the person, who he truly is, and respect what his real heritage is, rather than focus on what makes his outward appearance different from myself. No longer would my kids be an anomaly, a "mixed race" which is still not an option on many applications when asking for race. We must choose either asian/pacific islander OR caucasian. I'm sorry, they are neither one nor the other! If race were erased, our kids would be "American" because that IS their heritage. They are as American as the blonde-haired kid next door. And I wouldn't look at the blonde and assume he was just a white kid. Perhaps I'd try to learn more about him, and realize his family actually moved from Germany a couple of years ago? Wow, he's got a wonderful German heritage that would normally get wiped under the carpet just because he looks like the majority race in this country.

I believe, Christians, more than any others should try to erase "race" from our vocabulary. As I cited previously, nothing in the Bible supports the notion of "race," and nothing medically supports it. We do have nationalities, which helps define our culture or heritage, but races provide neither. It may seem silly to be stuck on a word, yet, that one word ignites much - "racism" "the race card" "race relations." We Christians would do well without it. One day, every tongue, TRIBE, and nation will bow down to the Creator of us all!