Answers

Q:

I don't like to admit this, but my late father was a very prejudiced person. I suppose it was because of his background, but he was always making disparaging remarks about people of other races or ethnic backgrounds. He claimed to be a Christian, but wasn't it wrong for him to be like this?


A:

Yes, it was wrong for him to be prejudiced against people of other races or ethnic backgrounds. His background might explain why he was this way but it doesn’t excuse it. Racial or ethnic prejudice of any kind is a sin in the eyes of God.

Why is this? One reason is because God created the whole human race–and He created it in His image. If you tear someone down, you deny that they bear God’s image, just as you do. The Bible says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth” (Acts 17:26).

In addition, the Bible makes it clear that God loves the whole human race. Jesus didn’t come into the world to die for only one race or one ethnic group; He came to die for us all. And some day we will be together in heaven singing praises to Christ, “Because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Ask God to help you see others the way He sees them and to remove from your heart any hint of prejudice. Instead, let Christ’s love fill you and control you as you reach out to others in His name. With God’s help, our hearts can be changed and so can our world.