Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 4/3/2008

Question
Scriptures that deal with this hot and controversial subject relevent to today more than ever before. The pros and cons of it please.

Thank you for your help

Answer
Actually, it isn't that hot and ocntroversial anymore.  Different people groups inter-marry fairly regularly.  Where I work there is another Shultz but her first name is Indian (Bombay type). If you marry a human, you are marrying within your "race."

Over the years, I have been amazed at the concept of racism.  I grew up across the creek from the only Black family in town and I ate at their house and their son ate at my mine.  We didn't know anything about racism until we were 16 and left town to work in a cornfield.  There my friend met some other lads that were either caught up in the times or had been taught differently than he and I had been taught.  They basically ended our friendship and that was a sad moment in my life.

I guess being raised by a widow and being an only child made me happy to have any company and friends.  I didn’t let "candy coating” flavor my judgment.  I was a Methodist, of sorts, but I was a friend of the Jewish lad in town and I almost got to study Hebrew with him.  How I wish I had been able to have that opportunity.
  
It took joining the military for me to learn what racism really was.  Race relation classes seemed to make things worse.  Yes, I had heard various slurs about all sorts of people growing up.  I guess the area where I grew up could be said to have had equal opportunity "haters" because I heard slurs against almost every group imaginable.  In anger, my mother would sometimes call me a "little Arab”.  I never figured out where that came from but it wasn't meant to be a compliment.  

Ironically, my Mother never minded Lawman, my Black friend, coming to eat with us but when I mentioned when I was older than I might join the Air Force and go to Germany and find me a fraulein she was emphatic that I marry one of my own kind.  With a name like Shultz, what could have of been more my kind?  She meant American, of course, and since I had two Uncles in the military during WWII and one a definite combat vet that may have had a case of PTSD you can maybe understand why the concept of her son marrying a German would be anathema to her.

Recently, I found out that Shultz is a variation of a Jewish name so I am glad that I was kind to my Jewish friend back then as we may be distant kin.  I am glad that I did not let skin color get in the way either because I would have missed out on a great childhood friendship.  I also would not have had the appreciation of my Black supervisors in the AF or of my Thai co-workers.  I would have missed out on so much.

Also, I have had the privilege of having a Black lady at work that I called Mom.  Until she retired she would brag on me to people, feed me and I understand that she still prays for me.  I have been told that Ms. Alma Trimble still carries my picture around telling people that I am her son.  She says that I get my looks from my Dad but my good nature from her.  I can't imagine having missed those times with her and her encouragement because of a pigment difference.
Race is really an evolutionist term.  We are all of one race, the human race.  People groups we have, but only one race.

Acts 17:24-29
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.  (KJV)

We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one race.  We all descend from Adam and then Noah.  All men are my brothers via the Creation, but some men are my closer or special brothers via the new Creation.  So, like it or not I am kin to everyone in some way.  I may be a 25th cousin but I am still a cousin.

Now have there been people who called themselves Christians that seemed to be ignorant of this fact and these verses?  Definitely!  There are people who call themselves Christians and Jews but are not.  I can't help that and I am not responsible for their ignorance.  I can only seek to know the truth that it may set me free from such ignorance.

My church is blessed in that we have folks from several people groups.  There are Mexicans, Indians (Bombay), Filipinas, a Jamaican, a Kenyan, the pastor's wife has a lot of Native American in her blood line, and they let a few of us Anglos hang out with them.  It is a small taste of Heaven!

There is a really great book that speaks to all this and is even free online.  I would suggest that you send the link to everyone you know, especially to those who have some “issues” with one people group or another.  If we peeled off the skin of all humans we’d be somewhat icky looking but we would all look the same.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/OneBlood/index.asp

I Jn 4:19-21
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. KJV)

If a man is a born-again Christian, he is a Brother and if he holds to sound doctrine he is a dear brother.  The flavor or candy coating doesn't matter.

1 Cor 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. KJV

I think the last four words in this verse says it all. As long as the person is in the Lord then they are a suitable marriage prospect.  No lost person ever! I would never encourage a person to missionary date.  If a person wants you badly enough they will say and do anything until they get you married and then all bets are off.  If he or she is not already faithful and active in a NT Bible believing Baptist church then stay clear of them.  If you win them to Christ don't even think about dating or better yet courting them for at least three years.  

1 Tim 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.  KJV

That is definitely needful when choosing a Pastor, deacon or business partner.  I would say it works for a life partner as well. Better to test drive them and see how they really how for three years then to marry in haste and spend fifty or more years with them in misery.  Patience is not only a virtue.  It s a great safety valve.

I hope this meets you need!

Shalom!  Maranatha!