Racism within the borg (page 2)

bigdreaux

my ex-wife was black. i was a witness when we got married. you should have seen what happened. there was racism from both races. the black p.o. from our hall told my parents he would never let his daughter marry a white guy. when he saw the horror in my parents faces, he quickly followed it up with, well, there's so many problems with mixed race couples in the world. this was disillusioning to me. the whites treated us like we had the plague. it was a mistake to marry her, not because of her race, but, because she was a ............well, i'm sure you all know what i want to say. it was amazing to me how people reacted.

looking_glass

While I was in the religion I dated a black brother. And I too saw flashes of racism on both sides. But of all the hatred that I have seen outside the religion (and the worst of it in law firms I have worked at), I don't feel this religion is anything like what I have seen or heard in the work place. I have to say in the religion that was one of the really good qualities. When I show pictures to friends of me when I was a kid they always ask where I was at that I am surrounded by such a mixture of races, generally they are the pics from the congregation picnics that no longer exist. People are always amazed by that, which in turn amazes me.

Hortensia

much as I hate that stupid organization, I have to say that I grew up in a mixed race congregation, with mixed race couples, and I was not aware of any racism. However, I was one of few white students at a 95% black high school and was the focus of all sorts of racism there. I think racism in the org. kind of depends on the location and who is running the show locally. We had a mixed board of elders, no one race dominated, and lots of different families in the congregation including black, white, hispanic, and Asian. We all associated together all the time - lots of things like picnics and pot lucks and beach parties for the whole congregation. However, just because I didn't see racism, doesn't make that org. OK. I saw lots of other stuff that was disturbing.

Brain Dead

I think there is racism in the WTS., how about the GB I've never seen a colored man on that board of directors

those righteous and pure scoundrels

icyestrm

This is from personal experience: I felt that the favored skin color got their prvileges faster in the congregation I was compared to someone that was a black or minority. The elders, surprisingly are white and trusted white brothers more with parts and those that weren't white often were treated badly. By this happening, it raised more doubts about this organization.

wunce_wuz

When I was at Bethel during last half of 70's races for the most part roomed with same race. I lived in a number of 4-man dorms for awhile and some were hispanic, some black. Got along great. Used to joke/kid in a humorus way along race lines but not ever in a demeaning way.

There was a mixed marriage while I was there. That was quite a change at that point in time. Managements issue was that tours came in all over from the US/World and some views dont necessarily change even after some become JW's. I roomed/worked with guys from Alabama/Georgia (country boys first and always) and some of the stories they told from their congregations about whites/blacks was quite surprising.

Sassy

I know some feel there is racism in the WTS.. to be honest, I feel like my being raised in the WTS actually gave me the best foundation to be not racist. I never judge anyone by their race. I think it has made me a better person.

there was one calendar where they had an interracial couple on it..

glenster

Currently, no. In the leaders perpetrating what is, by a basic ethical sense of what's wrong with racism--an unfounded "hooray for us--bash them" centric outlook, yes.

blondie

Brain Dead, you're kidding, right!

SAM HERD, appointed in 2000

I don't feel I was overtly racist but ignorant at times. It depends on how old you are to a great degree, how a jw reflects the racism. For years, you would nary find a picture or drawing of a current day colored person (as late as 1968), negro, or afro-american (once), (black race in the index) in the publications. The WT publications reflected the times it was in afraid to offend a reader. Can't have some person in a segregated area, open up and see a mixed marriage emblazoned.

It works both ways. I remember a black elder giving a talk at the service meeting, at least 3 times over 10 years about the prejudice some lighter skinned blacks had towards darker people at the KH.

I have been told by older jws that black people are not as smart, hard-working, etc., with a totally straight face as if it were from the gospel.

Jesus tends to look like a Caucasian rather than the Semite he was in the WT publications.

While the WTS seems to have made strides in this, the world in general has changed to a great degree.

Blondie

AllAlongTheWatchtower

"In the majority of pictures, the married couples are only of the same race and none of them are mixed. I noticed that in other pictures of the so-called paradise, its segerated amongst races too." - icyestrm

I suspect this has more to do with personal perspective (which can be argued is passive racism, I s'pose) than with intentional racism. Authors, artists, etc, tend to do material on that which they already know or are familiar with; probably the artists just didn't think to include mixed race couples cause they don't have any personal friends or family who are.

"Jehovah’s witnesses at all times seek to reflect the Biblical view of matters. The Bible does not specifically discuss interracial marriage. It does, however, show how Jehovah God views humankind and it provides guiding principles for those considering marriage." - QFR as quoted by GermanXJW

Err...maybe I have this wrong, or maybe the NWT translates differently (big surprise there, right?), but I thought there was a passage in the OT about Moses, and his wife being an Ethiopian woman, and Aaron and Miriam being ticked off about it, then getting punished for their attitude? I'm also fairly sure there is a similar story about Solomon and one of his wives... Long time since I've actually given any credence to the bible, can't remember. As to the rest of that QFR, it almost sounds like the same drivel they've given as a reason to not have a beard..."oh no, it might STUMBLE somebody". What crap...maybe the GB should DF themselves for the 2 witness policy, seeing as that's stumbled so many so badly that they ended up on this website!

One thing I give the JWs credit for, is at least they preach a good line when it comes to racism, having never been one, I can't speak for how well it goes into practice. It was a far different thing for me growing up in the Worldwide Church of God under Armstrong, they actively taught that interracial marriage was wrong, because it was undoing what God had wrought or whatever (the seperation of races). You could actually be DF'ed from WWCG for it.

Racism within the borg

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