Religion & Spirituality
Dennis R Wiles FBC Arlington October 3, 2021 2021 A JOURNEY OF FAITH Celebrating 150 Years of Ministry: Appreciating Our Past Anticipating Our Future FALL 2021 What Do You Believe? September 5 – November 6, 2021 What Do You Believe About Prejudice? Acts 10:34-35 Fall 2021: What Do You Believe? Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Prejudice: an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge. -Cambridge Dictionary The problem we have with prejudice is not in its identification or definition; it is in its eradication. Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts. -E. B. White Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible. -Maya Angelou Prejudice lies at the root of many ills – not the least of which is racism. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. –James Baldwin CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PREJUDICE Because of our worldview (Image of God), we believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every human being. Prejudice and its ensuing ill are all results of the fallen nature of humanity and must be acknowledged as sin. We begin to address the sin of prejudice by removing the log from our own eye. Through God’s guidance and power, we commit ourselves to be agents of reconciliation and restoration in our own communities.