I was always told growing up that the Bible preaches against interracial marriages, specifically against marriages or relations between black and white. I have never seen a verse that talks about this though. I was also told that the first black man on earth was "turned black" as a punishment.
If this is true, what are these verses and books?
2007-10-09 13:55:32 · 15 answers · asked by Pink Cowgirl 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Old Testament law commanded the Israelites not to engage in interracial marriage (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The reason for this is that the Israelites would be led astray from God if they intermarried with idol worshippers, pagans, or heathens. A similar principle is laid out in the New Testament, but at a much different level: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Just as the Israelites (believers in the one true God) were commanded not to marry nonbelievers, so Christians (believers in the one true God) are commanded not to marry unbelievers. To answer this question specifically, no, the Bible does not say that interracial marriage is wrong.
A person should be judged by his or her character, not by skin color. All of us should be careful not to show favoritism to some, nor be prejudiced or racial to others (James 2:1-10, see especially verses 1 and 9). A Christian man or woman's standard for selecting a mate should always be to find out if the person they are interested in is a Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14), someone who is born again by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:3-5). Faith in Christ, not skin color, is the Biblical standard for choosing a spouse. Interracial marriage is not a matter of right or wrong, but of wisdom, discernment, and prayer.
The only reason interracial marriage should be considered carefully is because of the difficulties a mixed-race couple may experience because others will have a hard time accepting them. Many interracial couples experience discrimination and ridicule, sometimes even from their own families. Some interracial couples experience difficulties when their children have skin tones of different shades from the parents and/or siblings. An interracial couple needs to take these things into consideration and be prepared for them, should they decide to marry. Again, though, the only Biblical restriction placed on whom a Christian can marry is whether the other person is a member of the Body of Christ.
Recommended Resource: Just Don't Marry One: Interracial Dating, Marriage, and Parenting by Yancey & Yancey.
2007-10-09 14:05:19 · answer #1 · answered by Freedom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There arn't any! It is all a matter of interpretation. If somebody does not like something, they can easily turn to the bible, find a passage to see if it COULD be construed there way and then they preach it as a fact/ They seem to forget the other parts of the bible, especially Jesus teachings that ask us to be"-
non-judgemental
compassionate
understanding
giving
forgiving
tolerance
etc. etc.
People who fear, fear change. People who hate, will hate anyway. They pick verses in the bible to back their hate, but they make words interpret THEIR way not the original meaning of those words. Does anyone, who is against inter-racial marriage adher to the above list? Also, once again, they have interpreted what is called "the mark of cain",( when Caine killed his brother Able and was given a mark) into their way of thinking. No where does it say the mark was a black mark. It could be that the mark was white, since all the people in the bible were of Eastern descent and had dark skin.
I am sorry that you were brought up amongst such prejudice, but maybe, because you are even asking about this teaching. you are questioning and finding out for yourself.
We all have free will to choose which way to live and I prefer to live with love, instead of hate. peace instead of anger,
acceptance instead of judgement and forgiveness. So, I look to the prejudiced in our society, feel sorry for them and send them love.
If two people love each other, no matter what color, and they treat each other with respect and understanding, I feel it is better than many so called "pure" marriages where the woman is abused, the children abused and all the other actions that cause the divorce rate to be so high. Love and acceptance between two people can be between black and white, white and asian, etc. etc. I wish you everything good because I think you are trying to be the opposite way that you were brought up. Good for you, you are helping the world to be a less hateful place.
2007-10-09 14:27:50 · answer #2 · answered by Maureen S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The bible does not preach against interracial marriages. I know this because I have never had anyone prove it to me, and I have asked ministers and professors. The first man in the bible was not "turned black" as a punishment. Just so you know, Ham was a son of Noah and one day he went into Noah's tent and saw him naked. He went back and told his brothers and they covered him with their head turned so that they wouldn't see his nakedness. Ham from that day on had a mark that was punishment for his seeing Noah naked. This is the thing that makes most bigot Christians believe that this is what made black people. If they would read down a little further, they would find that Ham also had a strange mark on his forehead. And if they read more of Genesis they find that the decendants of Ham are the canaanities and the Babylonians. This is important because one set of the ancestors of Christ were Babylonians, so this means that Christ is black, or at least part of his ancestry is.
2007-10-09 14:10:50 · answer #3 · answered by xengold 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have been taught falsely. Nowhere in the Bible is there a WORD against interracial marriages. There is plenty in the Bible that talks about not marrying people from other nations BECAUSE THEY WORSHIP IDOLS but not BECAUSE they are from other nations. God's intention has always been that the people who worship Him not be turned away from worshiping Him by intermarrying with idolators. Look at the book of Ezra for information on this. This is the whole 'unevenly yoked' thing. As far as the Bible is concerned, your husband could be purple AS LONG AS HE IS A BELIEVER!
In terms of the 'turned black' I realize they are probably referring to one of Noah's sons but this reasoning still has *no* Biblical support. In fact, I would ask them to show you *why* they think this is in the Bible and to offer proof and to look at it for yourself. I think you'll find the scant evidence they are able to provide twisted to support their own ungodly beliefs.
It sounds like you've been around people who have twisted the Bible to justify their own racism. I mean *no* offense to your family and/or church but this is really abhorrent. God's Word *cannot* be twisted to suit our own prejudices and hatred without *dire* consequences. Look for yourself in the Bible there, dear sister. God *loves* mankind --- and certainly not whites more than blacks!
2007-10-09 14:03:13 · answer #4 · answered by KL 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The bible says that god created the first human couple adam and eve. and from them the human race started. Not several level of human. and definitely nothing about ant inter-racial marriage.
2016-05-20 02:32:58 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should try reading the Bible rather than rely upon indoctrination. No it says nothing against interracial marriages. In fact did you know that Moses was married to an Ethiopian?
2007-10-09 14:11:27 · answer #6 · answered by Steve Amato 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The only reason they said to stay separate was ,they didn't want a foreign religion to influence them as Solomon so stupidly did.Numbers 12 tells how Moses married an Ethiopian woman(black) ,his sister Miriam and brother Aaron weren't too thrilled.God told them to be quiet and basically said to Miriam,"Ok you like white?" and He turned her leperous white for 7 days.In the case of Rahab the harlot who was a Canaanite,she married into Jesus' lineage as did Ruth the Moabitess.So as long as you're both the same religion ,it's cool.
2007-10-09 14:03:52 · answer #7 · answered by AngelsFan 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
On the OT, there are prohibitions against Jewish-Gentile marriages, but it is not about skin color but against believer-unbeliever marriages. The bottom line ...There are absolutely no grounds in either the Old Testament or the New Testament to prohibit interracial marriages. Thankfully, God does not judge humans by mere external appearances. Though humans have a tendency to judge people by how they look, including their skin color, God does not judge us by color; He judges the heart, which is how we are to be in our relationships.
2007-10-09 14:06:14 · answer #8 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Neither one of those things is in the Bible.
2007-10-09 14:53:19 · answer #9 · answered by Consuming Fire 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all false, you have been lied to by Satanic people. There are no such verses in Scripture. Turn away from these Satanists.
2007-10-09 13:59:24 · answer #10 · answered by Hoosier Daddy 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋