Interracial Romance

[gemmanyah]

Interracial Romance


The Tower of Babel is one example of what happens to homogeneous people who are integrated and all become one. This is one argument and a strong biblical one against the unification of one people globally as a rule. This example does not support the across the board unification of people. It bears a strong argument and need for separateness.

Why God made the various races is made clearer to me by the above example. This philosophy must still apply today as it did in the last 1000 years in biblical days.

Is this the reason why my own interracial dating experience ended in just that, a quick experience? My own experience ended in a few dates and wonderful interracial sexual experiences. The more I think about it the more I am convinced that there is a purpose for the separateness of races and people.

The fact is too that the purpose is not necessarily a personal or detrimental one. It is one mandated by the creator himself.

As Henry David Thoreau in Walden Pond put it,” The less proximity we have in communications with other human beings, the better we understand each other and get along.”

As I grow older I am allowed to enjoy my independence in the modern world and taught by habit to rely on my own strengths and instinctive ness as a human being. This proves further the reason for racial separateness.

So be strengthened if your one world, one unified people concept is not working for you. There’s a historical and biblical reason.

[CG]

Interracial Romance

So be strengthened if your one world, one unified people concept is not working for you. There’s a historical and biblical reason.I read your posting early this morning. I had not had my coffee so I assumed that my brain had read it incorrectly. After two cups of strong coffee I see that my brain was correct after all!

I know of a number of interracial couples. They are doing fine! They would be doing better if it were not for other people's prejudices. PS. Had the Creator wished the races to not interbreed he would have made the process impossible. Or are you saying that he was a bit short-sighted there?

I will concentrate my comments on the part where you wrote, "So be strengthened if your one world, one unified people concept is not working for you. There’s a historical and biblical reason."

I must assume you are a Christian - few other religions would have the gall to suggest that us being divided is God’s plan AND a good thing! (Maybe Islam would?) Few religions have done more to make sure that division remains than the Christian - but that is not the teachings of Christ! As I see it, through the eyes of a Buddhist, we are all one. Any divisions we have are self imposed by bad religious understanding, greed, and self-interest.

The Christ, whom I assume you follow, came to earth to show us all that we are one! It seems that few have heard the message. The Buddha taught the same message 500 years before. We are all one. We have different things in our lives; the color of our skin, or traditions, the list goes on and on but under the skin, we are all the same. So, what do we do with these differences? Shall we use them as tools to drive us apart? Or shall we see them for what they are, outward, temporary, signs of whom we are. The problem is we see different as meaning lesser or even evil! It does not! We should be using our differences to bring us together. The plug on a lamp is different from the socket in the wall. But when the two are joined they produce a third thing - Light!

So, a one world, united people does not work? How do we know, we have not achieved that yet! By the way, being separate, each chewing on our own little hates is working - right?!!??

PS as for Henry David Thoreau’s quote "The less proximity we have in communications with other human beings, the better we understand each other and get along." All I can say is, a very stupid statement from an otherwise insightful man.

[Delroy]

I can see that this will be a long thread :D
I will get back to this later.

[Delroy]

It is my belief that there is only one race on earth; The Human Race!

[bleh]

It is my belief that there is only one race on earth; The Human Race!

That has got to be THE most intelligent thing you've ever posted.

[Truthseeker]

That has got to be THE most intelligent thing you've ever posted.

That might be the ONLY intelligent thing he has ever posted. :)

[Delroy]

Thats the beauty of this site guys;
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.
No matter how useless they are :)

[CG]

gemmanyah has given us something to really sink our teeth into. It is worthy of more than just "sound bites!" Give us more of your views, gentlemen/ladies, give us more!

[YorickBrown]

I would have to say that ego and self-esteem play a large role in the prejudices that continue to exist between races. The problem is that there are large numbers of people in the general populous that seem to all get along with each other, but underneath it all is a volatile mess of misunderstanding, ignorance and even hate.

My experiences in interracial relationships have been quite interesting. I’ve been embraced by some families, held at a distance or hidden from others, and even had my life threatened by a shotgun at one point because of an uncle’s rule of “niggers” not being allowed on his property.

The truth of the matter is that interracial relationships are still frowned upon in many circles. What makes it worse is the lack of self esteem in some races. Look at the vast majority of successful Negro men who select someone of a different race as their spouse once they’ve reached a certain level of financial security. Look at the increasing numbers of Negro females who have decided to only date other races because they have been taught that their own men are worthless, ignorant, no-good, lazy schemers - a generalization that they happily voice and propagate every chance they get. And to top it all off, the Negro public’s basic opinion of beauty involves being slim, light-skinned (mango-skinned), or straight-haired. Reality check: These features do not fit our natural profile. Our people on this side of the world were “bred” to be full-figured, curly-headed, and dark-skinned (except when the mas’er decided he wanted some variety in his sex life) This mass confusion and deception has only led to serious psychological damage, which manifests itself in the continuous self-exploitation and stagnation of the Negro race.

Enough of that though, let’s visit another side of the story. In college, I was able to connect quite well with my Caucasian counterparts and to this day still retain some of their mannerisms, vocal intonations and lifestyle preferences - out of necessity, no doubt. Success in business comes easy when I channel this type of behavior, but when I use my own natural Negro way of speaking and living, I’ve been called ignorant and have even been ousted from certain circles. (That is a blatant insult, especially when it happens in dealing with someone of my own race.) In grad school I was subjected to high-profile conversations that have blasted my race, only to have the speaker say eventually: But you see Yorick here, he’s different!” Let’s just say that it took a insane amount of self-control to internalize the level of anger those comments created in me, but look at it this way: We all know what happens to an over-aggressive Negro on this side of the world, and I’m not talking sports…

With these types of experiences, I’ve been exposed to some of the opinions held about different races and see the resulting challenge in interracial relationships. Just think about it, some people still have problems dating a person from a different country at times, despite being of the same race (e.g. Haitian-Bahamian relationships). That’s just wrong.

While it’s nice to know that some of us are willing to accept each other’s differences, let’s face it; Until self-esteem and ego issues are resolved on a global scale, we will have difficulty in getting races to completely mix and mingle with no concerns of exploitation or subjugation. Exposing these hidden flaws in the way we think and behave is helping though. Not until we admit that there is a problem can we fix it.

[CG]

I doubt that we will ever see the day when world prejudice is eliminated. Perhaps that is to big a target to aim at. What we can do is aim at a smaller target - ourselves.

When I began my work I dealt with differences all the time. Different religions, peoples, traditions etc. I judged what I heard and saw by the "yard-stick" of my own religion, traditions, etc. It seldom happened that anything was "better" than I had. As a result I learned very little and dismissed much. My ego and self-esteem got in the way. (By the way, you are right about that Mr. Brown.) The answer was simple! Get rid of ego and drop the "self" from self-esteem. Easy to say, hard to do!! For the sake of this posting we can say that both of those traits are fed by "preferences."

We spend most of our lives with our preferences. "I don’t like this, I like that. I hate him, I like her. My way is better that yours." We like what we like and we hate what we hate and we seldom allow the facts to get in the way. In truth, we often allow other people to supply us with their faulty facts which become our own for us to pass on. They soon become "truth!"

I am going to quote something. It will have to be from memory. It is from a small book called the Hsin-hsin Ming (pronounced Sin-sin ming) by Third Chinese Patriarch. As I remember, it goes like this.

The Great Way is not difficult
for those not attached to their preferences.
But make the slightest distinction
and heaven and earth are set forever apart.

If you wish to know the truth,
then hold to no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is the disease of the mind.

When I learned that (and some other things) I was able to "see" the next man, the next idea or the next thing in a light that was without judgement. I could see what I was looking at as just another being, or idea, or tradition. It was something different but at the same time it had a value, a wisdom and a beauty that was not my own. Yet I could not help but learn from it and respect it. It had a value, wisdom, beauty that was hidden from me while I judged and wanted it "my way."

I should imagine that many people who read the above quotation will be baffled. It is sooooo unlike us! But read it again, and again. There is a truth there that can help us hit the small target - ourself.

[YorickBrown]

Interesting Buddhist concept...

The Great Way is not difficult
for those not attached to preferences.
When neither love nor hate arises,
all is clear and undisguised.
Separate by the smallest amount, however,
and you are as far from it as heaven is from earth.

If you wish to know the truth,
then hold to no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is the disease of the mind.

When the fundamental nature of things is not recognized
the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
The Way is perfect as vast space is perfect,
where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.

Indeed, it is due to our grasping and rejecting
that we do not know the true nature of things.
Live neither in the entanglements of outer things,
nor in ideas or feelings of emptiness.
Be serene and at one with things
and erroneous views will disappear by themselves.

When you try to stop activity to achieve quietude,
your very effort fills you with activity.
As long as you remain attached to one extreme or another
you will never know Oneness.

The entire script can be found HERE (http://www.mendosa.com/way.html)

[CG]

Thank you,YorickBrown. I had a copy of it but I cant find it. I am happy you gave us that site, and the correct quotation.
Thanks again.

So, what do you think of it?

[YorickBrown]

I'm in the midst of reading "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das, so this is right on track with my frame of thinking at this time.

It is extremely difficult to not judge the way that others think, especially when it directly affects one's interactions with them. Knowing that a person judges members of another race as inferior, or not worthy of a relationship can mar future interactions between those races - even if it is understood that everyone has the right to their own opinion. In fact, the "inferior" person can then develop their own sense of superiority because of the awareness of the misguided nature of that opinion. And the egoistic cycle of superiority spins on.

Striving for a sense of balance in our lives and true respect for each other seems to be the key to solving the interracial dilemma, but it seems as if a large majority of people in the world will never experience this due to a lack of exposure to and awareness of extremes combined with the ability to just accept other people for who they are.

[CG]

Thanks YorickBrown you wrote:
"I'm in the midst of reading "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das, so this is right on track with my frame of thinking at this time."

Good. I have heard him give Dharma talks. (Kind of a Buddhist sermon.) If I can be of any help answering any questions, my poor knowledge is at your service. I have a thread on this site called "Buddhism...what is it about? Post there if the need arises.

"It is extremely difficult to not judge the way that others think, especially when it directly affects one's interactions with them. Knowing that a person judges members of another race as inferior, or not worthy of a relationship can mar future interactions between those races - even if it is understood that everyone has the right to their own opinion. In fact, the "inferior" person can then develop their own sense of superiority because of the awareness of the misguided nature of that opinion. And the egoistic cycle of superiority spins on."

Right you are! And the wheel of Samsara goes on and on too! (Samsara - endless rebirth, or as some would have it, endless suffering.)

"Striving for a sense of balance in our lives and true respect for each other seems to be the key to solving the interracial dilemma, but it seems as if a large majority of people in the world will never experience this due to a lack of exposure to and awareness of extremes combined with the ability to just accept other people for who they are."

Yes, it is the key and yes, a large majority will never find it. What is important is that YOU find it. (The "you" I mention is any "you" reading this.) Let us start, as the Christ said, with the beam in our own eyes!

[Bahamas Writer]

How did we get from “Interracial Romance” to “discombobulation” (okay, I admit, I had to look this up – according to “Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary”, “discombobulate” means “to upset, confuse, frustrate”!).

Sorry, I can’t be bothered reading all of these postings. All I would like to say is that my husband and I are friends with many happily married interracial couples and one expression from many years ago always sticks in my mind. I had a friend who was white and her husband was black. She told me that one day her little daughter asked her: “Mummy, you’re white and Daddy is black. What does that make me?!” My friend said she answered her daughter: “Beautiful!”

Fay
http://www.bahamaswriter.com (http://www.bahamaswriter.com/)