#19960 by Craig Maxim
Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:28 am
Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:28 am
Racism - Rooted In Ignorance & Acquired Behavior
Racism in my view, is primarily motivated by ignorance and acquired behavior. The ignorance has two main ingredients. A lack of personal and positive exposure to other so-called "races" as well as a general lack of understanding of the biological origins of variations in skin tone. The acquired behavior is generally a learned behavior, typically developed from an early age, usually from parental or peer influences. In other words, they are literally taught to hate or discriminate, by others. What I want to address is the former issue, the ignorance, rooted in a lack of scientific understanding.
Biological Explanation of Variations in Skin Tone
It is important to understand that in actuality, there is really only one race. The human race. The differences people use to separate and discriminate are in skin tone, facial characteristics, or even national origins. But "race" is a term which has fallen out of favor with modern science. It was early attempts to classify the visible and recognizable differences in humans which led to race classifications. Modern anthropologists now understand that the DNA of any two people in the world would typically differ by just 0.2 percent. Of this, only 6 percent can be linked to racial categories; the rest is "within race" variation. Through this fact alone, we can understand that the supposedly glaring differences in racial designations, are in fact trivial. Humans, worldwide are 99.8 percent identical in their biological makeup.
So what is the origin of variations in skin tone?
The variations in skin tone are through evolutionary proccesses related primarily to environmental conditions. Skin color is produced through Melanin. This is a dark-brownish pigment that is produced in different amounts in special cells in our skin. Other than albinos, who inherit a mutation-caused defect, and cannot produce melanin, we all have this skin pigmentation, but simply in varying degrees. Without melanin, we would have a very white or pink skin coloring. If we produced a little melanin, we would be European white. If our skin produced a great deal of melanin, we would be a very dark black. Over time, our ancestors developed and passed on, varying degrees of melanin production based on climatic and environmental influences as a way of adapting to their specific environments. Peoples who lived in northern areas, and hence colder climates with less sunlight, have lighter skin, because with too much melanin, resulting in darker skin, their skin would not absorb sunlight as well, and consequently not absorb enough Vitamin D, of which sunlight is a major factor. A vitamin D deficiency can cause a serious condition, such as Rickets to develop. So scandinavian peoples for example, produce less melanin, and hence have lighter skin, which enables them to make the best of their environmental circumstances, as already explained.
Conversely, peoples in more temperate climates, nearer the equator, such as Africa, have developed larger amounts of melanin, causing darker skin, but protecting them from the longer exposure to the sunlight, which exists in equatorial climates. Darker skin protects against over-exposure to sunlight. Not enough melanin, in an environment of heavy sunlight exposure, could lead to skin cancer. Variations in skin color, generally exist, to ensure our best chance of survival in any given climate.
It is also important to understand that we are not genetically predisposed to a fixed amount of melanin. Rather, we have a genetically fixed potential to produce a certain amount, and the amount increases in response to sunlight. Which, of course, is why prolonged exposure to sunlight by caucasians, makes them darker in appearance. So I would suggest, that being a really good racist, would require one to remain indoors most of the time. I mean, you can never be too sure about these things.
So, as is made clear here, racism is a foolish and illogical business. We could have been born in any given climate, and the amount of melanin would result, over time, in any of us being darker or lighter. Not to mention that prolonged exposure to sunlight, darkens otherwise lighter individuals, within a matter of hours.
Religious Racism
Another source of racism, is religious based racism. Certain segments of Christianity, professing the love of Christ as the center of their motivation, have none the less, found less than loving attitudes, in their views of race and racial integration. Unfortunately, mistaken interpretation of scripture has allowed such groups to espouse such beliefs, and maintain a supposed "moral" authority to keep their racist views.
In reality, the Bible mentions no source of the variations in skin tones and facial characteristics. The story of the Tower of Babel, is used improperly in this regard, as the text states that God confused the languages, not the colors of mankind.
There is in fact absolutely no biblical admonitions against inter-racial marriages whatsoever. Believers are asked to avoid marrying non-believers, but no where is there to be found any verses, which would speak against believers of differing color, to be married and have families.
In fact, quite to the contrary, we find verses such as this one....
"God has "made of one blood all nations of men" (Acts 17:26).
Not to mention that, in a vision, the apostle John described an interesting scene. Here, before the throne of God and the Lamb, in heaven, a great multitude was standing arrayed: they were from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9)
Let's also not forget that Jesus gave his followers a commandment to go out and preach the gospel, and "go and make disciples of the nations" (Matthew 28:18)
He didn't say "Get me disciples of every nation.... oh, but.... make sure to tell them to stay there, and not come over here!" After all, nowhere in the Bible is there to be found one heaven for whites and another for blacks, or still another for asians.
In all it's forms and origins, racism is simply rooted in ignorance.
A little knowledge goes a long way.
Racism in my view, is primarily motivated by ignorance and acquired behavior. The ignorance has two main ingredients. A lack of personal and positive exposure to other so-called "races" as well as a general lack of understanding of the biological origins of variations in skin tone. The acquired behavior is generally a learned behavior, typically developed from an early age, usually from parental or peer influences. In other words, they are literally taught to hate or discriminate, by others. What I want to address is the former issue, the ignorance, rooted in a lack of scientific understanding.
Biological Explanation of Variations in Skin Tone
It is important to understand that in actuality, there is really only one race. The human race. The differences people use to separate and discriminate are in skin tone, facial characteristics, or even national origins. But "race" is a term which has fallen out of favor with modern science. It was early attempts to classify the visible and recognizable differences in humans which led to race classifications. Modern anthropologists now understand that the DNA of any two people in the world would typically differ by just 0.2 percent. Of this, only 6 percent can be linked to racial categories; the rest is "within race" variation. Through this fact alone, we can understand that the supposedly glaring differences in racial designations, are in fact trivial. Humans, worldwide are 99.8 percent identical in their biological makeup.
So what is the origin of variations in skin tone?
The variations in skin tone are through evolutionary proccesses related primarily to environmental conditions. Skin color is produced through Melanin. This is a dark-brownish pigment that is produced in different amounts in special cells in our skin. Other than albinos, who inherit a mutation-caused defect, and cannot produce melanin, we all have this skin pigmentation, but simply in varying degrees. Without melanin, we would have a very white or pink skin coloring. If we produced a little melanin, we would be European white. If our skin produced a great deal of melanin, we would be a very dark black. Over time, our ancestors developed and passed on, varying degrees of melanin production based on climatic and environmental influences as a way of adapting to their specific environments. Peoples who lived in northern areas, and hence colder climates with less sunlight, have lighter skin, because with too much melanin, resulting in darker skin, their skin would not absorb sunlight as well, and consequently not absorb enough Vitamin D, of which sunlight is a major factor. A vitamin D deficiency can cause a serious condition, such as Rickets to develop. So scandinavian peoples for example, produce less melanin, and hence have lighter skin, which enables them to make the best of their environmental circumstances, as already explained.
Conversely, peoples in more temperate climates, nearer the equator, such as Africa, have developed larger amounts of melanin, causing darker skin, but protecting them from the longer exposure to the sunlight, which exists in equatorial climates. Darker skin protects against over-exposure to sunlight. Not enough melanin, in an environment of heavy sunlight exposure, could lead to skin cancer. Variations in skin color, generally exist, to ensure our best chance of survival in any given climate.
It is also important to understand that we are not genetically predisposed to a fixed amount of melanin. Rather, we have a genetically fixed potential to produce a certain amount, and the amount increases in response to sunlight. Which, of course, is why prolonged exposure to sunlight by caucasians, makes them darker in appearance. So I would suggest, that being a really good racist, would require one to remain indoors most of the time. I mean, you can never be too sure about these things.
So, as is made clear here, racism is a foolish and illogical business. We could have been born in any given climate, and the amount of melanin would result, over time, in any of us being darker or lighter. Not to mention that prolonged exposure to sunlight, darkens otherwise lighter individuals, within a matter of hours.
Religious Racism
Another source of racism, is religious based racism. Certain segments of Christianity, professing the love of Christ as the center of their motivation, have none the less, found less than loving attitudes, in their views of race and racial integration. Unfortunately, mistaken interpretation of scripture has allowed such groups to espouse such beliefs, and maintain a supposed "moral" authority to keep their racist views.
In reality, the Bible mentions no source of the variations in skin tones and facial characteristics. The story of the Tower of Babel, is used improperly in this regard, as the text states that God confused the languages, not the colors of mankind.
There is in fact absolutely no biblical admonitions against inter-racial marriages whatsoever. Believers are asked to avoid marrying non-believers, but no where is there to be found any verses, which would speak against believers of differing color, to be married and have families.
In fact, quite to the contrary, we find verses such as this one....
"God has "made of one blood all nations of men" (Acts 17:26).
Not to mention that, in a vision, the apostle John described an interesting scene. Here, before the throne of God and the Lamb, in heaven, a great multitude was standing arrayed: they were from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9)
Let's also not forget that Jesus gave his followers a commandment to go out and preach the gospel, and "go and make disciples of the nations" (Matthew 28:18)
He didn't say "Get me disciples of every nation.... oh, but.... make sure to tell them to stay there, and not come over here!" After all, nowhere in the Bible is there to be found one heaven for whites and another for blacks, or still another for asians.
In all it's forms and origins, racism is simply rooted in ignorance.
A little knowledge goes a long way.