ARE YOU A RACIST?

The alleged racism on Celebrity Big Brother has now sparked 13,000 complaints – more than any other show in the history of British television. The issue has received blanket media coverage and brought the racism debate to the fore once again. It seems amazing that a 'reality' gameshow could cause such a storm of protest.

' There has been headline after headline- 'BB housemates' careers in jeopardy' 'Police probe BB racism allegations' and so on. But isn't there just a slight whiff of hypocrisy here? Isn't the real truth that a great many people in Britain ARE racist to some extent? How many people who complained about 'CBB' need to take an honest look in the mirror? And what about you? It has been said that Britain is not a racist country, but is that really true? The fact of the matter is many people still experience racism in Britain today. For some, it is a daily occurence, despite the rosy picture of racial harmony and tolerance some have tried to paint. Many people still hold racist, ignorant and offensive views about black people. If asked, most would be adamant they are not racist. They may even be a little offended. Those who do admit they have racist views think it's ok and they don't have a problem. They don't think it matters because they believe they are justified in their views. Someone said "Well so what if I am a bit racist, isn't everybody?" The answer to that is no. And anyway, that's completely irrelevant. Wrong is wrong whether the majority do it or the minority. You may not care about negative attitudes you have towards people of certain races, but you should care, because if you are a racist you have a real problem. It may not seem like it, but you do. Racism is far more serious than people think. You may feel alright looking down on other races or feeling superior to certain people. It may not seem like you are doing much wrong. But what will be the end result of racist behaviour? Will there be any consequences? This test is primarily for people in the UK because of the nature of the media and the attitudes that have been formed over the years in the UK due to media influence. In other countries, racism may manifest itself in a completely different way, and a different set of racist sterotyping may go on. Therefore in other countries a different set of questions may be more appropriate. (although some of the questions may still be relevant) Anyway, these questions are for people in the UK. Take the 'Are you a racist?' test. You may be surprised by the result!

PLEASE ANSWER EVERY QUESTION HONESTLY.

1. Do you make assumptions about a person's morality/honesty, (or lack of it) based solely on the colour of the person's skin?
2. Do you make assumptions about a person's sexuality based solely on the colour of a person's skin?
3. When you see a black woman on television or in the media portrayed negatively, do you automatically assume every other black woman is exactly the same?
4. Do you think that black women as less intelligent than other women?

5. Do you think that black women are less feminine than other races of women?

6. Do you think that all black women are either loud, aggressive or both?

7. Do you avoid black women?
8. When you see a black female, do you automatically assume she is a thief?
9. Do you think that black people are inferior, so it dosn't matter if you use them. (in other words abuse them)
10. If you are non-black, do you consider yourself to be better than black women?

11. When you see a black female, do you automatically think something negative about her?
12. If a black woman stands behind you in a queue, or at a bus stop or in any public place, do you move away? (or wish you could).
13. When you see a black woman, do you automatically assume she is gay or a lesbian? (especially if she is slimly built)
14. When a black woman stands (or sits) near you, do you immediately protect your valuables? ( i.e. bag, wallet, purse, pockets, phone, etc.)
15. Do you consider black women to be of less value than white, or any other race of women?

RESULT

Well, if you answered yes to ANY one of these 15 questions, the answer to the question' Are you a racist?' is yes.

Ok, that's the bad news. Why is that bad news? Because a person who dislikes a woman or judges a woman negatively just because of the colour of her skin has an evil heart and is not right with God. Now, here is the question. Will such a person who says they are a Christian, still go to heaven? To be honest, I don't know. I'll leave that with you, but I would just like to remind you of what the Bible says. The Bible clearly says 'blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God'. (Matt 5v8) Is it possible to be racist and have a pure heart? If you are a person calling yourself a Christian and you are racist you are doing a very good job of deceiving yourself, and possibly other people, but you are not deceivng God. He hears every one of your racist thoughts. It doesn't have to be an action, a thought is just as bad as an action. And every racist thought is sin. The bible clearly states that showing partiality to people or preferential treatment to people based on their colour, race or outward appearance is sin. How many of you who say you are Christians do that? This attitude comes from a heart that is full of pride, an unclean heart. It is a hypocritical, self-seeking, selfish attitude, and a true disciple of Jesus Christ does not behave like this. Now, we've talked about people who are racist yet call themselves Christians, but what of those who do not say they are Christians? The Bible says 'It is appointed unto man or woman to die once, and after that the judgement.' (Hebrews 9v27) If you die with a racist heart, you will be dying with a heart that is not right. God did not intend for you to have such hatred in your heart. So what will happen to you if you die without Jesus Christ in your life? The sad, yet only answer is you will be lost forever and will end up in hell. Now, please, that is not said lightly, but you need to know the truth for your own sake. This page is not about sugar-coating or making people feel good, it's about the truth. And the truth is, without Jesus Christ you are lost. You see, the Bible says ' All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' That means everybody alive and who ever lived. From the Queen, to the homeless person on the street. That means me and that means you. ALL HAVE SINNED! THERE IS NO EXCEPTION! But you see, there is hope for us all. God is love. God does not want you to be lost and to go to hell. But unless you get right with God, you will. So how can you avoid it? How can any of us?

SOLUTION

There may be a problem, but there is also a solution. But what is it? The Bible says ''For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, so that whoever will believe in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life" (John 3v16). A man once broke all of the commandments. Among other things, he lusted after a woman, which the Bible calls committing adultery in his heart; he took God's name in vain, stole a few things, lied a few times and hated another person, which the Bible says is as bad as murder. How can God, who is perfect and holy, and must by His very nature punish law-breaking, forgive the man, while upholding his own perfect standard of holiness? How can the man avoid hell and go to heaven? The only way the man could avoid being found guilty on judgement day, when all humanity gives account of every thought, word and deed, is to repent (turn from sin) and put his faith, once for all, in Jesus Christ. If he is deceived into thinking that God cannot see his thought life, or that God won't punish sin (meaning God would have less of a sense of justice than humanity), then he will carry on ignorant of the fact that the Bible says the only way to enter heaven is to have 'clean hands and a pure heart'. But if he is honest and listens to his concience, he will see he has broken the 10 Commandments, and when all the evidence comes out on judgement day, he will be found guilty and end up in hell forever. He needs God's mercy. When Jesus died on the cross He took the punishment for the sins of others, satisfying eternal justice, and at the same time demonstrating God's incredible love for sinful humanity. The moment the man repents and puts his faith in Christ alone as Saviour and Lord, God will forgive his sin and give him the free gift of everlasting life. He should then read his Bible daily and obey what he reads, showing himself to be genuine in his faith.

Dear Reader, not only is God willing to forgive you, His is ready and waiting to forgive. All you have to do is ask.

NOTE: If you considered yourself a Christian BEFORE you took this test, and you answered yes to one or more of the questions, maybe you should think very carefully about that. How can you be a Christian, and a racist?