India: What Does God Say about Racism?

Source: Beyond, September 28, 2022

Racism and prejudice are unacceptable to God, and casteism is racism to the extreme. Caste teaches that some people are simply better and more valuable than others. [This] is a huge issue that must be dealt with.

North Indian movement leaders knew that new churches needed to learn from the Bible, not from them because only the Lord can touch a heart. So, they gave Raj, a movement trainer, a list of verses that addressed casteism [and] the equality of all people in God’s Kingdom, as well as who can take the Lord’s Supper.

Raj brought the scriptures to the new church leaders. They studied God’s Word and discussed what he said regarding casteism and the Lord’s Supper. Raj did not preach or teach. He prayed. He asked questions. Finally, the leaders concluded, “If I am in Jesus, I am no longer Brahmin (or whatever caste I was born into). I can either be a Brahmin or in Jesus, but I cannot be both. If that’s the option, I want to be in Jesus!”

The full article reports that these leaders not only humbly apologized for their behavior but also gathered multiple churches with mixed-caste people and took communion together.

See also another Beyond story about the believers humbling themselves so the gospel might advance in North India.

See also an informative 2021 report from the Pew Research Center on attitudes about caste in India. (tl;dr: It’s complicated!)

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