Interracial marriage

[Jerusalem Blade]

My understanding is there is but one race, the human race (of one blood); when the nations were divided we became a variety of peoples; one of the Biblical terms is ethnos, as in "nation [ethnos] shall rise against nation" (Matt 24:7), and God "hath made of one blood all nations [ethnos] of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:26), etc.

Even within one country ethnos may rise against ethnos (people-group against people-group) as we have seen all too often, even in our own day.

The Biblical distinctions pertain not to cultural differences but to differing people-groups. I prefer the Biblical understanding; I am one race with my African, Latin, Asian, Native American etc brethren, though of a different ethnos — and we all are "of one blood".

I realize there are different definitions. I hold the Biblical one to be the true one.

 

[nicnap]

my mom is full mexican my dad is full german so i'm a beanerschnitzel and my wife is white.

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...............hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! *sniff* Whew, that was good.

 

[TimV]

We all hold the Biblical definition to be the true one, but that doesn't mean we all hold to the Biblical definition.

Ezr 9:2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost."

You could translate that "holy seed" but translating that "holy ethnic group" is cumbersome. There's nothing wrong with the term interracial. It's a term accepted everywhere in the English speaking world.

Act 7:19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.

Our people, our kindred, our race, yes, but our ethnic group? It just doesn't flow.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Indeed, I would agree with you, Tim, that "ethnic group" would be poor linguistically. My point is that the Greek ethnos refers to a people group rather than a race (as it is poorly used everywhere in the English-speaking world). We are one race, the human.

Peter wrote a "holy ethnos - holy nation" in 1 Pet 2:9, and Daniel a "holy people" in Daniel 12:7 and 8:24.

If we accept that we are different "races" as it is understood by "racists", we acknowledge the false distinction they make to promote the division they thrive on.

Of course, you could legitimately hold your view without being racist, as many do. I prefer my approach. Language can be changed, and new or narrower meanings given to words.