Hard to say.  The only racism I've ever encountered came towards me from black people.  Let me rephrase.  African-Americans.  No, let me rephrase again.  Black Americans.  I qualify it this way out of respect for Africans.  I've met lots of Africans, and they don't want to be associated in the slightest way with Black Americans that call themselves African-Americans.

P.S.  I guess that means Africans are racist against Black Americans.

Scientifically speaking 'race' doesn't exist.  All people are people, they're just different colors...and I don't really give a shit.  Racism is just a waste of time and displays a great wealth of stupidity and hatred.

I'm not racist because there's no basis for it.  If I'm going to hate someone there's going to be a much better reason than some arbitrary color system.

~Zoo

Interesting answer, but I'm afraid reality is reality and while race does not scientifically exist, neither does God but a lot of people still believe he does just as they believe race does so one could say that in a way it does. After all, are we not technically a Human Race?

Thats great, but my question was are you afraid to speak about racism? Meaning, to avoid coming across as racist, being labeled a racist even if you don't believe in race, you would rather not touch the subject at all.

So are you saying one needs to experience racism in order to be able to talk about it?

Nice, I got featured.

One of my newest bestest friends down here is black.  I've never really had a good friend that was black like this before.  I absolutely love her.  I don't see color when I'm with her really at all.  I just had her and her beautiful daughter for dinner.  Her daughter is my age but looks absolutely gorgeous and much younger than me, at least that's what I see. 

To me it's nothing having them for dinner, but to them it's very meaningful.  I talked to my friend at length about racisim and she assures me it's alive and well.  She's felt an outcast by the whites ever since she moved to the USA from Trinidad years ago.  We met at church where she is one of only two black couples, the other being her relatives.   She said in Trinidad, there were no race barriers only separation by wealth. 

I felt outrage when she told me some of what she's gone thru over the years.  At one point she was thinking of becoming a JW.  She was told that she would not feel comfortable in a white Kingdom Hall and that she should consider going to the Black Kingdom Hall instead.

She went to neither.  

She  and her husband visited an all white Presbrytarian Church here just a couple of years ago when she was looking for a church.  Nobdody spoke to them.  She went again.  Nobody again, spoke to them and she knew they were not welcomed.  As the only black couple in a totally huge white church, I'm sure they stuck out and NOT ONE PERSON welcomed them. 

How sad!   And all the while they shake their heads in agreement when the story of the Good Samaritan is read. 

I agree with Zoo (write it down, doesn't happen often ) that race really doesn't or shouldn't exist.  It's just skin color and maybe just maybe the whole thing is a test.  If so, we may find ourselves flunking a very important basic test of our very own character. 

Gets frustrating dont it?  Just wait to you have had to put up with 50 years of it.  It is way more than tiring.

My students talk about it a lot.  One student will say "My dad doesn't like black people--that's why he's not voting for Obama."  Another will say "I'm glad I'm not black living a long time ago, they were slaves."  It's interesting what they understand at 7 and 8 years old.  I'm not afraid to talk about it.  I think its an interesting discussion to have with anyone.

I prefer 'species.'   Race kind of works in this case...I mean, theoretically if we were to differentiate sentient beings(aliens or fantasy races) that's probably the more acceptable use of the term.  You see race all the time in games like that...but using 'race' in the same species is kind of...well, unnecessary and incorrect.

I don't like getting into the discussion...I'm not afraid to talk about it, though...and I haven't been called racist yet.   I don't have much to say on the subject other than what I've already typed...I see people of all ethnicities being racist and it's pathetic and sad. 

Holy crap!  It's the second coming!

Or just common sense.

~Zoo

Not AFRAID just TIRED.

Doesn't have to be race.  Been to PLENTY of churches and never spoken too.

I understand that as well Tova, (actually happened to us last week)  but if you, a white person, visit a new church you may just blend in and people may not understand that you're new..especially if it's a large church. 

We talked about this.  She and her husband obviously stood out as the only two black people in the church.  She went back the next week and definitely felt the coolness and never went back.  There was no doubt that this was a new couple in this all white church. 

I don't know KFC. Not that I am saying it was not but in a court of law, the simple notion of "it felt that way" would not go very far without some real proof such as words and statements. I find this whole, hoping from one church to another quite interestin. I have never heard of people who hope around looking for a church they may like, I just think you try one long enough to see if it provides what you are looking for but to go from church to church like going from restaurant to restaurant looking for good food, sounds unusual to me. I was lucky to be in a church where everyone is freidnly and the first thing they did was to make sure everyone knew I was new to the church by putting my name up on the projectors they use and to call my name out and have me stand up and say hi. Not exactly what I was prepared for when I went there, being shy and all in public.

That's probably because you haven't gone to church much.....when you move you have to find a new church Charles (if you have a habit of going).  We try several different churches unless we're lucky enough to find the perfect fit the first time.

There are lots of reasons we don't return to a church like, they aren't friendly, they aren't a Bible based church, they don't have a significant children's growth program, there is no place for me to serve, lots of reasons.  Joining a church for me isn't about sitting there on Sunday...I plan on spending a LOT of personal time there outside of Sunday Services, with the members of that church, and its a facility my family will spend many many hours in (not just on Sunday).  So if for instance the church is not kid friendly then I know its not a fit.

Not to mention some churches are good at bringing people to Christ and giving them milk, but that's all they do.  Once you are ready for meat you have to move on if you want to grow.

If you have a church you like, and you are able to grow there and contribute at the same time, thank God.

hahaha.  That HAD TO BE a Baptist Church!  Sure other churches do it too, but every single baptist church I ever attended did the same thing.  How's that for puttin ya on the spot?  hehe.

Maybe it was because they're black, or maybe it was just because they were NEW.  Some churches don't like outsiders and treat black white green all the same, in a cool unwelcoming manner.

All I'm saying is there could be more than one reason the black couple was slighted, it doesn't HAVE to be because they're black.....I'm not black and the exact same thing has happened to us SEVERAL times in several diff states. 

I agree with Tova.  We're in the process of going "church shopping" right now.  Everyone is diff.  We look for different things.  First it has to be bible based.  Second it has to be alive and active.  Third we're looking for warmth.  We're also looking for a place to be used.  We're workers and are ready and willing to be put to work.  When we had teens we were looking for a church that had other teens or a good youth group in it.  Diff churches meet diff needs and have diff programs. 

Basically we're looking for our home church down here and have yet to find it.  Our church back home had it all. 

We went to one church a few weeks ago that had sounded promising.  It had alot of positives about it but the preacher was preaching so topical and so blatantly "free will" it turned us right off.  All I could do is write down scripture that was contradicting his message.  I handed it to him on the way out.  Yep.  I did.  It was that bad. 

There was no joy in that church during the singing we both noticed and commented on afterwards.  My husband said it's directly related to his preaching style.  I never thought about that before.  But even the worship leaders at the front looked very bored and unhappy as they were singing joyful songs to God.  Crazy. 

We went to another, last week, and not one person spoke to us.  It was hymns only and everyone was quite old.  The preacher actually preached a good message and I liked him. 

well she seemed sure it was color related without going into details.  Maybe it was a look?  Maybe it was a whisper or a point?  Not sure, but she's in her 70's and is a very Godly woman so I don't doubt what she's saying.  She comes from Tony Evan's Church in Dallas so she's in the same boat I am here. 

I don't understand the whole "we don't like outsiders" bit.  I mean how unbiblical can you get?  There are some churches who are ok with outsiders but they're just not willing to go out and bring them in.  Usually they're what I call "hyer-Calvinists" and feel God will lead them to their door.  Not biblical either.