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all cultures are not created equal

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by billwald, Jul 17, 2010.

  1. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Some cultures are more civilized than others. Some cultures are more moral than others. Some cultures are more equitable than others. The USofA is comprised of many sub cultures. There were cultural differences between the Indian Tribes before Columbus (or Olaf or the Chinese Admiral) got here. Every national group who came here or was forced to come here brought its own culture. The Puritans brought a different culture than did the English felons who were transported to the American colonies. Some came for religious or economic reasons.

    In the US in 2010 we have dozens, hundreds of sub cultures inside our national boundaries. For 90% of the sub cultures, they maintain their differences for social reasons and not to stir the pot. In Seattle we have the Sons of Norway and the Swedish Club. 1000 years ago the Norse and the Swedes were enemies. Now days only thing matters is who makes the best lefse. New York City passed the first open housing laws but each sub culture still maintains its own neighborhood. One can be born and live 70 years and only learn to communicate in Chinese (Yiddish, whatever).

    Americans like to collect statistics about the major sub cultures. Some do lots better than others economically and in getting along with the other sub cultures. That's life in the real world.

    In the bad old days one married within one's sub culture. Every sub-culture had a full range of humanity - smart to stupid, beautiful to ugly, and ambitious to lazy. Now days the young people are not concerned about marrying within their sub culture.

    On what basis do you all think our current generation of infants will choose a mate 20 years from now?
     
  2. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Agreed. However, there are exceptions...and one cannot simply assume that based upon a membership of a "sub-culture," that one's morals, actions, aptitudes, etc., can be accurately forecast. Above all, we are human, and we don't always play the percentages.

    Some of that can be a concern (there's something to be said for making wise choices with regards to marriage); however...some of that "sticking to the culture" was little more than empty tradition at best; and sometimes racism/bigotry at worst. Not all of that change has been bad.


    With the slide of the traditional family unit, I doubt it's good. But IMO that has much more to do with our spiritual decline more than choosing bad matches, sub-culture wise.
     
  3. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Yes, statistics only apply to groups, never to individuals. Say the SAT scores of 1000 theoretically white kids and 1000 theoretically Japanese-American kids were compared, I'm guessing that the median J-A kid would score 50 points higher than the the white kid but highest scoring white kid could score higher than the highest J-A kid and the lowest J-A kid could be lower than the lower white kid.

    I predict that the young people in the more advanced nations will tend to choose more on the basis of ambition, education, and smarts than on skin color. The US majority will be brownish and self segregated into a serf class and a management/professional class. Neighborhoods will be segregated on the basis of wealth, not skin color. It is happening even now, an unintended consequence of the civil rights act of '64.
     
  4. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Therefore, you feel justified in saying, "Well, Asians always do ____________ ...or Whites always do ___________... or Blacks always do ___________________."

    And we're one step further down the road to bigotry. Overgeneralizations. Remember, the root of "prejudice" is "pre-judge," and it sounds like you're doing quite a bit of it.

    I'm sorry. Did I miss something? We didn't have rich and poor neighborhoods until after the CRA of 1964? Hmmm. Ooookey Dokey, then.
     
  5. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    I'm not prejudiced. I discriminate.

    >We didn't have rich and poor neighborhoods until after the CRA of 1964?

    In Seattle prior to 1964 black people lived in the Central District. Real Estate agents would not deal with black people outside the CD. After 1964 the professional black people moved out of Seattle and across Lake Washington to Bellevue and Redmond which grew like crazy.
     
  6. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Sorry, but when you make blanket statements about certain ethnic groups, I would say that is pre-judging them. Thus, you are prejudiced.


    I didn't say racist. I didn't even say bigoted (though I've heard some things from you that get close).

    But I have little doubt that you're prejudiced.
     
  7. Ruiz

    Ruiz New Member

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    Bill,

    I am one who rarely gets offended, and while your comments didn't offend me, I can see how they are offensive.

    I am the result of two cultures coming together, I am mixed. I love the uniqueness of both cultures. The problem is not culture nor money nor language nor anything else. The problem is sin and the solution is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    My grandfather moved his entire family to the U.S. When he died, he could only speak certain words in English, never enough to carry on a conversation and he could barely form any sentences. There is nothing evil in not speaking English and living in America. My grandmother had remarried and her husband (born in the same town as my grandmother and real grandfather) fought in WWII for the United States. His English was better than my Grandfather's but the first time he met an English speaker was when he went into the military and by the end of the war he still could not speak English.

    There are parts of my cultures that I enjoy; there are parts that are sinful. I am not concerned with language, where people choose to live, or that certain cultures choose to live near one another. In fact, I can make a case for how this is good to maintain some wonderful parts of the various cultures. Every culture, including the "Americana" culture, have strong sinful elements. While we can enjoy any culture, the Gospel transcends cultures... and calls people to righteous living.

    If American Christianity was more concerned with spreading the Gospel than immigration, English, and where people choose to reside, I believe we would be better off.
     
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