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Multiculturalism
Is Multiculturalism Biblical?
Multiculturalism is defined as the preservation of different cultures
or cultural identities within a unified society, as a state or
nation. We will examine what the Bible has to say about this
idea, but first let's take a look at some comments from former Colorado
Governor Dick Lamm, at an immigration overpopulation conference in
Washington, DC in May, 2010. He described several
history-tested "Methods for Destroying America," or actually committing
suicide as a nation. This notion becomes even more
frightening when we see that these things are actually occurring in
American society today. Here are Gov. Lamm's main points for
destroying America:
- Turn America into a multi-lingual and multi-cultural country, because
no nation can survive the antagonism of two or more competing languages
and cultures. History teaches that societies that do
not assimilate will result in tension, turmoil and tragedy.
- Invent multiculturalism by encouraging immigrants to maintain their
culture. Teach in our schools that all cultures are equal,
without any cultural differences. Teach that the Black and
Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to racism by the
majority. Finally, discredit any other viewpoint.
- Celebrate diversity rather than unity. Include dual citizenship, and
promote divided loyalties. Encourage all immigrants to keep
their own language and culture. Enforce differences in
cultural subgroups, instead of living as fellow-Americans which
emphasizing their similarities.
- Make the fastest growing demographic group the least-educated, with a
50% dropout rate from high school. Add this group as a second
underclass; one that is not assimilated and antagonistic to our population.
- Fund these efforts through big foundations and businesses, investing
in ethnic identity and the idea of victimology. Get all
unsuccessful minorities to believe that their lack of success was the
fault of the majority.
- Place all subjects off limits, especially the "cult of
diversity." Let words like "racist" halt any debate, and make
it impossible to enforce our immigration laws.
Now let's examine what the Bible has to say about
multiculturalism. In Genesis 11:1-9, we read about the Tower
of Babel, where God "confused the language" of the people. In
verse 1, we see that all of the people of the world had a common
language, so they could all communicate with each other. In
verse 4, they schemed to build "a tower that reaches to the heavens, so
that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the
face of the whole earth." Then in verses 6 through 8, God
disapproved of their scheme, saying, "If as one people speaking the
same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do
will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse
their language so they will not understand each other. So, the
LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city."
In this passage, God created the institution of nationalism.
It was His will to divide the people of the earth into nations, each
with their own language. Now, of course, this doesn't mean
that there will be no mixing of languages or cultures within a
nation. As people began to move around, they sometimes
learned other languages, and this wasn't a bad thing.
However, this can be done in a way that violates God's institution of nations.
For example, during the 17th century, the United States began to be
inhabited, primarily by people from the European nations. A
mass migration continued for 300 years, with people from many nations
making their new home in America. The United States became
its own nation, made up of a rich diversity of people. It
became known as "the melting pot," where people of many nations came
together, blended their cultures, and adopted a common language (which
many had to learn). They mixed together like different kinds
of metals melting together in a melting pot, forming a new
alloy. They became a single society with the common goal of
their precious freedom, using their diversities to strengthen their unity.
However, what Gov. Lamm is saying, and what is confirmed by the Bible,
is that America is now becoming a land which contains many separate
societies within it, and diverse societies are not historically
peaceful and stable. People undervalue the unity that is
required in order to keep a nation together. The various
autonomous groups result in divisions in languages, cultures, politics,
and goals, where each group remains patriotic to its own heritage.
We are no longer a melting pot, blending into a new and stronger
alloy. Now we're a salad bowl, where each ingredient in the
salad separately maintains its own characteristics.
History suggests that a nation will not stand for long in this condition.
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