Yes, I have my own scale,
regarding openness to others who are different from self...
It is a scale that may reflect prejudice, even bigotry
It may reflect the desire of folk for homogeneity
It may reflect one's xenophobia, sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, etc., etc.
You see, I have always been in the "majority" (of power) culture,
not by choice, and as I grew, not with any delight regarding that status,
because I saw the inequities and how it affected people I cared for, people I loved...
So, I learned. I soaked in the data with those in the "majority" culture AND those who I loved
who were not in it.
I learned about love and hatred, and apathy.
You see, the opposite of love is not hatred, but apathy. It is JUST NOT CARING.
Love and hatred are passions. Apathy is chosen absence of feeling, attitude, action, presence.
Those in the "majority" culture have never had to understand or empathize with those who are not in it. It is the "privilege" of being in the "majority" culture. People not in that majority of power, MUST understand well those who are in it in order to get along in life, but those in the "majority" culture are the ones to whom others must conform. Assimilation to the "majority (of power) culture" has always to some degree meant survival for those not in it. That has always troubled me. Inequity and inequality are falsehoods manufactured and forced upon some by others, with created "reasons" of "superiority" or "inferiority" to justify the ruthlessness of some over others.
The truth is that some will always be bigoted and discriminatory based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation or any number of other differences. We always seem to focus on our differences and assign "better than" or "not as good as" values to them. Until we are accused of prejudice, at which time some folk try to claim they are "colorblind".
"Colorblind" means a person is among the privileged who through their entitlement falsely assigned can ignore the wonderful qualities of others not the same as themselves, and render much of who they are and what they value invisible, rather than acknowledge it with value. It is APATHY - the opposite of LOVE.
So, my scale...
reflects human development (or a lack thereof) within individuals and groups of people...
Keep in mind that there are continuums of degree within each "stage" of development...
CELEBRATION (seeing the good in others' differences from self, and embracing them... even seeking to be with others who are different from self by choice, in delight)
ACCEPTANCE (understanding differences are ok, accepting others for who they are, interacting well with others who are different in most settings, though not always in diverse settings by choice)
TOLERANCE (will acknowledge and tolerate those different in degrees of civility - though still some false belief of one's superiority and the other's inferiority- note that this is often the stage of "blind spots" of bigotry, where systemic and institutionalized bigotry are allowed to live, and often the stage in which folk will claim one "token" friend or acquaintance in order to claim full acceptance of others who are different)
INTOLERANCE (learned prejudice, bigotry, with power it leads to discrimination, saying or
doing hurtful things by choice to others because one falsely believes they are "superior" or "right" compared to the other)
APATHY (not caring, because one is removed from people who are different, it is a non-issue
because one is so removed from ANYONE different from self, no emotional investment)
*some may argue this is better than intolerance, but not from a human development
standpoint...
It is through exposure, interaction and face to face encounter that we learn to accept and even celebrate others. Arrested human development regarding social interaction is CHOSEN and TAUGHT. It is unconscionable and immoral, and it damages one's soul because it hurts others. One cannot be right with God if one actively or passively hurts others.
That is my scale. Those are my opinions. As always, this and $3 will get you a cup at Starbucks.
Pastor Jamie
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