THE POWER OF PREJUDICE

THE POWER OF PREJUDICE

E. Griffin cites an intriguing study in his book, “The Mindchangers,” detailing how prejudice distorts our worldview.  According to Griffin, we're quite capable of reordering our perceptions of the world around us in order to maintain our conviction that we are right and others are wrong.  A group of white, middle-class New York City residents was presented with a picture of people on a subway.  Two men were in the foreground.  One was white and one was black.  One wore a business suit and one was clothed in workman’s overalls.  One was surrendering his money to the other person who was threatening him with a knife.  

Actually, it was the black man who wore the suit, and he was being robbed by the white laborer.  But such a picture did not square with the prejudices of the viewers.  To them, white men were executives; black men were blue collar workers.  Blacks were the robbers, whites the victims.  And so they reported what their minds told them they were seeing--a black laborer assaulting a white businessman.  As human beings who desperately desire our lives to be consistent and untroubled, we will go to great lengths to reject something that implies we’re wrong. 

Indeed, prejudice is unjust, cruel and unbecoming.  Let’s rise above cultural myths and discipline ourselves to see people as they really are.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!