Why Do Some White And Black People Hate Each Other?
Answer: Hate is another problem caused by sin in the world. People get angry and hate others for many reasons.
They may be upset over something a person said or did-they may feel insulted or hurt.
They may be bitter about what a person’s relatives did in the past. But hate is wrong.
God tells us to love, not hate. If someone hurts us, we should forgive that person and try to fix the relationship.
Some people hate others for very silly reasons. They may not like another person’s religion, nationality, neighborhood, school, or skin color.
For a long time, many white people have hated black people just because they are black.
And many black people have hated white people just because they are white.
And people have been mean and cruel to other kinds of people, too, such as Hispanics, and Japanese or Irish people.
That is not God’s way. God’s way is for all kinds of people to live together, to work together, and to worship together.
We should show love and respect to all people, no matter how different they are from us
Key verse: We are no longer Jews or Gentiles. We are no longer slaves or free men.
We are not even men or women. We are all the same, we are Christians. We are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
Related verses: Colossians 3:11-14; James 2:14-17; 1 John 4:20-21; Revelation 7:9; 20:11-15
Note to parents: Watch your own words and actions. Go out of your way to have positive relationships with people who differ from you.
Show your child by word and example how to treat all people with equal respect.
If I See Someone Who Is Poor, Do I Have To Give That Person Money?
Answer: There are a lot of poor people in the world. Many people beg for money so that they can buy food.
It makes us sad to see people beg, and we wish we could help everybody. Sometimes we walk by many people who are asking for money.
Obviously we can’t give money to every poor person. If we did that, we would run out of money very soon and be poor ourselves.
But we can and should help some poor people. We can help people in the neighborhood by working around their homes and giving them food.
We can give money to our churches and Christian organizations to help poor people in our community and around the world.
We can give our time at a local mission. God wants us to be loving and kind to people.
He wants us to show his love to widows, prisoners, the poor, and the hungry.
When we help poor people, we are acting like Jesus.
Key verse: There will always be some among you who are poor. That is why this command is needed. You must lend to them as they have’ need. (Deuteronomy 15:11)
Related verses: Exodus 23: 10-11; Leviticus 25:35; Amos 8:4-6; Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 4: 18; James 2:2-6
Related questions: Is it OK to pray for toys and things? Why should I give money to God?
Note to parents: There are small ways you can foster a sharing attitude at home.
Also, you can find ways to give as a family. You can donate clothes, furniture, time, or other resources to ministries that serve the poor.
And when you have things that are useful and in good condition that you no longer need, don’t sell the good stuff and give away junk; that’s convenience, not compassion.
Is It Wrong To Spread Rumors?
Answer: A rumor (or gossip) is a story about someone or something that everybody talks about without really knowing whether it’s true or not.
Sometimes rumors are totally false, but they are spread because somebody got the wrong information.
Sometimes rumors are deliberate lies, spread to hurt someone.
Sometimes rumors are partially true, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Even if a story started out to be true, after a few people tell it, it usually gets changed and is only partly true.
Rumors almost always do much more harm than good.
If you hear a bad story about someone, don’t just pass it on. First, try to find out whether it is true or not.
If you find out that the story is true, you have two good choices: (1) You can drop it and forget the whole thing, or (2) you can talk to the person that the story is about and try to help.
God wants us to be loving and kind to others. Passing along gossip, spreading rumors, is not loving or kind.
Key verse: An evil person plants trouble. Gossip pulls the best of friends apart. (Proverbs 16:28)
Related verses: Proverbs 20:19; 2 Corinthians 12:20
Related question: Why is it wrong to gossip?
Note to parents: Remember that your child learns from the way you talk about others.
Make an effort not to confuse facts with guesses in your discussions about other people.