Mixing cultures

Mixing cultures is like mixing alcohol. Immediately, if I say those words the racist police come racing out. The politically correct police are not far behind. Look, I’m not phobic when it comes to other races. I like any type of people and we are all together on this earth. We are equal and should be treated the same. Yet, the Bible screams that it’s a bad idea to mix cultures.

            The first 11 chapters of Genesis are vague and full of mysterious stories. We just don’t have much to go on. War and Peace is about 1215 pages. The story of creation is about 578 words. What I do find interesting is that we get what God was saying in 578 words. There have been disagreements on those words for thousands of years. The tower of Babel is looked at as the separating and maybe creating of cultures. God confused our languages and spread people all over the earth. He also said together we would be powerful. Since that time, cultures have tried to mix. I wonder if that is our desire but also our downfall.

            Drinking two types of alcohol can be fun. It can go well or give you a headache. The problem is prediction. Sometimes it works and other times it does not. There is a thought that we should not mix our drinks. Why? Because over time people know what happens. Throughout the Bible God warns cultures not to mix. He said it would go badly. If you are a historian buff, then you know what happens when cultures mix. Usually it is death and destruction.

            Let’s take a look in recent times. The Muslim religion is trying to mix with the Jewish, Christian, Shiite, and many others. Do you think that is going well? I have read of countless cultures perishing because they introduced new beliefs and new customs. I feel the problem is consistency. We do well when we know the rules. We don’t do well when were allowed to vary from the norm. In my head, racism comes from confusing right with different. You’re not right because their different. They are not right because there different. Yet, that is what we have become today. We think it’s right to mix differences.

            What does God have to say about this mess? I find Israel history to be a great cultural study. These people mixed cultures continually throughout their history. Their leadership and ownership of land changed hands hundreds of times. They worshiped several Gods and idols in their past. Today they still exist which is amazing. Yet, they are just a shadow of who they were. God warned them over and over to stay by themselves. Yet, they had to share and mix with other cultures.

            Within itself, who cares who sleeps with who. The problem begins and ends with point of view. Our point of view changes when we think differently. Who really wants people to think the same. I get that. Yet, our differences piss us off. The politically correct are pissed at what they believe to be wrong. If our culture believed something, then why change? Change is good. Yes, it is. Still, the more we change the more we stay the same. I find that odd but that is how people all over the world are wired.

            We are East Indian. We are North American. The reasons we have wars is evil people. I do get the sense there is more to it than that. We want to own others. I guess we want their crud. Napoleon felt that concurring the world would bring peace. It seemed to only bring war and death. People will fight to the death to be different. Or, are they fighting to remain the same. Racism is horrible all over the world. In Rwanda, the North American person can’t understand the problem. In Rwanda, two similar cultures could not stand their differences. What resulted was war and death.

            It’s not that we should not mix cultures. It’s not that it is wrong. There is just something wrong in mixing them. People tend to be racist, angry, and defensive. There are do good people who believe that we can all love each other and be friends. I was taught that if we had Jesus that the world would be a loving place. That might be true but the world does not want Jesus. Some want Allah. The problem is what one wants does not jive with what others want. In the morning, we find that we have mixed our drinks and have a huge headache. I believe God is the answer. Yet, mixing cultures to gain peace seems historically a stupid answer.

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