For men shall be … boasters, proud …
—II Tim. 3:2
4736 Prejudice Defined
The word prejudice originally was neutral. It meant judgment formed beforehand, which might be favorable or unfavorable. Yet so predominantly do men form harsh judgments before knowledge, that prejudice came to mean injurious.
—Wingfield
4737 All Shades Of Color Vanished
A weary teacher fell asleep and had a dream. A message had arrived that the Master was coming, and to her was appointed the task of getting all the little children ready for Him. So she arranged them on benches in tiers, putting the little white children first, nearest to where the Master would stand, then the little yellow, red, and brown children, and far back the black children.
When all were arranged, she looked, and it did not seem quite right to her. Why should the black children be so far away? They ought perhaps to be on the front benches. She started to rearrange them, but just as all was in confusion, footsteps were heard; it was the Master’s tread. He was coming before the children were ready. To think that the task entrusted to her had not been accomplished in time!
The footsteps drew near, and she was obliged to look up. Lo, as her eyes rested on the children all shades of color and difference had vanished: the little children in the Master’s presence were all alike.
—Christian Herald
4738 India’s Untouchables
Of India’s total population almost 100 million are ranked as untouchables—the lowest rung on the Hindu caste ladder. Untouchables are still unable to draw water from many village wells for fear they may pollute it. Their work is mainly restricted to despised jobs like scavenging, cleaning, cremating, etc.
4739 Robert Lee Knelt Beside Him
Shortly after the close of the Civil War, a Negro entered a fashionable church in Richmond, Va., one Sunday morning at the beginning of a communion service. When the time came, he walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar. A rustle of shock and anger swept through the congregation. A distinguished layman immediately stood up, stepped forward to the altar and knelt beside his colored brother. Captured by his spirit, the congregation followed.
The layman who set the example: Robert E. Lee.
4740 The Cook’s Blood Boiled
A girl went into a Chinese restaurant in Chicago and told Wing Foo Sam, a waiter, that she wanted an order of chow mein to take out. She said she wanted a first-class order because, as she explained, “It’s for a mighty nice chap.”
Wing Foo Sam brought the chow mein, the girl took it away, and a few minutes later the trouble began. There was one roaring protest from the fellow who ate the chow mein. It nearly burnt his face off. He thought he was eating liquid fire.
When the complainant came blazing back to the restaurant, Wing Foo Sam was instantly fired by his Chinese boss. But when Wing Foo explained the matter, he got his job right back.
It appears that when the girl said the chow mein was for a mighty nice chap, Wing Foo Sam misunderstood her. He thought she said it was for a mighty nice Jap. His Chinese patriotic blood arose in him, and he heard the voices of his ancestors. So Wing Foo Sam decided he’d fix that mighty nice Jap up good and proper. He spiced the chow mein with three teaspoonfuls of blazing red peppers.
4741 Only Name In Heaven Is “Christian”
John Wesley once dreamed that he was at the gates of hell. He knocked and asked, “Are there any Roman Catholics here?” “Yes, many,” was the reply. “Any Church of England men?” “Yes, many.” “Any Presbyterians?” Yes, many.” “Any Wesleyans here?” “Yes, many.”
Disappointed and dismayed, especially at the last reply, he turned his steps upward and found himself at the gates of paradise. Here he repeated the same questions: “Any Wesleyans here?” “No.” “Whom have you, then, here?” he asked in astonishment. “We do not know of any here which you have named. The only name of which we know anything here is “Christian.””
4742 Astronomers’ Nationalities
A distinguished editor recently printed these lines: “Observe, please, that the six greatest astronomers, that ever lived, came from six different nationalities. Copernicus a Pole; Tycho Brahe, a Swede; Kepler, German; Galileo, Italian; Descartes, Frenchman; and Newton, king of them all, most magnificent mathematical mind ever born on this earth, an Englishman.”
When we are tempted to race prejudice and moved to cynical contempt on meeting some lonely specimen of a race for which we have a personal distaste, let us not forget that out of a soil just like that God has caused to blossom some of the finest flowers of genius that have ever honored and blessed humanity.
4743 How To Be Impartial
Charles P. Curtis in A Commonplace Book:
There are only two ways to be unprejudiced and impartial. One is to be completely ignorant. The other is to be completely indifferent. Bias and prejudice are attitudes to be kept in hand, not attitudes to be avoided.
—Simon and Schuster
4744 What Is A Yankee?
The Chicago Tribune made a study and came up with these facts:
Foreigners call all Americans Yankees. Southerners say that Yankees are Northerners. Northerners say that Yankees are from the New England states. People in New England say it is the Vermonters who are Yankees. Vermonters reply that a Yankee is just someone who eats pie for breakfast.
—Woolery Digest
4745 To Keep On Being Disgusted
There is an old true story of a Republican political leader in Vermont who always showed up at Democratic rallies. He seemed to take grim pleasure in attending these gatherings, somewhat to the discomfort of assembled Democrats. His presence made their parties seem less homey.
At last, one day, a Democratic leader asked the old fellow why he came to their meetings. “Is it in your mind that you might get converted, or something?”
“Oh, no,” said the Republican, ’Nothin” like that. I’ll tell ye, I jes’ come aroum’t’ yer meetin’s so’s t’ keep my disgust fresh.”
—Selected
4746 Refusing The Telescope
What a circumstance is that, in 1624, at the request of the University of Paris, and especially of the Sorbonne, persons were forbidden by an arrest of Parliament, on pain of death, to hold or teach any maxim contrary to ancient or approved authors, or to enter into any debate but such as should be approved by the doctors of the faculty of theology.
So, again, after the telescope had been invented, many of the followers of Aristotle positively refused to look through the instrument because it threatened the overthrow of their master’s doctrines and authority; and so, when Galileo had discovered the satellites of Jupiter, some persons were infatuated enough to attempt to write down these unwelcome additions to the solar system.
—Paxton Hood
4747 Jury Box Episode
One afternoon John Scott Eldon, Lord Chancellor of England, noticed that there were only eleven men in the jury box. He was summing up and had already spoken for two hours, so was a little disconcerted.
“There are only eleven men in the jury box,” he told the foreman, “where is the twelfth?”
“Please, my Lord,” said the foreman, “he was called away by an urgent message just after lunch. But it’s all right—he’s left his verdict with me!”
—Maxwell Droke
4748 Grecian Concept Of World
To the Greek the word “humanity,” as a term for the wide brotherhood of all races, was unknown. All races, except his own were “barbarians.”
—Giekie
4749 Epigram On Prejudice
• Two ministers, given to arguing about their respective faiths, were in a very heated discussion. “That’s all right,” said one calmly. “We’ll just agree to disagree. After all, we’re both doing the Lord’s work—you in your way and I in His.”
—The Christlife Magazine
• I am sick of opinions. Give me a humble, gentle lover of God and man—a man full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy. Bigotry is too strong an attachment to our own creed of opinion. How unwilling men are to allow anything good in those who do not agree with them in all things. We must not narrow the cause of God to our own beliefs, but rejoice in goodness wherever it appears.
—John Wesley
• Prejudice, if not altogether invincible, is perhaps the most difficult of all errors to be eradicated from the human mind; for by disguising itself under the respectable name of firmness it passes through the world without censure, whereas open vice would receive a severe reprimand.
• Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart.
—Countess of Blessington
See also: Hatred ; Ignorance.