Euro Ethics... continued

THE BIBLE AND NATIONAL IDENTITY

There is a trend today against nationalism. The word is used derisively in some quarters. It is almost interpreted as having racist connotations, and patriots are dubbed "Little Englanders". Even our national Airline fell for the idea by exchanging the union flag symbol for a meaningless pyschodelic design on their aircraft to make a more international appeal. Fortunately someone saw sense and revoked it, but at the cost of many thousands of pounds.

Racism finds no support in the Bible, but it does have something to say about racialism which has a different meaning. (Racialism...racial, or pertaining to race -Chambers dictionary). It traces for us the beginning of nations in the book of Genesis. At that time in early history, people had one universal language; but there came a time when some entrepreneurs decided to build a tower that would reach up to heaven on the plain of Shinar. That humanistic arrogant project was promptly interrupted by the Almighty whom it displeased. He did it by introducing a variety of languages which proved highly confusing and the work stopped. There followed natural groupings that shared the same new language. That was the beginning of races as we know them, and from that time they were scattered throughout the world.(2)

There is an interesting reference to this event in Scripture. It states that "God determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation".(3) So each group selected their territory, had their own language, developed their own culture and enjoyed their own autonomy. Every nation, race or ethnic group had (and still has) the right to preserve its identity.