Racial Prejudice?

[Mark]

How do we handle racial bigotry when Adonai commands entire people-groups to be destroyed and when Paul says statements like "all Cretians are liars."?

[Nashdude]

There is no bigotry in God's commands. When God ordered the slaughter of entire peoples, He first acknowledged their wrongdoing. Each one of these groups were exposed to God in some form or fashion---even the peoples through whose lands Abraham passed---and had rejected Him. Their beliefs and practices were abhorant to God, revelling in human sacrifice, sexual deviancy, and other things. The Israelites failed to wipe out these groups as God had commanded. As a result, the Israelites INTEGRATED these peoples... and their customs and beliefs, which led to every ill that befell them. Had they just done as God said, and wiped them out for their sin's sake, the Israelites would likely never seen the trials that they did.

More, the commandment of God does have back-doors, as "bigotry" would deny. If you remember, Jericho was absolutely wiped out, but Rahab---a citizen of Jericho, a harlot, and a Canaanite---was spared, and even introduced into the bloodline of David!

And Paul? To say he called all Cretians liars would be to misrepresent him. Look here...

Titus 1:10-12 -- For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Okay, who is Paul talking about here? The unruly, vain talkers, deceivers, of which he said many were Jews. He's speaking of people who would lead the people of God astray. And what does he say about them?

Titus 1:13-14 -- One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

"One of themselves"---one of the unruly. HE is the one that said that Cretians are always liars, not Paul. Paul was simply using this "prophet" as an example, pointing out the fallacy of his teaching.

He goes on to say "this witness is true"---NOT meaning that he agrees with the description of Cretians, but saying something along the lines of "verily, verily, I say unto thee". Paul's telling Titus, "I ain't makin' this mess up!" For what does he tell Titus to do with the unruly, and those that listen to them? "Wherefore REBUKE THEM SHARPLY"! If he were agreeing with the unruly prophet, he'd have no call to tell Titus to rebuke them, would he?

Sorry if this came across wrong, but I felt the need to "defend Paul's honor" as it were