I am a bit slow reading the blogs here, but have heard the same sentiments from many. I grew up in Southeast Missouri, my parents still live there. I was raised to "date your own kind". Some of my best friends in school were the black kids. My dad however was very vocal about mixed relationships and had I pushed the envelope I probably would have been disowned, but I did not.

However, in my years raising my three daughters and seeing them developing relationships with young men, I would have preferred any of them to date a man who would respect and treat them well, regardless of their color as to live with a man of their own race who would abuse and mistreat them. My youngest daughter did date a young black man for a while and it was not a good relationship. She made the decision to enter the relationship and she made to decision to end it. I just supported and loved her through the heartbreak when it ended.

rddogoli: great comment!

This Is Your One Life To Live It,It's Your Heart Love With It,Do What You Do And Be Who You Are Cuz Only God Can Judge You......

I think there are a lot of people in this world that remain self-convinced that what they believe and have forced generation after generation to believe is right when, in fact, it is not. Most of the things people tend to use from the Bible regarding interracial relationships are taken completely out of context, like the "equally yoked" quote.

Nothing could ever convince me that harsh judgement, discrimination, racism, or pure hate for others is right or Christian because I know better.

Let me share some things I have read or been told regarding this subject that has helped me stand firm in my position:

"We are all equal.

We are all sinners.

Some are Christian others are not..

That is the only difference we have to be concerned about...Not race."

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People who use "unequally yoked" to forbid interracial marriage should at least have the decency to quote the WHOLE VERSE:

2 Corinthians 6:14:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with UNBELIEVERS: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"

It is clear here that the prohibition is against people with different BELIEFS, not different skin colors.

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"ALL men ...not some men...are created in the image of God..which is Jesus."

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Galatians 3:28

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

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Growing up, my parents were somewhat racist; mostly my dad. We never really discussed the forbidden rule to date outside of our race, as you said "black men" mainly, but I guess we just knew better. My sister began to date a black male and my dad had a fit; even slapped her at one point if my memory serves me correctly. My mother and father have since passed away and an aunt has relayed that it was my sister's heart-breaking actions that led to my dad's heart attack! Needless to say, I have pretty much disowned this aunt. A lot of my dad's side of the family are not welcome in my home as a result of their refusal to accept my sister's choice nor her 3 wonderful children.

I have raised my daughter also to be color-blind, but, I have warned her, not out of racism personally, but of the struggle she will have if she ever chooses to date outside of her race. I have taught her that it doesn't matter who she dates as long as they love, honor and respect her, and have the same moral belief system she has. I have watched my sister go through so much heartache, and my heart breaks when I babysit my nieces and nephews at the ill looks I get while out shopping with them. She would love to move back to this area, but knows her children would be exposed to so much more hatred than they are where they are, so as a result we aren't as close as we'd like to be.

My mother-in-law once told her own daughter she would disown her if she chose to date a black man; My husband became very upset with her and after several weeks of arguments, my husband finally said to his own mother, "Mom, what are you going to do when you get to heaven and there are black people there, are you going to turn around and go to hell?" She claimed to not be racist, but most people do, yet when it boils right down to it, most of us have some racism instilled in us, but we do not have to allow it to overcome us. Bravo for boldly telling the truth. And, as a Christian, I know what the bible meant when it said to be "equally yoked" and it had nothing to do with race; even though christians and non-christians alike use that excuse for their hatred of interracial relationships.

The bible says Jesus will come back after His church without spot or wrinkle; unfortunately, there may be a lot of church pew sitters still sitting in those pews when that trump sounds if they don't allow God's true light to shine within them. I'm a gentile, not a jew, yet God loved me and gave me the mercy and grace he offers to all his children, regardless of race or nationality.

goat lady: those are all perfect examples of what I am talking about. I, too, have heard people say that any white woman that dates outside of her race must be very insecure, fat, ugly, or have mental issues. All I can do when I hear comments like that is feel sorry for the people sharing them.

I am sorry but I have to disagree with their opinions. One of my very best friends was in a relationship with someone of a different color and she is far from insecure and certainly does not have mental issues.

The girl could be a model, is a strong Christian woman, highly educated, has strong morals, and is someone that has inspired me to be a better person in certain aspects of my life.

She met someone, fell in love with whom they were inside and out, and that was that. There was no great contemplation or struggle taking place within her regarding whether or not she should be with him. He was a good, honest person and that is the type of people that she chooses to surround herself with. I admire that in people.

Bravo Deanna!

In my youth, I believed exactly as you have stated in your blog. And even though I was from southeastern Missouri, when I lived up north, far from "the bible belt", I expressed that same sentiment as you do for the world to hear. However, after I left the north and returned to Missouri, I wasn't as brave as you. I still felt the way that you do, and I taught my child to be non-biased, however, I never said it out loud as you have in your blog and in the way that you live your everyday life.

When I lived up north, I had a "man of color" that I loved dearly living with me, and probably would have married. On my birthday, my mother drove almost seven hours to be with me and I was excited yet nervous about introducing her to "Jeff". I decided that it was time to tell her that I was in love with Jeff. She had planned on staying for the entire weekend, however, when she entered my home and realize that Jeff was black (although he sounded "white" on the phone when she spoke to him many times in the past), she left within a couple of hours. When I walked her to her car, she angrily told me that she couldn't believe I had let her drive all that way only to be faced with a black man living in the same house as her daughter and grandchild. She left without even giving me my birthday present.

Later told me that if my ex-husband ever tried to get custody of my child, she would back him up 100%. She never even gave Jeff a chance. If she had stopped worrying about what everyone back home would think and instead gotten to know him, she would have discovered that he was a very nice, funny, smart gentleman with two beautiful daughters.

It's a terrible shame to me that people will not give others a chance because of the color of their skin. What a person is, is defined as what is in their soul. The skin color is just the shell around them.

As a mother, I can say that you should make any women proud to have your as a daughter! God knows what is in our hearts and he is sending southeast Missouri his message of love and hope, for people of all color, through you. *Hugs* little lady.