In 2026, Is It Still Acceptable To Use the Term "Colored" When Describing Human Beings?

[seoulsearch]

Nope definitely not a catfish. More like some kind of friendly doodle dog that likes to sit on the couch with its favorite humans. Though if I believed in reincarnation I'd be sure you'd come back as a stuffed animal (the children's kind not the dog toy kind).

Lol!

Guilty as charged.


One of the things I love about Cinder is that she's so dang smart, I really have to WORK to keep up with her. Sometimes I feel too dumb to be able to talk to her. I always call her and Lynx my walking Concordances. My brain remembers key words but not references, so I'll text them asking, "Hey guys, I'm looking for the Bible passage that says..." and give a keyword.

It's not a matter of whether they know the passages, but who gets back to me first. They also include all kinds of helpful references and culture information to help me understand the passages better. And they don't yell at me if I see something differently or need more clarification.

Speaking of diversity...

One of my favorite things to ask Cinder about is her experiences in world missions.

She was telling me about a culture in which betrayal is seen as a GOOD quality -- so one of the challenges for the mission team was convincing the locals that in the story of Judas betraying Jesus, Judas is actually the BAD guy -- because the natives saw JUDAS as the hero or the story!!

Can you imagine?!!

One of the best things about Cinder is that she keeps me grounded.

Her experiences remind me of just how easy I have it as a Christian in the USA -- and that I always need to keep working at being more grateful (not to mention, useful.)

 

[Charlesiii]

Hey Everyone,

There is a discussion going on in Lynx's Which Witch thread in which this user made the following remark:



When confronted about making a racist statement, he then said this:




As for me, I was raised by white people.

One of my best friends is black, and the rest of my friends and family are a mix of various ethnicities and backgrounds. We sometimes call each other this or that, but it's all born out of love, respect, and the familiarity of having been around each other for decades.

My black friend calls me the whitest white girl he knows. (In case you can't tell by my picture and avatar name, I'm not actually white.) But he's earned the right to say those things to me after almost 25 years of walking through the fires with me when I was going through them. He could call me "Cracker Girl" all day long and I wouldn't think twice, because we have a history that's hard to match.

Everyone in this life has had experience with some form of racism or at least bullying in some way.

The thing that makes the difference to me of whether a term is wrong or not is the relationship between the people involved.

When a stranger/someone unfamiliar with someone calls or refers to them by socially questionable terms or words that have a socially charged history, then yes, I see that as racism -- no matter what ethnicities are involved.

But that's just me, and I realize others feel differently.

Seeing as this is a wide and diverse Christian Community with people from all over the world, and from every race and background, I think it's an important subject to discuss.

What are your thoughts?

I agree with all of your thoughts I've read on this so far. I never agreed with all the woke anti-racist stuff. All of us are all different in many ways - not just race, but gender - even within "races" - state, country, hair colour. Sometimes, in good humour, its nice to be able to joke or tease about our differences.

But with the hatred in the world, I don't think a public arena is really the place for some talk (like in the example posts you quoted). When I have seen true racism, its cruel and reprehensible - effectively treating other human beings as worth less. Some of the posts you quoted did seem condescending to me.

"Coloured people"? I mean, maybe some folks do still talk like that, but online where people are from all over the world, it seems a little bigoted. Is white (or should it be pink/tan?) not a colour also? If one wants to differentiate based on skin colour or race, one should at least be straight enough to speak what one means - black, brown, white. I'd put use of the term "cracker" in the same context. Not an unforgivable sin, but perhaps a symptom of being racist or unempathetic/discourteous toward others?

 

[Lanolin]

I went and had a look at the crayola stand in 2 different shops and couldn't see the colours of the world crayons/coloured pencils there but I did see...



I think Crayola may have come under fire because this is where it all started, children not having the colours to shade in their and others own skin tones, or even the language to say how they feel.

I'd rather have these colours than '50 shades of grey' or 'colours of anger'

 

[Lanolin]

'What we need is a great big melting pot' was a super popular song in the 80s in NZ when I was growing up. (still is)
I also was quite affected by 'Young Gifted and Black' when I first heard Nina Simone sing it.
And of course in NZ there was a lot of protest of apartheid in South Africa because they wouldn't let 'coloured' people play rugby in their country, and for us who had the All Blacks where half the team were Maori and brown skinned, that was unacceptable.
This nearly divided the nation, some thought oh it's just a game, let's just get on with it. but others were like NO we have to stand up to them (SA apartheid) and say something.


I really do understand where BLM is coming from, it's tiring to be racially profiled all the time and treated as criminal or less than human. But there's been a lot of pushback for that which ...I sort of understand as well, because not everyone is Black and they matter as well. It sometimes really is the case of Animal Farm' 2 legs bad 4 legs better' or 'everyone is equal but some are more equal than others' rhetoric.

 

[G00WZ]

Ah, tanning!!!

Now this subject brings up memories. I tried to tan when I was young and it was all the rage, but I hated sunburns, so I went the opposite route.

And when I read that the sun causes premature aging and saw my family members struggling with skin cancer, I started wearing SPF 30 sunblock whether it was raining or sunny. At that time, magazines said SPF 15 was the best and SPF 30 was a waste of money (it was the highest you could find at the time,) but I wore it anyway.

A few years ago they used to say SPF 30 was the best and SPF 50 was a waste of money -- guess which one I've been wearing. I'll wear 70 if I can find it, and Neutrogena had an SPF 100 (though that still doesn't block 100% of the rays,) but it felt like putting wallpaper paste on your skin so I couldn't wear it.

In my late 20's, all the girls I worked with were going to tanning beds and telling me to buy a tanning package. One girl insisted I'd look better tan and even left a bottle of self-tanner on my desk at work. I visited my parents in AZ and when we went to their church, I met one of the children's church leaders and she started telling me her life story -- and God told me to listen.

Instead of going into the sanctuary for the church service, we sat outside on the playground in the burning midday AZ sun for over 2 hours while she poured her heart out. Some of the things she told me that day, I'll remember for the rest of my life.

I came home with the only tan my co-workers ever saw me with, and they all said I looked so much better. But I went back to my regular pale routine.

I went to a dermatologist in AZ and, after looking at my arms, he was astonished because they were the same color from top to bottom -- no farmer's tan, or any sign of a tan at all.

Yes, I realize I might be part vampire.

Fast forward a few decades. I'm now in my 50's, but people usually think I'm around 35 -- including the guys who ask me out. When I'm in CC live chat, some people ask if my avatar picture is really old or of someone else, but all the avatar pics I've put up are of me from 2025-2026, except for one from 2023 which is one of the only known pictures of me with my hair down. And I saw Cinder in person this past summer, so she can hopefully vouch that I'm not a catfish, lol.

I actually hate pictures of myself but I felt God was telling me that some people need to see a face when they read the posts here.

The girl who insisted I should go tanning is around 8 years younger than me, but people always think I'm the younger one.

When people asked what I did, I know genetics is part of it, along with diet and lifestyle (I eat a lot of healthy things I don't actually like to stay in a healthy weight range,) but I honestly think sun protection was my number one defense.

And I know it won't last forever. I've read that Asian women either look really young or really old, and the grays are creeping in on me all the time.

I often joke with my Mom that any day now, I'm going to wake up looking 80.

Fun topic, thanks for bringing it up!

Just remember that without cosmetic intervention most white people age before their time like ripe bananas. They don't have enough melanin or collagen so they're basically done at 45.

You're Asian so you probably won't start to look older until you're in your late 60s to early 70s.

The saying "Black don't crack and asian won't raisin" is said for a reason and it's usually true.

 

[Jesusgirl777]

It's absolutely okay for me. I am a person of color or I am a "colored" person. I am not offended, and I don't even understand why anyone should be offended.

I haven't read the thread you mentioned, but honestly I have no problem with anyone calling me a brown person or a person of color. That is a part of my identity, and I do not want to be any other color while I respect people of all ethnic backgrounds.

However, as Christians we are not different cultures, not different races, and not different colored people. We are all part of one family- The family of God.

Race is a fact. Racism is a choice of the heart. But please, I do not want anyone to be offended for me if someone calls me a person of color. It doesn't bother me

Seoul, thank you for another interesting thread!

 

[seoulsearch]

It's absolutely okay for me. I am a person of color or I am a "colored" person. I am not offended, and I don't even understand why anyone should be offended.

I haven't read the thread you mentioned, but honestly I have no problem with anyone calling me a brown person or a person of color. That is a part of my identity, and I do not want to be any other color while I respect people of all ethnic backgrounds.

However, as Christians we are not different cultures, not different races, and not different colored people. We are all part of one family- The family of God.

Race is a fact. Racism is a choice of the heart. But please, I do not want anyone to be offended for me if someone calls me a person of color. It doesn't bother me

Seoul, thank you for another interesting thread!

Thank you so much for adding to this thread.

It's been fascinating to me -- and quite the lesson -- in how different people have experienced and view this term.

I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to answer, but I am especially interested in hearing from the people this word was originally applied to.

I love reading about the cultural and personal experiences you add to the discussions.

Thank you for the kind words, and I'm very happy to see you back!!

 

[Lanolin]

Have you seen the movie Joy Ride
It's hilarious.
Also a lot of European/white people cannot tell the difference between Chinese and Korean features but I could tell right away lol

 

[Jesusgirl777]

..but I am especially interested in hearing from the people this word was originally applied to..

Sister, pardon me if I am missing something here. Do you mean people living in the U.S. because this term is mostly used there?

 

[seoulsearch]

Have you seen the movie Joy Ride
It's hilarious.
Also a lot of European/white people cannot tell the difference between Chinese and Korean features but I could tell right away lol

Recently in another thread, there was a user who made a comment about hoping that another member wasn't transgender, in an effort to cut that person down.

The person meant to be cut down answered with something like, "Oh no!! I've been misgendered, how will I ever live with being misidentified!!"

This made me laugh out loud, because it got me thinking about how many times in life we're all mistaken to be something else.

Like when people can't tell what nationality someone is, so they just assume -- and are usually wrong.

I can't fault people for not knowing I'm Korean because I've had other Asians assume I was Chinese, and the brutal truth is, while I generally recognize that someone is Asian (there are a lot of mixes so it can be hard to tell,) I sometimes guess wrong, too!

So of course I can't fault anyone else -- it's just an added bonus when people know there are other Asian countries besides China and Japan.

I guess that's what cracks me up about people today bemoaning being "misgendered" or someone "getting their pronouns wrong" or being "misidentified" in some way -- as if it's a life and death matter and ESSENTIAL to being a functional human being.

I think most everyone, in some way, have been incorrectly identified all their lives -- and yet, we're still all here.

 

[seoulsearch]

Sister, pardon me if I am missing something here. Do you mean people living in the U.S. because this term is mostly used there?

No worries, @Jesusgirl777.

Yes, when I wrote the thread, I was generally thinking of how people in the USA react to the term "colored people" because this is what I'm used to and grew up around.

However, it's obviously a very narrow-minded view and I'm very happy to have people from all over the world, of all races and backgrounds, share their view to expand what this term means to them.

 

[Lanolin]

Well....am still trying to find a true Scotsman...

 

[seoulsearch]

Well....am still trying to find a true Scotsman...

We're going to have a GIANT party thread here whenever you find one!!

 

[Lanolin]

Lol!

Guilty as charged.


One of the things I love about Cinder is that she's so dang smart, I really have to WORK to keep up with her. Sometimes I feel too dumb to be able to talk to her. I always call her and Lynx my walking Concordances. My brain remembers key words but not references, so I'll text them asking, "Hey guys, I'm looking for the Bible passage that says..." and give a keyword.

It's not a matter of whether they know the passages, but who gets back to me first. They also include all kinds of helpful references and culture information to help me understand the passages better. And they don't yell at me if I see something differently or need more clarification.

Speaking of diversity...

One of my favorite things to ask Cinder about is her experiences in world missions.

She was telling me about a culture in which betrayal is seen as a GOOD quality -- so one of the challenges for the mission team was convincing the locals that in the story of Judas betraying Jesus, Judas is actually the BAD guy -- because the natives saw JUDAS as the hero or the story!!

Can you imagine?!!

One of the best things about Cinder is that she keeps me grounded.

Her experiences remind me of just how easy I have it as a Christian in the USA -- and that I always need to keep working at being more grateful (not to mention, useful.)

Have you or Cinder ever seen Jesus Christ Superstar? It's told from Judas point of view.

Some interpretations of the gospel story are that Judas was not the bad guy he was just misunderstood and his betrayal of Jesus was a good thing because thats what led to Jesus proving to others that He was the son of God through dying and subsequent resurrection.

Also Jesus already knew that Judas would be the one to betray him, while the rest of the disciples wondered if THEY would be the ones. Because he told them so, that He knew He was going to be sentenced and die.

Judas motivations though were not good, he was friends with Jesus mostly for the money and prestige, like a groupie hanger on. It would be similar to what happened to Selena, when she was actually shot by the president of her fan club.

Although Judas didn't have a DIRECT hand in Jesus death, when Judas learned of what happened he horrified because Jesus was sentenced to death while he was innocent. But Judas was paid off. That's why he did it. For 30 pieces of silver.

 

[Jesusgirl777]

No worries, @Jesusgirl777.

Yes, when I wrote the thread, I was generally thinking of how people in the USA react to the term "colored people" because this is what I'm used to and grew up around.

However, it's obviously a very narrow-minded view and I'm very happy to have people from all over the world, of all races and backgrounds, share their view to expand what this term means to them.

Thank you for explaining that.

When I was in the U.S., someone asked me at a social gathering if people travel on elephants in my country . I was really taken aback. I mean that used to be centuries ago just like centuries ago there were no trains or flights but only horses and carriages in the Western world, and we had those in India as well. But I guess that person genuinely wanted to know.

I made some friends and was addressed as an Indian friend, which also implies a person who is brown . Some people also commented that I spoke good English maybe because they didn't expect that. I was not offended. So though I was not directly called a person of color, I had these experiences. If I go to the U.S. today and am called a person of color, unless they tell me so for something like I can't enter a store because of my skin color, I am not going to be offended. There are more important things to be bothered about than to be upset over someone calling me brown or colored which anyway is a fact.

It is interesting and sad that many people are so sensitive about such matters, but they don't care about being sensitive and kind to people in general. Looking at what's happening around us and from what I have heard, this is my observation.

 

[seoulsearch]

Thank you for explaining that.

When I was in the U.S., someone asked me at a social gathering if people travel on elephants in my country . I was really taken aback. I mean that used to be centuries ago just like centuries ago there were no trains or flights but only horses and carriages in the Western world, and we had those in India as well. But I guess that person genuinely wanted to know.

I made some friends and was addressed as an Indian friend, which also implies a person who is brown . Some people also commented that I spoke good English maybe because they didn't expect that. I was not offended. So though I was not directly called a person of color, I had these experiences. If I go to the U.S. today and am called a person of color, unless they tell me so for something like I can't enter a store because of my skin color, I am not going to be offended. There are more important things to be bothered about than to be upset over someone calling me brown or colored which anyway is a fact.

It is interesting and sad that many people are so sensitive about such matters, but they don't care about being sensitive and kind to people in general. Looking at what's happening around us and from what I have heard, this is my observation.

LOL!!

I feel a need to apologize for the elephant question, on behalf of all of us living in the USA!!! I am sorry!!

I had a college friend who was adopted from India, and people were asking her all kinds of ridiculous questions ("Why don't you have a dot on your forehead?!") all the time.

It's awesome that there are kind and understanding people like you who are patient enough to show grace in these situations.

I mean, if you went somewhere with me and someone said you couldn't enter a store because of skin color... I would have a VERY hard time not saying a few words back!!!

I know my own background has made me very sensitive to what I see happening to others due to being different.

You are absolutely right though in that there are other things to worry about.

I guess all we can do is try to show consideration to others...

And pray that we can hold it together if they won't do the same.

 

[seoulsearch]

Have you or Cinder ever seen Jesus Christ Superstar? It's told from Judas point of view.

Some interpretations of the gospel story are that Judas was not the bad guy he was just misunderstood and his betrayal of Jesus was a good thing because thats what led to Jesus proving to others that He was the son of God through dying and subsequent resurrection.

Also Jesus already knew that Judas would be the one to betray him, while the rest of the disciples wondered if THEY would be the ones. Because he told them so, that He knew He was going to be sentenced and die.

Judas motivations though were not good, he was friends with Jesus mostly for the money and prestige, like a groupie hanger on. It would be similar to what happened to Selena, when she was actually shot by the president of her fan club.

Although Judas didn't have a DIRECT hand in Jesus death, when Judas learned of what happened he horrified because Jesus was sentenced to death while he was innocent. But Judas was paid off. That's why he did it. For 30 pieces of silver.

I've heard many viewpoints in which people have tried to paint Judas as a sympathetic character.

I've also heard that Judas only betrayed Jesus because he was disappointed that Jesus wasn't overthrowing the Romans -- and that Judas had only followed Jesus because he thought Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom over Rome.

This is just me -- I don't judge anyone else's views on this -- but I think the Bible says enough about Judas to deduct that he knew exactly what he was doing.

I've never watched Jesus Christ Superstar (but I don't judge anyone who does,) because I've never entertained the possibility that Judas "might not have been so bad."

I personally don't believe Judas had any excuses for what he did, but that's for God to judge, not me.

 

[Lanolin]

In the US how far did that separatism/segregation actually go and is it still visible today?

I mean signs saying colored people cant' drink from this water fountain, and separate toilets. I've heard of 'sundown towns' and places where there were color barriers. Black children couldn't play with white children or go to the same schools, and when they did, the white population moved away and went to their own schools.

I don't mean to bring up these horrible things again, as thats supposedly ALL in the past, but it just seemed like a terrible way to live if you were Black and trying to make a living where everyone was so prejudiced against you. No longer enslaved, but treated as inferior and like a slave.

Mixed couples shunned, and mixed children not knowing whether to identify themselves as Black or White as it seems those are the only options. Having your culture dismissed or being racially profiled. Not being able to see the good things about your own history, being seen as the 'enemy'.

 

[Lanolin]

I've heard many viewpoints in which people have tried to paint Judas as a sympathetic character.

I've also heard that Judas only betrayed Jesus because he was disappointed that Jesus wasn't overthrowing the Romans -- and that Judas had only followed Jesus because he thought Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom over Rome.

This is just me -- I don't judge anyone else's views on this -- but I think the Bible says enough about Judas to deduct that he knew exactly what he was doing.

I've never watched Jesus Christ Superstar (but I don't judge anyone who does,) because I've never entertained the possibility that Judas "might not have been so bad."

I personally don't believe Judas had any excuses for what he did, but that's for God to judge, not me.

Well, not everyone reads the Bible in its entirety and trying to explain it to someone who hasn't can be a bit of a mission in itself for someone who doesn't have a translation in their own language and can't read it.

 

[seoulsearch]

In the US how far did that separatism/segregation actually go and is it still visible today?

I mean signs saying colored people cant' drink from this water fountain, and separate toilets. I've heard of 'sundown towns' and places where there were color barriers. Black children couldn't play with white children or go to the same schools, and when they did, the white population moved away and went to their own schools.

I don't mean to bring up these horrible things again, as thats supposedly ALL in the past, but it just seemed like a terrible way to live if you were Black and trying to make a living where everyone was so prejudiced against you. No longer enslaved, but treated as inferior and like a slave.

Mixed couples shunned, and mixed children not knowing whether to identify themselves as Black or White as it seems those are the only options. Having your culture dismissed or being racially profiled. Not being able to see the good things about your own history, being seen as the 'enemy'.

I'm sure there will be wide and varied answers to this.

I personally think that in many parts of the USA, racism is just as alive and well as it always was -- but it's expanded to include discrimination against ALL races -- INCLUDING white people.

It has become very fashionable in some circles to bash white people, and that needs to stop, too.

Again, this is just my own observation, and I'm sure others will be very different -- just like the answers to this thread (and again, I thank the mods for allowing this thread to be posted.)

While I do think younger generations are more open-minded, with the older generations especially, I think many feel the same, but don't voice their opinions as much, because it's become less socially accepted.

One of the most... interesting situations... is when someone says, "I'm not racist. I have black (or any other race different than themselves) friends."

But what happens when their (white) daughter comes home wanting to marry a black man?

In a lot of families, that's going to be the start of a nuclear apocalypse.