PREJUDICE by D. A. Robinson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 6, 1876

PREJUDICE

By D. A. Robinson

The following definitions are given by Webster: “Prejudice, prejudgment; unreasonable prepossession; bias.” “Prejudge, to judge before hearing.”

It is no uncommon thing to find individuals who, by their words and actions, forcibly illustrate the truthfulness of the above definitions. They assume that their position is infallible, or they are afraid to examine anything that conflicts with their opinion; and yet such persons are regarded by some as having strong minds.

The truth is the opposite of this. The strong-minded person is the one who is not afraid to examine ideas that may differ from those he already entertains, and will not let his prejudice so overcome him as to judge before hearing.

To see an individual cling tenaciously to some preconceived opinion that may be wrong, is no evidence of a strong mind. If this were so, then we must conclude that those in the past, who led out in the great Reformation, were men of weak minds. It requires the strong mind to reject error and uphold truth, wherever it may be found. It must be a strong mind that can say, This is truth, and I shall stand upon it though I stand alone, yea, though the heavens fall.

When the light began to dawn upon the mind of Luther, he might have reasoned as many do at the present day: “This can’t be true, because it is entirely different from what my father believed, and I shall not pretend to know more than my ancestors.”

Had he taken this course, we will not say that the Reformation would not have been developed, because God would have raised up somebody else, but Luther would never have acted the prominent part that he did.

It was his love for truth, though that truth tore into shreds every fragment of his opinion, that gave him the position he held, and immortalized his name. Prejudice would have closed his eyes to the glorious light that beamed upon his pathway, but he laid it aside while investigating the truths which afterward became so precious to him. Would we find truth, we must take the same course. A love for truth will inspire us to follow wherever it leads.

The position of many is illustrated by the words of an individual, who, upon being asked why he did not attend meetings where the Sabbath question was being presented, said, “I am a Methodist, and I don’t feel as though it would be right to go. If we have a belief we should stick to it.”

Now what does such a plea amount to? Why, simply this, Whatever a person believes he must always cling to. The poor Hindoo mother believes it is right to cast her babe into the Ganges; therefore, let her do so. The heathen believes it is right to bow down and worship the sun; hence, we must say nothing against it. The Catholic believes the pope is infallible, and so we must not deny it. A great many believe that Sunday is the Sabbath; hence it is so, and they must always cling to it. Luther might have said the same: “I am a papist; this is my belief, and of course I must cleave to it.” But no, his position was, I will test my belief by the unerring word of God; and what was the result? His former belief was torn to pieces, and in place of it he had a belief more in harmony with the word of God.

Let a person take the Bible, laying aside what he has been taught in regard to the Sabbath question, and let him carefully examine it with the one idea before him of finding what it teaches upon the subject, and it will be impossible for him to come to any other conclusion than that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and is binding at the present time.

But the trouble with many was expressed by the good old deacon who said that he “would not keep the seventh day if he knew it was right;” but he evidently let his feelings get the better of his judgment, as he afterward modified his statement. The man who loves truth, and searches for it, will be very sure to find it; because “light is sown for the righteous.” Ps. 97:11. Again, the psalmist says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path;” Ps. 119:105; but it would not have been such had he not studied it and followed its teachings. In verse 11 he tells us why he was kept from sin, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Dear reader, is your love for truth greater than it is for earthly honor, ease, or pleasure? If so, it will lead you to search for it as for “hid treasures.” Do this, and your searching will not be in vain. Find the truth; love it; obey it; be sanctified through it, and you will finally be saved by it. Says the Saviour, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth;” John 17:17; and the apostle Peter adds, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth,” &c. 1 Pet. 1:22. Obedience is the vital point; for “if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” Isa. 1:19. Let us obey and live. D. A. Robinson.