You've (Not) Got To Be Carefully Taught

65 years ago, in 1949, the Broadway musical South Pacific made its debut.  It later became a hit movie in 1958. It has been heralded as ahead of its time in terms of racial content, and while I am not debating that, but one thing that has been driving me nuts about the media coverage of it, is the song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught".  I have put the lyrics below.

You've Got To Be Carefully Taught," (Lyrics from South Pacific.)

You've got to be taught to hate and fear,
You've got to be taught from year to year,
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear,
You've got to be carefully taught. 

You've got to be taught to be afraid. 
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

No, you don't have to be taught. People have always hated the "other." This goes all the way back to Cain and Abel. People are also afraid and threatened of the new, or unknown. The reason for this is that we are sinful, fallen people.  People don't have to be taught sin. What people have to be taught is what Jesus did to conquer sin, death, and the devil.