Favoritism

I work with this young man who is bible major of some sort. Our discussion at work the other day somehow got to the place where he was talking about future ministry.
He said that he hated one age group but loved the other.
My brow furrowed and I tried to take a breath (as I often have to do when I wanna jump into a rant that doesn't have much love mixed into it as it should) and said that I didn't think that was fair.
He rolled his eyes and me.
So I then said that James clearly says that favoritism is wrong.
He asked me if I'd ever read the Old Testament and that it was full of favoritism.
I then decided to give up on the conversation because it was obvious that he was set on being painful and close minded (or I felt that maybe I was wrong and I was the one being painful and close minded)

So when I got home that night I opened up my bible and read the following:

James 1:26-2:13 (New International Version)

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Chapter 2
Favoritism Forbidden

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"[b] also said, "Do not murder."[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

After that I listened to this sermon by Ben Stuart on favoritism called the Poor and Peripheral.

This is what I got from it :)
The whole book of James argues that as a Christian, God has radically changed who you are, so the natural thing to do is to radically change how you live. When we change how we live it also includes changing our thinking. Partiality, favoritism... if you are a believer you should not make distinctions between people, and ascribe worth to a certain group based on external appearance, social status, age, cultural worth, or personality. We all have that one group that we externalize and it is wrong (beautiful people, "greek" college students, certain styles, the rich, the poor, anyone who isn't like us). You know you got the disease when you not only care and love the poor but you care about their personal holiness too. Jesus moved towards the poor and hurting, the people who had nothing to give of worldly value. He moved toward them not for his own personal benefit but for theirs.