RELIGION AND PREJUDICE

RELIGION AND PREJUDICE

1. DEFINITIONS

   • PREJUDICE
     • Pre-judging someone or groups of people before full knowledge of the facts
   • DISCRIMINATION
     • Acting on prejudice
   • STEREOTYPING
     • building an image of someone or a group of people based on prejudices
   • SCAPEGOATING
     • Blaming certain groups for problems in society
   • POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION
     • treating people more favourably because they have been discriminated on in the past.
   • TOLERANCE, HARMONY AND JUSTICE
     • TOLERANCE: respecting the beliefs and practices of others.
     • HARMONY: living at peace with others
     • JUSTICE: bringing about what is fair or right

2. CAUSES OF PREJUDICE

   • IGNORANCE
     • People do not know and understand a group
   • FEAR
     • people feel threatened by the unknown
   • FAMILY UPBRINGING AND TRADITION
     • People are secure and familiar with ingrown attitudes that are hard to shake off
   • MEDIA
     • The media build on and create stereotypes which feed prejudices into society
   • SCAPEGOATING
     • People use a particular group as a source of blame
   • BAD EXPERIENCES such as being a victim of discrimination in the past

3. TYPES OF PREJUDICE

   • RACISM
   • SEXUAL ORIENTATION
   • DISABILILY
   • SEXISM
   • AGEISM
   • RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE
   • based on CLASS, LOOKS, LIFESTYLE

4. THE LAW

   • Race Relations Act 1976
   • Disability Discrimination Act 1995
   • Sex Discrimination Act 1975
   • Equality Act 2006

5. RELIGIOUS RESPONSES

   • KEY CHRISTIAN QUOTES AND TEACHINGS
     • "Do not ill-treat foreigners who are living in your land" - Leviticus 19 v33 [racism]
     • The Good Samaritan - Luke 10 v25 (racism)
       • Treat everyone with kindness despite differences
       • Love your neighbour
     • "Then God made man in his image"
     • Jesus healed lepers who would have outcast from society because of their disability. [disability]
     • Some Christians do have controversial attitudes to issues such as the role of women and the status of homosexual relationships.
   • ISLAM
     • Allah created all people equal
     • Muhammad preached against slavery and discrimination
     • Equality on Hajj
     • Woman are equal but have different roles
     • "You are all equal, as teeth on a comb"
     • "Whoever does you right, whether be male or female and is a believer will be granted a good life with a greater reward!"

6. INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS

   • MARTIN LUTHER KING
     • Baptist minister who became to leader of the civil rights movement.
       • Non-violent methods, starting with bus boycott
         • Killed in 1968 for his beliefs and actions
     • Awarded a nobel peace prize in 1964
   • CORRYMEELA COMMUNITY
     • Northern Island
     • Encourages Catholic and Protestants to work together restoring relationships
       • Provides a place where young people from different sides can come together
   • APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA 1948=1994
     • DESMOND TUTU
       • Arch-bishop of Capetown
         • Used non violent protest against the racist apartheid system
           • Marches, speeches, petitions and economic sanctions
     • TREVOR HUDDLESTON
       • A white church leader
         • Campaigned against Apartheid
           • Believed Christians have a duty to stand up for people who are being treated unfairly
     • DUTCH REFORM CHURCH
       • Supported Apartheid
         • Argued it was God's will to keep black and white people seperate