Religion and prejudice

Lesson Objective: To review the topic in preparation for summative

assessment

Key terms

Prejudice Pre-judging a person before you know them

Discrimination Treating someone differently because of prejudice

Stereotyping A fixed mental image about a group. Believing all members of a group are the same

Harmony People being able to live together peacefully

Tolerance Accepting people for who they are and the way they live

Examples

Studies have found we are far kinder

judges of other people if we find

them attractive we tend to believe that attractive people are kinder

and more intelligent than their less photogenic counterparts.

If we hold a particular belief about someone, we will look for evidence that supports our theory while conveniently ignoring any facts that don't fit.

Positive discrimination

gives people from disadvantaged and under-represented groups preferential treatment

The law

• 1976 – Race Relations Act. Illegal to discriminate on the grounds of race, colour or nationality.

• Commission for Racial equality set up to deal with complaints

• 1975 – Equal Pay Act. Men and women to be paid on an equal basis

• 1975 – Sex Discrimination Act. Jobs could not be advertised just for men or women. Also equal opportunities for promotion.

Types of prejudice

1. Race2. Colour3. Religion4. Sexuality5. Disability

6. Age7. Gender8. Lifestyle9. Class10. Looks

Causes

• Ignorance• Stereotyping• Scapegoating• The Media• Fear of the unknown• Influence of parents• Past experiences which are generalised

Christian responses

• All people are created by God – Sanctity of life. All life is sacred and precious.

• God created man in his own image.• Jesus taught that we should ‘love thy neighbour.’• The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches

against racism.• The golden rule – ‘treat others how you would

want them to treat you’

Women and the Church

• Adam was created first. Eve was his companion• Jesus disciples were all men. Tradition.• Jesus treated women well and with equality.

He said his message was for both men and women.

• St Paul – ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus.

• St Paul – ‘Women must not speak in Church’

Martin Luther King• Leader of Civil Rights Movement• Non-violent protest• Led the Bus Boycott after the arrest of Rosa

Parks• Held speeches to promote his Christian

message of equal rights for all• Worked to achieve equality in the areas of

education, voting and to stop segregation in public places.

Buddhism and prejudice

• Ahimsa – ‘do not harm any living thing

• Metta – develop loving kindness through meditation

• Eight-fold path – Right action, Right speech, Right mindfulness

• Buddha nature – all human life is precious

Christianity and Prejudice

• The parable of the Good Samaritan – teaching us to love our enemies as our neighbour

• Jesus said to treat one another as you would like to be treated

• Christianity believes that Jesus gave his life for others – all sinners

• Jesus associated with outcasts who were rejected by society, also with minorities and people he was not supposed to.