Religion and Prejudice

Prejudice

thinking badly of someone because of the group he/she belongs to

Stereotyping
everyone in a group

having an over-simplified mental image of people and applying it to

Discrimination

actions as a result of prejudice

Positive Discrimination
against in the past
Scapegoating
Disability

treating people more favourably because they have been discriminated

blaming certain groups for problems in society

physical or mental handicap or impairment

Lifestyle

the way people live reflects their values

Tolerance

respecting the beliefs and practices of others

Justice

bringing about what is right, fair, according to the law or making up for what has
been done wrong

Harmony

living in peace with others

Types of Prejudice:
Race and ColourCan lead to
Racism

GenderCan lead to
Sexism

Race usually refers to the ethnicity, religious group, nationality or skin

colour of a person
Some people think that humans can be separated into distinct races
Scientists have now proven that there is no biologically distinct race, we all
share the same characteristics
Believing that the colour of someones skin determines their ability
Racist people believe that people of some races are inferior to other
Examples from the media include football players who have suffered racist
chants
Racism is against the law

Society can create expectations of each gender, known as sexual

stereotypes
People who do not conform to these expectations e.g. a man who wants to
be a nurse may suffer prejudice and discrimination
Sexism is a form of gender prejudice. It means treating people unfairly
because of their gender
Sexism is against the law
Religious Prejudice/Ageism/Disability/Lifestyle = other examples of prejudice

Religious Attitudes to Prejudice

Tolerance

Justice

Harmony

- Everyone has the right to think what they want and express their opinions
- People should be allowed to keep their beliefs and practices as long as they do
not harm others or break the law. This does not mean you have to agree with
everything that everyone does but you should respect their decisions
- All religions teach that people are equal meaning everyone has the same value
and worth
- Religious believers think people should be treated with justice that is fair
according to the law
- If laws are not fair then religious people have a duty to work to change them
- Requires people to be tolerant and understanding of others

The Value of the

Individual

- Practicing kindness, compassion and generosity is believed by religious people to

be the qualities needed for living in harmony with others
- Each individual is created by God and so has special value to God. They are
unique.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is based on the beliefs surrounding
the value of the individual

Womens Rights
In the past women had few rights, for example they were not allowed to vote or to divorce their
husband. After WW1 when women had taken over mens work while the men were away fighting their
status began to change.
Religious people teach that women and men are created equal by God. However some religions think
that men and women should have different roles but does not mean that they value women any less.

Responses to Prejudice
Society and the law state that human rights are founded on religious principles of equality and justice
for all.
Britain has passed a number of laws against discrimination:

Sex Discrimination Act 1975

Race Relations Act 1976
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Equality Act 2006 (against religious discrimination and ageism)

Anthony Walker A sixth former who was killed with an ice axe in Merseyside in 2005. Paul Taylor, 20,
and Michael Barton, 17, had killed him simply for being black. Anthonys mother, Gee, is a Christian and
said she feels no hate for her sons killer, only pity for their families. Gee and her family have set up a
charity in Anthonys name to fight racism.
The Corrymeela Community Founded by Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland during a
time when violence between them was tearing their country apart. The community promotes peace,
tolerance and respect in an environment where people from any background can meet and talk freely.
Every year more than 8,000 people explore ways of moving away from violence and finding more
constructive ways of working together through the provision that is offered at the Corrymeela
Community centre.

Key Figures
Items shown in italics are those explaining what the key figure did to work towards an end to prejudice
and discrimination

Mahatma Gandhi

Martin Luther King

- Hindu born in India 1869

- Trained as a lawyer in England and at the age of
24 he went to South Africa to work in an Indian
law firm where he experienced prejudice and
discrimination under the apartheid laws keeping
black and white people separate
- As a Hindu, Gandhi practised non-violence
(Ahimsa) and believed in peaceful protests
- One method he used was non-violent mass civil
disobedience, where thousands of people refused
to pay unfair poll tax
- Returned to India 1915where he used peaceful

- Born in Atlanta, Georgia 1929

- In America at that time black people faced awful
prejudice and discrimination from white people. A
racist group called the Ku Klux Klan used violence
against black people
- Against Martin Luther Kings Christian beliefs in
fairness and equality
- Inspired by the peaceful ideas of Mahatma
Gandhi
- 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving her
seat up for a white woman on a bus. MLK
organised a bus boycott where thousands of black

methods to fight against the British who ruled

India
- After British troops massacred unarmed civilians
in India Gandhi led a nationwide campaign where
people refused to pay taxes, including the high
tax that they paid for salt
- He led thousands in a march to the sea where
they made salt by evaporating sea water (Great
Salt March)
- Gandhi began to wear a loin cloth like the poor
to show his belief in equality - His actions resulted
in better treatment of the poor
- He was assassinated by a Hindu extremist in
1948

Christianity

Buddhism

All Christians
agree that
discrimination
goes against
the idea of
Gods design.

The Buddha
rejected the
caste system
which divided
people into
different
classes.

God created
man and
woman of
equal value.
Jesus taught
love your
neighbour as
yourself
through the
story of the
Good
Samaritan in
the Bible.
Some
protestant and
Anglican
denominations
allow women
to be priests or
ministers.
Roman
Catholics and
Orthodox
Christians do
not allow
women to be
priests as they
believe women
have different
roles to play.

The Buddha
taught that
everyone has
equal potential
to reach
enlightenment.
Right Action,
Right Speech
and lovingkindness
require
Buddhists to
treat everyone
equally.
The Dalai Lama
(a Buddhist
leader) thinks
that people
need to
increase
mutual
understanding
and respect,
whatever they
believe in.
They do not
have to agree
with each other
to do achieve
this.

people refused to use public transport for 381

days. During this time MLK was arrested, his home
was bombed and death threats were made
against him
- He became leader of the Civil Rights Movement
which organised rights for black people when it
came to voting etc
- In 1963 MLK delivered his I have a dream
speech at a march on Washington
- In 1964 MLK was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
- In 1965 Black people were given equal rights to
vote
MLK was assassinated in 1968 aged 39

Religious attitudes to prejudice