Prejudice: preformed opinion without knowledge. Discrimination: unfair treatment based on membership. Stereotyping: all members same (false). Systemic: prejudice in institutions and laws (apartheid example).
Christianity (Gal 3:28): all one in Christ; Jesus ate with despised. Islam (Quran 49:13): righteousness determines worth, not race. Sikhism: Guru Nanak rejected caste; langar shows equality. Judaism: love stranger; protect vulnerable. Buddhism: all have Buddha-nature; discrimination is delusion.
Case: MLK and Civil Rights
American South 1950s: Jim Crow laws. Reverend MLK led Civil Rights Movement based on Christian theology. Actions: Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56), sit-ins, Letter from Birmingham Jail, I Have a Dream (1963). Basis: all are God children deserving dignity; segregation is sin. Drew on Gandhi nonviolence (Hindu/Jain). Some white churches supported segregation, showing religion can justify injustice.
Religion as Source of Prejudice
Bible justified slavery, segregation, apartheid. Islamic texts misused for violence. Hindu nationalism against minorities. Religious fundamentalism views other beliefs as false. Problem: texts interpreted by prejudiced humans.
Religion as Source of Justice
Christian abolitionists fought slavery. MLK Civil Rights rooted in Christianity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Lutheran) resisted Nazism. Malala Yousafzai fight for girls education (Islamic values). Sikh Gurdwaras offered asylum. Dalai Lamas advocated Tibetan rights. Strength: motivates sacrifice; faith sustains activism.
Case: Malala Yousafzai
Taliban banned girls school in Pakistan. Malala argued girls education is Islamic right, citing Prophet (knowledge obligatory) and women scholars like Aisha. Shot 2012, survived, Nobel Prize. Grounds activism in Islam, argues true Islam demands education. Lesson: question is how we interpret traditions—justify exclusion or demand justice.
Analyse Religious Responses
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Guidance
Show: understanding discrimination; which teachings justified response; how interpreted tradition; courage required; why religious motivation powerful.
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Guidance
Think about: Is religion main? Other causes (economic, political)? Separate prejudice using religion from prejudice caused by religion? Non-religious ideologies (racism, fascism) caused terrible discrimination? Problem: religion, human nature, or interpretations?
Review
Prejudice vs discrimination?
🔒Reveal answer
Answer: Prejudice: preformed opinion. Discrimination: unfair treatment. Attitude vs action.