‘No one uses a piece of new cloth to patch up an old coat, because it will just tear off the old cloth making a bigger hole…’ just as ‘new wine must be poured into new wine skins’
Which tells us do not try and change, just start again from afresh. People should be taught to start again and to love one another as God loved us all individually. We should try to love someone for what they are inside, not by their ethnic backgrounds.
Martin Luther King once said hearts con not be changed by force of law, he said, it is from the hearts of the blacks and whites that lasting solutions have to come. We should start now, by teaching our sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, grandsons and granddaughters to love every body.
B) Explain how Christians respond to racism.
Everybody has his or her own way of reacting to racism. Christians should realise that race relations are often today’s test of the authenticity of his Christianity. He or She should recognise that an attitude of discrimination or segregation on the basis or race is seriously wrong, and She or he should resolve to do what ever they can to help induce integration and acceptance of all. Christians should not let apathy, fear or disillusionment take over. They should recognise that prejudices are deep within us all, and that solving this problem will require great perseverance and often sacrifice. Christians should try to look on all men and women as individuals, to get to know them, and appreciate them as human beings with strengths and weaknesses like him. As against all forms of racial discrimination we maintain the fundamental equilibrium of all men and women. It is a sin to make a barrier out of ethnic differences.
‘The whole world is run on bluff. No race, no nation, no man has the divine right to take advantage of others. Why allow another fellow to bluff you?’ (Marcus Garvey, 1887-1940, Philosophy and Opinions, p. 7)
Where there are such differences we learn from harsh experience the extent of the task of the re-unification that God has place on the shoulders of us all.
‘I have a dream that my children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ (Martin Luther King JR. 1929-1968, Speech in Washington D.C. on completion of the Civil Rights March, -28 Aug. 1963)
Christians respond to racism differently. Some choose to ignore it and shut it out of their lives. Others choose to fight back some physically, some verbally.
People can be very patriotic and defensive of their country. They think highly of the land and its content including the traditions and cultures which present the countries individuality and independence. For somebody else to ridicule what he or she represent and love is reprehensible. People take these mockeries personally, become protective, and therefore try to redeem themselves and their country by ridiculing the other person’s country, traditions or cultures. This leads to verbal and occasionally physical assaults, which has been made illegal in the United Kingdom. The punishments for such actions can result in one being prosecuted and imprisoned for 3 months for verbal racial abuse.
“The 1976 Race Relations act states that it is unlawful to discriminate either directly or indirectly against a person because of his or her race, nationality or ethnic origin.”
(Proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10th December 1948)
“All human beings and born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience… every one is entitled to all the rights and freedoms…without discrimination of any kind”
C) ‘Violence is an appropriate response to Racism’ Do you agree with this statement?
I do not agree with this statement, violence is not an appropriate response to anything.
Violence is wrong and immoral. If somebody is ignorant enough to be racist, then they aren't worth the bother. You should rise above it and try your best to ignore the comments they cast. Do not degrade yourself and lower yourself to their standard.
I can see why some people may react badly to Racism. If one loves one’s country, and somebody makes fun out of it, it can hurt one and therefore to redeem one-self they may become physically violent and abusive.
‘Keep violence in the mind, where is belongs’ (Brian Aldiss 1925-, Barefoot in the Head.)
The bible clearly states that violence is inappropriate and wrong. If somebody hurts you turn the other cheek.
‘When they hurled abuse at him, he did not retaliate, when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself in him who judges justly’ (1 Peter 3: 23)
This shows us that God does not want us to be violent. Violence is degrading and iniquitous. As Christians we believe that violence, assault, and abuse of any sort is wrong. Is it worth committing a sin, just to retaliate and get your own back on somebody? I personally don’t think so! What exactly does violence accomplish? All it does is hurt physically and mentally. After a fight, your conscience comes into play, you start to feel bad and you will regret your actions. Yes, it may seem to solve the problems temporarily but in the long run it solves nothing but makes things worse.
‘The Eye Of The Storm’ was a documentation set in middle America in the early 60’s. A teacher set out an experiment with the children in her class was made up of white children at the age of seven or eight. The experiment was to divide the class into two, one half with blue eyes and the other with brown eyes. From there the discrimination begun.
At first the children with blue eyes were told they were superior to the children with brown eyes, the brown eyed children could not have such privileges as to play with the toys or drinking from the water fountain. The children with blue eyes soon believed that they were superior. The next day the teacher said she was mistaken and it was the children with brown eyes were superior. So both groups had felt what it was like to be discriminated against.
At the end the teacher asked the children what it was like to be discriminated against, and what it was like to be superior. This experiment showed the Children that they should treat everyone equally and as individuals, not by the color of their skin.
Conclusion
I believe that racism is wrong. We are one human family. Its is our responsibility to continue the struggle for justice, and defeat xenophobia and hatred in the community. We must challenge not only the spreading of racism as an historical reality, but move to overcome it as a present actual reality which dehumanises both the victim and the perpetrator. The family is compelled sincerely to come together.
Bibliography
Schwarz, C; (1999) Concise Dictionary Edinburgh. Chambers Harrap publishers LTD
British National Party
Danes, S; and Danes, C; (1994) Today’s Issues And Christian Beliefs: Social And Moral Questions For GCSE Religious Studies Oxford. Lion Publishing.
Webster’s World Encyclopaedia –1997 worldwide. Cambridge University Press and Encyclopaedia and Webster Publish.
Good News Bible (1994) Second Edition. Great Britain. HarperCollins Publishers, LTD
Sykes, J, B; (1989) The Concise Oxford Dictionary Oxford. Oxford University Press
Barber, C, R; (1990) Collins Gem Thesaurus Glasgow. William Collins Sons & Co LTD
Official Government Documents:
Summary>>>R.E Coursework > Racism
A (i) What is racism?
‘Racism n; belief in superiority of a particular race; antagonism between different races; theory that human abilities etc are determined by race.’ (Chambers, 1999)
Racism is a result of biased and unscientific studies on racial and ethnic differences. Racism is the notion that some ethnic groups are naturally superior to others. Racism has existed since separate races came together. One extreme example of Racist thinking is Adolf Hitler. Hitler thought the perfect German would have blonde hair, blue eyes, they would be tall, and heterosexual; this was his ‘perfect race’ Hitler set up concentration camps, in which would hold people who did not match up to the criteria of this one race. Christian teachings also support Franz Boas’ ideas. People should be taught to start again and to love one another as God loved us all individually.
B) Explain how Christians respond to racism.
Christians should realise that race relations are often today’s test of the authenticity of his Christianity. No race, no nation, no man has the divine right to take advantage of others.
Christians respond to racism differently.
Others choose to fight back some physically, some verbally.
People can be very patriotic and defensive of their country. For somebody else to ridicule what he or she represent and love is reprehensible. People take these mockeries personally, become protective, and therefore try to redeem themselves and their country by ridiculing the other person’s country, traditions or cultures.
“All human beings and born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Violence is wrong and immoral. I can see why some people may react badly to Racism.
The bible clearly states that violence is inappropriate and wrong. If somebody hurts you turn the other cheek.
Violence is degrading and iniquitous. As Christians we believe that violence, assault, and abuse of any sort is wrong. What exactly does violence accomplish? A teacher set out an experiment with the children in her class was made up of white children at the age of seven or eight. From there the discrimination had begun.
At first the children with blue eyes were told they were superior to the children with brown eyes, the brown eyed children could not have such privileges as to play with the toys or drinking from the water fountain. The children with blue eyes soon believed that they were superior. The next day the teacher said she was mistaken and it was the children with brown eyes were superior.
Conclusion
We are one human family.