Describe the teachings of Christianity about discrimination and prejudice and how people should be treated.

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Describe the teachings of Christianity about discrimination and prejudice and how people should be treated.

Prejudice is an opinion about a person or a thing, which is based on what you think, without considering the reality and/or the evidence. Discrimination is an action. It means being unfair as a result of your prejudice.

Not all discrimination is wrong – God discriminates between the evil and the good, and punishes the guilty. When the Israelites came to the Promised Land under Joshua, they were told not to tolerate the evil practices of the people who were living there. They were not to tolerate sin and falsehood. So for instance, when the prophet Elijah challenged and overpowered the prophets of the false God Baal, he put them to death. Similarly the Last Judgment at the end of the world will be very discriminating.

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At the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were prejudiced against sinners and foreigners – but Jesus welcomed both.

St. James wrote in his letter in the New Testament (James 2:1-9):

“My brothers, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favouritism.” We read in the Old Testament that God sent the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, to look for a man who would be King of Israel. The Lord said to Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man kooks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sam ...

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