Race Relations and Christianity
Race relations and Christianity
Racism is a form of prejudice that has effected society for many
years. It has been written in the bible where the Egyptians kept the
Jews as slaves. There were clashes between Romans, Greeks, Egyptians
and other races after the Romans conquered the Greeks and took over
Alexandria. There are more recent examples of racial discrimination
that have occurred during this century such as the Holocaust where
Hitler attempted to commit genocide by murdering millions of Jews in
death camps like Auswitz. The Steven Lawrence case has haunted our
headlines for approximately five years; the African- American male who
was murdered in 1998 by three Caucasian males in Texas, they belonged
to a white supremacist group.
Racism is when one person or a group of people dislike or even hates
another group of people because of their race, creed, skin colour or
nationality, and because of this they may believe they are superior.
It is also when a person is prejudged and discriminated against
because of their colour or nationality.
People may believe that racism only occurs between different
nationalities and races, however it can occur within the same
nationality and race. One very good example of this is what is
occurring in Kosovo at this moment in time, where "ethnic cleansing"
is occurring. There are other examples of this that may not seem so
bad such as English people discriminating against the French and
calling them "froggies" or an African person thinking themselves
superior to an Afro-Caribbean person because "they are the sons of
slaves."
There are different explanations and reasons as to why racism exists
the main reason is probably fear of new things, fear of different
things and fear of progress. Some people may have racist attitudes
because that was how they were raised or they may have had a bad
experience in the past. Certain groups such as the New Aryan race (a
white supremacist group) believe that all other races are inferior to
them.
Genesis 1 has no specific references to racism or any other forms of
prejudice. God gave man control over plants, fish, birds and domestic
and wild animals but he did not give people power over other people.
In Genesis 2 God let Adam name the animals, naming things can be a way
of labelling them, which can be negative, and a starting point for
prejudice of any sort. In Leviticus 19:33-37 God says you shouldn't
ill treat foreigners you should treat them with respect.
Christianity on a whole teaches that people should not judge other
people or label them until they take a long hard look at themselves
because God will judge you in the same way (Matthew 7:3)
"Why do you look at the speck of dust in your brothers eye and
pay no attention to the log in your eye"
Christianity also teaches to be kind-hearted, considerate and to treat
others, as you would like to be treated (one of the Ten Commandments).
Christianity also tells us that people should not be superior to
others (Genesis 1) and that every one should be treated with parity
because we are all equal in the eyes of god (Acts 10 Peters speech and
Matthew 25 the final Judgement).
St Paul taught "There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles slave
and free men and women: You are one in union with Christ."
There are many Christians who have led the fight against racism people
such as Martin Luther King who campaigned against segregation, or
Trevor Huddleston, an Anglican priest who, spoke against the apartheid
laws of South Africa.
The apartheid laws classified people according to their racial groups
and determined where members of each group could work, live and the
education they could receive. These laws restricted social contact
between the different ethnic groups, authorised segregated public
facilities and denied non-whites representation in National
Parliament. There were many that opposed these laws and they were
considered communists.
Desmond Tutu was born on the 7^th of October 1931 and became a priest
at the age of 25. In 1978 after having worked in England, South Africa
and Lesotho Desmond Tutu was appointed General Secretary of the South
African Council of Churches and was the first black man to hold that
post. He believed the Apartheid laws were totally unchristian and
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between the different ethnic groups, authorised segregated public
facilities and denied non-whites representation in National
Parliament. There were many that opposed these laws and they were
considered communists.
Desmond Tutu was born on the 7^th of October 1931 and became a priest
at the age of 25. In 1978 after having worked in England, South Africa
and Lesotho Desmond Tutu was appointed General Secretary of the South
African Council of Churches and was the first black man to hold that
post. He believed the Apartheid laws were totally unchristian and
evil.
He organised non-violent protests. In 1976 he led a march through the
slums of Soweto during riots where more than 600 coloured people were
killed. In 1982 he saved the life of a black policeman, when a crowd
were attempting to stone him to death, by hurling himself across the
mans body. In 1984 he won a Nobel peace prize for his peaceful
leadership in the tranquil battle opposing the apartheid laws. In 1986
he was made archbishop of Cape Town and was South Africa's first black
Archbishop in 1995 he was made the head of the Truth and
reconciliation commission by the South African president Nelson
Mandela. The panels aim was to investigate crimes committed during the
apartheid era. He retired from his post in 1996.
Desmond Tutu is influenced mainly by his religious beliefs and in
1984's Hope and suffering speech he said:
"Christian Worship can never let us be indifferent to the needs of
others, to the cries of the hungry, naked, the homeless, the sick the
prisoners or the oppressed and the disadvantaged. Our lord said
"As much as you have done (i.e. fed the hungry, clothed the naked,
visited the sick and prisoners) to the least of my brethren, you have
done it to me it to me, and in as much as you have not done to my
brethren, you have not done it to me."
Matthew25: 40-45
Later on in the speech he said
"St John asks in his first epistle, how can you say you love a God who
you have not seen if you hate your brother who you have. Our love for
God is tested and proved by our love for our neighbours"
Different Christian denominations have different views as how to treat
others and different ways to deal with cultural differences. However
most churches see racism as a serious problem that faces today's
multicultural society.
"Whatever skin colour or background we are one in our common humanity
and one in Christ." The Methodist church believe in equality between
all people regardless of their race, nationality or sex because no
matter what our differences we all have two things in common;
1.We are all members of the same Human race and
2.God loves us all and sees us all as equals
They believe that racial and cultural discrimination is a direct
contradiction of the Gospel of Jesus, which states that
· Every one is the same in the eyes of god,
· That you should treat everyone as your brother Luke 10:25-37
(parable of the good Samaritan) and that
· When the final judgement comes god will not look on a person
and judge them by their race but by their good deeds (Matthew 25)
The Salvation Army has developed in recognition of the biblical
principal that god "Created from one stock, every nation to inhabit
the whole Earth's surface" Acts 17:26. This principal shows that they
don't advocate racism and believe that because we were created from
the "same stock" every person has the right to be treated on equal
terms. The Salvation Army believes in helping a person spiritually or
socially regardless of their culture or race by any means possible.
The Roman Catholic Church disagrees with racial prejudice and has done
so for a long time. In 1537 Pope Paul III condemned those who held
slaves in the West Indies and southern continents. Pope Leo XIII
denounced the slave trade in 1888 in his Encycle ``In Plurimis''. The
Roman Catholic church believe that by working with other Christians
and other compassionate people they can promote unity, brotherhood and
solidarity.
They draw their reasoning from biblical texts such as Hebrews 13 -
"Keep on loving one another as Christian Brothers. Remember to welcome
strangers into your homes, there were some who did so and welcomed
angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison as though
you are with them, remember those who are suffering as though you are
suffering too".
This text basically means that you should treat everyone, even
strangers as your brother, and to help people when they need
assistance, with equality and compassion in your heart.
The Church of England is concerned with race relations and the
representation of ethnic groups not only within the congregation,
community or across the country but also on an international scale. It
opens its doors to people of all races.
The Church of England has not always welcomed people of different
ethnic backgrounds. After the Second World War the British Government
invited people from Commonwealth countries like India and from the
Caribbean islands to come and work because there was a shortage of
manpower. Due to the war Britain needed to be rebuilt, but also the
country had just entered a new age of technology, that was demanding
new skills and experiences. During the 1940's, 50's and 60's the
Church of England didn't allow people of different ethnic backgrounds
into their church to worship. Nevertheless, in the 1970's there were
calls for the Church of England to "make space" for black Christians.
The Church of England encourages people to follow the teachings of
Jesus and to treat everyone with fairness. Peter told his followers at
Ceaserea
"I now realise that it is true that God treats everyone on the same
basis. Whoever worships him and does what is acceptable to him, no
matter what race he belongs to."
This may have been one of the biblical texts that helped the Church of
England to realise that by not letting people of different ethnic
backgrounds worship, contradicted what God teaches. The Church of
England realises that there is still work to be done in many areas.
The Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers as they are more commonly
known, believed that the slave trade was grim and inhumane. Their
configuration co-incided with the development of the Atlantic slave
trade, some owned slaves others didn't. George Fox wrote in 1676 that
Christ "Died for the tawnies and the blacks as well as for you that
are called whites"
George Fox reasoned that the subjugation of Negroes should end just as
the Law of Moses provided that slaves should be emancipated after a
time.
In 1753 the Quakers decided to ostracise all members who purchased or
sold slaves and by 1783 they were petitioning for the abolition of
slavery. In 1989 the Community relations' committee of London wrote: -
"There is a unity which goes beyond the physical
characteristics and deeper than personal endowment. We have found
again and again there is an inward spirit -that of God in every one.
At the deepest levels of the Human race"
They believe that people are linked spiritually and have a bit of God
in them. The Quakers try to work for harmony and against prejudice.
They encourage all members to examine their prejudices and their fears
and then to take the appropriate action.
Within the bible there is nothing that suggests racist actions or
advocates racial prejudice. However, some groups, for instance the Ku
Klux Klan (KKK) seek justification for what they do by interpreting
certain sections of the bible such as Genesis 1 "And then he separated
dark from light". This to them means white supremacy by virtue of
light being all that is good and dark being all that is bad. This is a
principle that they have applied to their ideals concerning the human
race.
Because of the size of the church and the structure of today's society
it is hard to determine whether the Church is racist or prejudiced in
any way. The bible teaches that all people are created equal and
that: -
"There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles slave and free men
and women: You are one in union with Christ." (St Paul) therefore all
people should be treated the same. The bible also teaches that it is
not right for certain people to be superior to others because when the
time of the final judgement is upon us, God will look at people in an
equal light.
There are some Churches who carry out these teachings to the maximum
extent by allowing female and homosexual vicars, accepting other
religions and cultures and even inviting them to services and
campaigning for Human rights. However there are some churches that do
not conform to the teachings of the bible and abate female or
homosexual priests and are unwelcoming to people of different ethnic
backgrounds.
Christian charities such as Christian aid and the Passage make it
their job to aid those who need help in any way possible, regardless
of race, religion, sex or sexuality. They treat everyone on the same
basis as taught in the bible in segments such as Peter's speech in
Acts 10:34-37, which says that God, treats every one the same basis
and so they do the same.
It would not be just to say that the entire church is racist because
that is inaccurate and there is no evidence to prove it, however it
would be equitable to say that the certain denominations are racist
such as the Dutch reformed Church. They vindicated the apartheid Laws
and like the Ku Klux Klan believed that because "God Separated light
from dark" black and white people should also be separated. It would
also be honest and unbiased to say that the Church contains people who
are racist, sexist, homophobic and bigoted in other ways.
In the past the church has demonstrated what we would consider today
as racism or racial discrimination: -
1. When missionaries ventured to the "new countries" Hawaii for
example to "spread the word of god", they told the native who had
never heard about their "Christian god" or their religious beliefs
that their religions were wrong, barbaric and heathen. This in turn
led to the destruction of many cultures.
2. The so-called Christians in the past blamed the Jews for
outbreaks of the plague and economic ruin.
3. The reigning monarchs who were the heads of the Church of
England during the time of slavery would have made large profits from
the slave trade and the use of slaves.
4. During the Second World War the church turned a blind eye to
the Holocaust and Hitler's attempt to commit Genocide.
5. A key example of racism within Britain within the last decade
is the case of Steven Lawrence a 17 year old black male who was
murdered in a racial attack committed in Eltham, 1994.
The racial structure of the Church does not reflect the make up of
society as there are very few priests and bishops to represent
ethnically diverse backgrounds. Within the Church of England there
are very few non-white clergymen. The location of a church has an
effect on the racial make up of the congregation. For example, a
church in a small town in the country where there are very few people
of different ethnic groups the congregation would probably be all
white. However, a church in an inner City for example, London it would
be expected that the congregation be very rich, ethnically and
culturally.
There are churches that are trying to overcome the fact that their
congregations do not represent the make racial make up of society by
making people feel more comfortable with welcoming committees and
parties and other social events to get to know each other. Some
churches hold services in different languages to encourage new people
to attend. There is a Methodist Church in Cowely, Oxford that holds
services in Punjabi to encourage the local Asian community to attend.
Men and women do not have equal roles within the church; I have only
ever met two female vicars and one female bishop (from Canada). The
Roman Catholic Church does not allow female priests and the Church of
England didn't start to ordain females until 1993-4.
People sometimes set up their own churches because they feel what the
churches that are already in existence are not suitable and do not
cater for their religious needs. There are many examples of these free
churches, such as the Metropolitan Community Church, which is a
homosexual church, or the St Hilda Community who began their own group
after deciding the church didn't cater for their needs, they wrote
their own sacrament and use feminine images of God. People may have
felt uncomfortable in churches that may have been predominantly white
or heterosexual and therefore starting up their own church, for people
who are similar to them may have seemed the only avenue open, to
worship god in a way they were comfortable with.
Racism is still existent, not only in the church, but in all walks of
life. There are some that would say that the church should not be
critical or interfere with political issues. There are others however,
who feel the church should be doing more to influence the social
structure of our society. But before this can be done traditional
churches need to re-examine their doctrine and face reality when it
comes to how they portray themselves.
Many of the new up and coming Evangelical Churches are doing this to a
large extent. They present many faces- colour, race, and creeds are
reflected in their formation. However these churches follow the
teaching of the bible literally and many advocate homosexuality as a
sin, believe that a man is the head of a household and that women
should obey their husbands. This is a form of discrimination in itself
and so it seems we substitute discrimination.
Treating everyone, as equals would be a nice ideal to aim for but in a
society where everyone is an individual and people have different
abilities it would not be fitting or right to treat everyone the same.
Class and money are also of great importance in our society the very
rich having most of the power and the poor having very little power.
The principal that everyone is an equal is similar to the principal of
communism and as we have seen in the past, communism does not work
out. Therefore I believe it is more appropriate to treat people based
on their abilities.
Will the church ever be free of racism and other forms of prejudice?
Is a question that needs to be asked. I doubt it will not be so for a
very long time, in order to free the church of bigotry the teachings
of the bible would need to be followed. However if applied to every
day life these principles would not be very effective.
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