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Christianity and Racism
How do Christians respond to racism?
There are many examples in history of when Christians have been responsible for racial injustice (many examples are shown below). In modern society there are still some instances of racism in the Christian Church, but in the majority of cases Christians try to put Jesus’ teaching about treating all people equally into action.
In their everyday lives:
Many Christians believe that simply believing that racism is wrong is not enough – they believe that they must take real action against racism.
Action against racism can include:
However, there have been many occasions over the centuries when the Christian Church has rightly been accused of racism and religious intolerance:
How do Christians respond to racism?
There are many examples in history of when Christians have been responsible for racial injustice (many examples are shown below). In modern society there are still some instances of racism in the Christian Church, but in the majority of cases Christians try to put Jesus’ teaching about treating all people equally into action.
In their everyday lives:
- Many modern Christians try not to be racist themselves.
- Christians generally try to treat people of all races fairly.
- If they find they have racial prejudice, they often repent ( show remorse)and try to change.
- This can bring challenges such as people making fun of them.
- Christians often have to not join in with others’ racist behaviour.
- Christians often try to make a positive effort to welcome ethnic minorities.
- By setting a positive example to others.
- By creating an atmosphere of equal respect for everyone regardless of race.
- By educating children about equality and the importance of respecting everyone.
- By sharing their beliefs about racial equality and social injustice.
- Christians may spread the message of influential Christians such as Martin Luther King who worked tirelessly towards achieving racial equality in America.
Many Christians believe that simply believing that racism is wrong is not enough – they believe that they must take real action against racism.
Action against racism can include:
- Challenging or reporting any racist behaviour.
- Supporting anti-racist organisations.
- Campaigning for equal opportunities.
- Protesting against racist policies.
However, there have been many occasions over the centuries when the Christian Church has rightly been accused of racism and religious intolerance:
- During the crusades of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries, thousands of people were killed in the name of Christianity.
- In South America, during the sixteenth century, the invading Spanish navy massacred tens of thousands of the local people in attempts to force them to become Christians.
- In what is now the USA, many Christians became very rich slave owners in the ‘Deep South’. Slaves were almost always black people. Many of these owners were committed Christians who believed they were helping the slaves by forcing them to convert to Christianity. However, Christians were also very active in the campaigns to end slavery.
- In 1948 the South African Prime Minister, Daniel Francois Malan, a Dutch Reformed minister, introduced the apartheid legislation into South Africa which segregated black, coloured, and white people. Many people who to give up their homes, land, money, possessions and jobs to the white settlers. Apartheid was not finally abolished until 1994.
- There has been much debate over the silence of the Roman Catholic Church about the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
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