Disability And Race Prejudice And Discrimination

Question 1

Prejudice and discrimination based on disability or race

Answer 1

. Illegal in the UK, but still occurs regularly.
. Most Christians and Buddhists oppose any form of prejudice and discrimination.
. Two forms of discrimination: negative and positive.

Question 2

Positive discrimination

Answer 2

. Treating people more favourably because they have been discriminated against in the past or have disabilities.
. Gives disabled people opportunities they would not otherwise have, such as giving wheelchair users front-row positions at a football ground so they can see the match.

Question 3

Disability

Answer 3

• Over 500 million people with disabilities in the world today (people with physical or mental impairments that affect day-to-day activities).
• Some people show prejudice or discrimination towards those with disabilities.

Question 4

Christian views on disability

Answer 4

. Oppose discrimination against disabled people because it does demonstrate equality or love.
. In the Bible, Jesus helped the disabled by healing them, and he taught his followers to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (Mark 12:31)

Question 5

Buddhism views on disability

Answer 5

. No explicit Buddhist teachings on disability
. General Buddhist attitude of karuna (compassion) applies to all those who are suffering in any way, including disabled people.

Question 6

Racism

Answer 6

• Consider people of different races as inferior and to treat these people badly as a result.
• Often triggered by skin colour.
• Since 1976, various Acts have been passed that make racism illegal in the UK. Despite this, it still occurs regularly.

Question 7

‘Show Racism the Red Card’

Answer 7

. Example of a campaign against racism.
. Designed to educate football fans and remove racist abuse from football.
. Positive discrimination can also be applied to race, e.g. a business might employ someone from an ethnic minority partly to help make the workplace more ethnically diverse.

Question 8

Religious activists

Answer 8

. In the twentieth century, races were kept apart with black people being discriminated against in countries such as South Africa and the USA.
. The actions of Christians such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa) and Dr Martin Luther King Junior (USA), with the help of others, persuaded their respective governments that racist policies were unfair and needed to be changed.

Question 9

Christian views on race

Answer 9

. Most Christians oppose racism as they believe all people are equal: ‘there is neither Jew nor Gentile neither slave nor free, nor is there male female, for you are one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28)
.

Question 10

Buddhist views on race

Answer 10

. Principle of loving-kindness means racism is not acceptable to most Buddhists.
. Loving-kindness should be developed towards all people without discrimination.