Equality

B604

Questions from previous years:

June 2012
[a] What is meant by the term
prejudice?[1]
[b] Give two examples of racism.
[2]
[c] State three ways in which
Christians might challenge
inequality. [3]
[d] Explain why Christians might
have different beliefs about the
role of women. [6]
[e] Religious people have a duty
to convert others. Discuss this
statement. You should include
different, supported points of
view and a personal viewpoint.
You must refer to Christianity in
your answer. [12]

January 2012
(a) What is forgiveness? [1]
(b) State two reasons why
Christians might forgive
someone who has hurt them.
[2]
(c) Give three reasons why
Christians might believe
racism is wrong. [3]
(d) Explain Christian attitudes
towards other religions. [6]
(e) It is always right to forgive.
Discuss this statement. You
should include different,
supported points of view and
a personal viewpoint. You
must refer to Christianity in
your answer. [12]

The Topics
Equality and Bible teachings about equality and
inequality
Views about prejudice and discrimination
Racism
Gender and the role of women in the church
Attitudes towards other religions
Missionary work, Evangelism or Ecumenism
Forgiveness
Reconciliation

June 2012
A B C D E
X

June 2011
(a) What is meant by the term
sexism? [1]
(b) Give two examples of sexism.
[2]
(c) Describe Christian attitudes
towards the role of women in
society. [3]
(d) Explain Christian beliefs about
forgiveness. [6]
(e) If Christianity is right, all the
other religions must be wrong.
Discuss this statement. You
should include different,
supported points of view and a
personal viewpoint. You must
refer to Christianity in your
answer. [12]

Jan 2012
A B C

D E

June 2011
A B C D E

X
X

X
X

X
X
X

X X

X
X

X
/
X
/

X
/

KEY BIBLE QUOTES ON EQUALITY:

Love your neighbour as yourself Luke 10:27
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus Galatians 3:28
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, dont show favouritism
James 2:1
Then Peter began to speak: I now realise how true it is that God does not show
favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right Acts
10:34-5
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Luke 6:31
The parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10:25-37) teaches that true Christian love is
love of everyone no matter who they are or where they come from
The parable of the Sheet and the Goat. (Matthew 25:31-46) - teaches that Christians
must care for the poor and hungry

DEFINITIONS:
DISCRIMINATION: Unjust or prejudice treatment because of race, age, gender or
disability.
ECUMENISM / ECUMENICAL: The belief that all Christian denominations should work
together.
EQUALITY: Treating people in a fair way regardless of gender, race or religious beliefs.
EVANGELICAL: Persuading others to share your faith.
FORGIVENESS: Forgiving someone for something they have done wrong.
HOMOPHOBIA: Treating someone as inferior/ differently based on their sexuality
INEQUALITY: Differences in opportunity between various groups in society
PREJUDICE: Making judgements not based on reason or actual experience.
PROSELYTISING: Trying to convert people from their religion to yours.
RACISM: Treating someone as inferior/differently based on their race
RECONCILIATION: the ending of a conflict and renewing a friendly relationship between
disputing people or groups.
REPENTANCE: Sincere regret or remorse for ones actions.
SEXISM: Treating someone as inferior/differently based on their gender
XENOPHOBIA: Hatred or unreasonable fear of foreigners
BIBLICAL TEACHINGS ABOUT EQUALITY:
The Bible says that humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and so all
humans matter equally to God regardless of race, colour, gender, age, ability and
wealth.
Anyone who accepts Jesus in their life and prayers to God will have their prayers heard
without favouritism.
Christians believe that humans should follow Gods example and also treat people
equally.
CHRISTIAN VIEWS ON EQUALITY:
Christians believe that they should follow the example of Jesus. Jesus taught that
people must love others, and that in this way humanity would eventually be saved from
war and suffering.
There are many examples in the NT of Jesus treating usually outcast people (prostitutes,
adulterers, tax collectors, lepers) as equals: Jesus healed the son of a Roman centurion
though they were considered the enemy; showed respect for women though they were
generally seen as inferior; made a Samaritan the hero of a parable though the people of
Samaria were not respected by the Jews at the time.
The fight against prejudice and discrimination has been taken up by Christians such as
Blessed Mother Teresa who founded the Missionaries of Charity caring for the poor and
suffering in India then across the world. Mother Teresa and her followers lived by the
teachings of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) which says
that Christians must care for the poor and hungry.

RACISM
Christians are opposed to prejudice and discrimination, including racism.
One of the main teachings of Jesus against racism is the Parable of the Good Samaritan
where a traveller from Samaria helped a Jew who had been robbed and beaten after
two Jewish leaders had walked past and ignored him through fear of being attacked.
This was important as at the time, most Jews hated people from Samaria and looked
down on them so Jesus was teaching them to love everyone and not discriminate
against people of other races.
There are several famous Christians who have acted against racism. William Wilberforce
spoke out against the slave trade and helped to have it abolished in Britain. Martin
Luther King spent most his life trying to get the law in the USA changed through
peaceful protests which resulted in the laws which separated blacks and whites in the
USA, called the Jim Crow Laws being abolished with the introduction of the Civil Rights
Act in 1964.
However, there have been many occasions over the centuries when the Christian
Church has rightly been accused of racism and religious intolerance:
o During the crusades of the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, thousands of
people were killed in the name of Christianity.
o 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.
o Slavery in the USA Slaves were almost always black people and many of their
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 campaign to end slavery too.
SEXISM:
Sexism can be either against men or women, but as most societies tend to be
patriarchal (male dominated) sexism usually involves inferior treatment of women.
Many people in the past believed that men and women possessed different qualities
and so should be treated differently.
Some Christians believe men and women should have equal rights and roles. They
support this view with teachings such as:

Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:26-27) where it says men and women
were created at the same time.

When Jesus rose from the dead he appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark
16:9-11)

In the first days of the early Church, women worshipped together with the
disciples (Acts 1:12-14)
Some Christians believe that God created men and women differently (Adam from dust,
Eve from Adams rib) so men are superior to women. This has led to the common
assumption that men will earn the wage whilst women stay at home and look after the

house and children. Teachings that have been used to support their being different
roles are:

In Genesis 2 Adam is made before Eve and she is made as his helper.

In Genesis 3 it is Eve who is the first to sin.

Jesus being critical of his mother, Mary, at the wedding in Cana (John 2:3-4a)

In Pauls first letters to the Corinthians he insists that women must be silent in
church and that they should keep their heads covered.
HOWEVER, many Christians now believe that men and women are equally valuable and
able to do many or all tasks equally well.

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Even where Christians believe men and women should have equal rights in society,
many still believe that women should not deliver the word of God.
Methodist, Quaker and Church of England (since 1994) churches now allow female
preachers, whilst Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox do not.
This is often justified by Jesus being male and only choosing men as his disciples.
St Paul taught that women should be silent in church.
CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES TO OTHER RELIGIONS
As an evangelical religion, many Christians believe they have a duty to encourage others
to join their religion. This is justified by Jesus instructions to his disciples. Go make
disciples of all the nations...teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded
you (Matthew 28:16).
This led many Christians from the US and UK to travel over the world spreading Jesus
message, thereby giving them the opportunity to receive salvation.
ECUMENISM: A movement where different Christian denominations work together with
joint services and community projects. This shows that although there may be major
differences between some groups, they still share the same essential beliefs. An
example of this is a ecumenical church in Taize, France, set up by Brother Roger Schutz
in 1940 to bring together the community.
There are three main ideas that Christians have about other religions:
1) One Way = If you dont believe in Jesus as the Lord Saviour of the earth then you
cannot get to God or Heaven. There is only one saving truth, namely the good
news of Jesus Christ. Like a one-way route to heaven.
2) Other religions may have part of the truth and be searching for the whole truth Some people dont know about Jesus. Some Christians believe that other
religions may have part of the truth. They believe that other religions are not
wrong but are different ways of searching for the truth.
3) All religions are equally or nearly equally valid - Like different paths up a
mountain all reach the same summit. Religions have the same aims and the
same ideas of God and right and wrong. Jesus said In my Fathers house there
are many rooms

FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION:

The Lords Prayer (Matthew 6:9b-13) shows that Christians must always forgive in order
to be forgiven by God.
Jesus taught his disciples to Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
(Matthew 5:44-45)
Jesus gave the power to his disciples to forgive the sins on behalf of God, and the
Roman Catholic Church teaches that this power has been passed onto priests.
Reconciliation is very important to the Catholic Church and this is achieved by the
person who is seeking forgiveness going to the priest to ask to be forgiven. This
happens in a confessional and anything said is completely confidential.
Christians are encouraged to forgive all wrongdoings against them, if the person
REPENTS (is truly sorry); they hope God will forgive them, again demonstrated in Jesus
example.
In repenting for their sins and forgiving others their wrongdoings, Christians believe
they will be reconciled (reunited) with God.
Humans received forgiveness for sins committed from the Original Sin (in Garden of
Eden) through Jesus death.
Bible stories about forgiveness:
The Adulterous Woman (John 8)
The woman who has been caught committing adultery is brought before Jesus, with
the teachers of the law asking him what to do with her. By law, she should be
punished, but Jesus has mercy on her and asks them Whoever is without sin should
cast the first stone. One by one they drop their stones and walk away. Christians
learn from this that all sin is the same in Gods eyes. He will have mercy on sinners
when they ask for forgiveness.
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
A man had two sons. The youngest son asked his father for his share of the estate.
He left and wasted all his money on wild living. After he had spent it all there was a
famine in the land so he got a job feeding pigs. He was very hungry and in need and
realised that if he went home he would be better off. He returned home and said to
his father that he was no longer worthy to be called his son but asked to be made a
servant. The father was filled with compassion and welcomed him back despite the
son claiming that he had sinned against him. The oldest son was angry because the
younger brother had been welcomed home. The father told his eldest son that he
was celebrating the younger brother who had been lost and was now found. This
means: The father represents God and the sons represent ordinary people. The
youngest son represents Christians who had followed the religion but who had then
turned their backs on their faith. The story tells them that if they are genuinely sorry
then they will be forgiven by true Christians. The oldest son represents those who
claim to be Christians but who cannot forgive anyone who has committed any sins
or have left the faith, even when they regret it. The story tells them not to be
judgmental but to be forgiving.