Can Religion Heal Racism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Can Religion Heal Racism - Research Paper Example For the sake of argument, and since it is true in some cases, it will be said that religion can help to heal racism, but the other side will also be discussed within the content of this paper so the situation can be fairly analyzed by all readers attempting to take a stand. When discussing issues such as these, it is first important to understand the definitions of some key terms. First up is racism. According to the Anti-Defamation League (2010, pg. 1), â€Å"Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should remain segregated and apart from one another. Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another -- or the belief that another person is less than human -- because of skin color, language, cus toms, and place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.†" Next, it is important to understand the definition of religion. According to Princeton (2010, pg. 1), religion is "a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality" or an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him." One thing all religions have in common is a guiding set of morals or principles that lead their followers to believe in a certain way. It is these beliefs that make some hopeful that religion can heal something as horrible as the concept of racism. There are many things that can cause racism, and religion is even one of them. It all depends upon what the followers of a certain religion consider to be right or wrong. Just looking at the plethora of wars that have broken out in the name of religion can show one that these rights and wrongs vary immensely from religion to religion. Racism of any form is condemned by the Church of England and the Catholic Church. Christians are raised to believe that racism is definitely wrong, but it still happens today. Middle Eastern and similar religions obviously have a problem with other people's religious beliefs, along with their races, or the heavy corruption that is there would not exist today. Many places in the Bible teach that racism is wrong and that God shows unconditional love towards his followers, no matter what race they are a part of. The Bible clearly outlines that God loves all people regardless of color or race. This shows that Christian teaching is not racist by any means. It is important to note, however, that Christians do not hate racists; they merely believe they have been misinformed. Racism can be challenged by Christians in a strong fashion. Even though these guidelines are taught to Christians, we have to think about what teachings are given to non-Christians. Certain religions even believe that if a person is of a different race, they are not worthy to be of their religion. Even though the Bible says that racism is wrong, that fact is going to mean nothing to a non-Christian. Those individuals are going to go with what their books and other teachings convey. Reading these passages, whether they comply with one's religion or not with common sense applied will allow them to be understood by virtually anyone with a conscience and a good heart, however. There is a quagmire that exists within the aforementioned concept, however. Christians may believe that God is not a racist, but to other religions, it does not carry