Prejudice and equality: Christian teaching against prejudice and discrimination, beliefs about the equality of all people, attitudes to wealth, poverty and the duty to help those in need, and the work of Christians for justice.

What this dot point is asking

You need to explain Christian teaching on prejudice and equality: teaching against prejudice and discrimination, the belief in the equality of all people, attitudes to wealth, poverty and the duty to help those in need, and how Christians work for justice. CCEA examiners reward precise knowledge of Christian teaching, an awareness of the range of views, and balanced evaluation. The strongest answers explain the reasons behind the teaching and link it to Christian belief and example.

Prejudice and discrimination

For Christians, then, rejecting prejudice is not just a social rule but follows directly from the belief that every person is equally valued by God.

The equality of all people

Christians believe in the equality of all people before God. The New Testament teaches that, in Christ, there is "neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female," for all are "one." This belief has led many Christians to:

• oppose racism and work for the fair treatment of all races,
• support the dignity of every person, whatever their wealth, background or ability,
• debate the role of women, with many Churches affirming the equal worth of women, while Churches differ on roles such as ordination.

The shared starting point is that all people are equal in value because all are made by God and loved by God.

Wealth, poverty and helping those in need

So Christians weigh the right to hold wealth against a strong duty to share it and to care for those who have less.

Christian work for justice

Christian belief in equality and care for the poor has led many Christians to work for justice. Christians and Churches run and support charities that fight poverty and help those in need, both at home and overseas. Many Christians campaign against injustice, support fair treatment for the vulnerable, and try to follow Jesus' example of standing with the poor and the outcast. For these Christians, faith means not only believing the right things but acting to make the world fairer.

How to answer a question on prejudice and equality

A model paragraph built from this method: "Christians believe prejudice is wrong because all people are made in the image of God and are equally loved by him, so to look down on anyone is to disrespect God's creation. Jesus taught 'love your neighbour as yourself,' and the parable of the Good Samaritan shows that the neighbour includes everyone, even those we might despise. Many Christians therefore not only avoid prejudice but actively work against injustice." This scores highly because it explains the reasons and links them to Christian teaching.

Try this

Q1. What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination? [2 marks]

• Cue. Prejudice is an unfair attitude towards people; discrimination is acting on it by treating them unfairly.

Q2. What does the parable of the Good Samaritan teach about prejudice? [2 marks]

• Cue. That the neighbour Christians must love includes everyone, even those they might be tempted to despise.

Q3. What did Jesus teach in the parable of the sheep and the goats? [2 marks]

• Cue. That whatever is done for "the least of these," such as the hungry and the sick, is done for him.