CHAPTER FIVE

Justice and Prejudice

What do you think?

Take the following statements and mark with P for prejudicial or N for nonprejudicial or ? for dont know. Note at the bottom your reasons for answering the way you did. Break up in Groups and create more expressions indicating prejudicial statements

Questions
Could you prove any these statements? How do you define equality in statement 5? In your opinion, which people are the greatest victims of prejudice today and why?

Go Worship With Your Own People

- We are called to treat all people with respect and as if they were our sisters or brothers. - Unfortunately, this doesnt always occur. Take Mohandas Gandhi, for example. - Ghandi, a Hindu, was interested in the Christian church and was discriminated against when he tried to enter the sanctuary in a Christian church. He was told to go worship with his own people

- How did Christians discriminate against Ghandi? What kind of prejudice did he encounter?

Real-Life Prejudice
Did you know...
According to Tolerance.org: Every hour someone commits a hate crime Every day at least 8 blacks, 3 whites, and 1 Latino become hate crime victims Every week a cross is burned

Real-Life Prejudice
What is Prejudice?
1. Favorable or unfavorable feeling toward a person, place, or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual fact

2. A prejudgment based on insufficient data

Real-Life Prejudice
Did you Know... Negative prejudice is sinful.
Threatens the rights of people

Illogical, exhibits stereotypical thinking

A fault when it resists new information

Why?

- Stereotypes: types of prejudice that are oversimplified generalizations about some aspect of reality

Definition of a Bigot
Prejudiced people who out of pride and stubbornness hold on to their beliefs and erroneous opinions contrary to evidence. They neither listen to nor consider the views of others. They have closed minds and act out of sinfulness.

Exercise in Stereotypes
Why do people hold these opinions about these groups? Develop a list of at least 5 stereotypes for each of the following groups.

Bishops Statement on Homosexualtiy

There seems to be no single cause of homosexual orientation.are multiple factorsgenetic, hormonal, psychologicalsexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosensexual orientation cannot be considered sinful, for morality presumes the

Stages of Prejudice
Extermination

killing the undesirable person or group Physical attack violence and hate crimes Discrimination harmful actions against disliked persons

Avoidance avoiding members of a disliked group

Antilocution speaking against

Stages of Prejudice
Types of discrimination
1. Sexism misguided belief that one sex is superior to the other by the nature of things. Examples of sexism
In no country in todays world are women treated as well as men Greater poverty in households headed by women Women suffer from glass ceiling effect Some countries restrict the political participation of women Women condemned to unending menial labor Women victimized by men through violence

Stages of Prejudice
Types of discrimination
2. Ageism: prejudice exhibited against older people Examples of ageism More and more elderly are living in poverty Stability of Social Security and Medicare are of great concern as more people retire The move to legalize euthanasia is an attempt to remove sick elderly persons seen as a burden

Stages of Prejudice
Types of extermination:

1. Assassinations 2. Lynchings 3. Massacres 4. Terrorist bombings 5. Genocide

Example: The Holocaust
- Resulted from anti-semitism: prejudice against the Jewish people

Pastor Neimoeller quote

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak outbecause I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak outbecause I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for meand there was no on left to speak out for me.

Stages of Prejudice
Nine ways you can fight prejudice:
1. Pray for your conversion 2. Learn to celebrate differences 3. Look for inequalities in your school, work place, and parish 4. Avoid racial stereotypes, jokes, slurs 5. Refuse to participate in any verbal attacks on homosexual persons 6. Treat those with disabilities as unique individuals 7. Visit a nursing home with some friends 8. Avoid sexist comments 9. Include rather than exclude

Attempting to Explain Prejudice

Q. Why do people hold on to their prejudices?
. People are too lazy to think . Scapegoats are an easy way to deal with negative emotions . Prejudice makes people feel superior . Prejudice thrives because it pays both psychologically and financially

Q. What are some characteristics of people who are prejudiced?

A. Difficulty dealing with ambiguity A. Low self-esteem A. Authority-oriented

Attempting to Explain Prejudice

The home is the central school for learning prejudice

Prejudice is learned
Sexism is key in forming early prejudices

Attempting to Explain Prejudice

Ways to overcome prejudice:
Work with different groups
Be aware that prejudice is inconsistent with ones values, attitudes and behaviors

Participate in programs that put self in the shoes of others

Establish laws/rules that require the fair treatment of others

Vocabulary
prejudice stereotypes antilocution Discrimination sexism feminism patriarchy ageism anti-Semitism scapegoating