Equality

Question 1

What is equality?

Answer 1

A core value of western society, it means treating everyone fairly. In the UK, the equality act 2010 contains over 116 pieces of anti discrimination legislation.

Question 2

What three things does the Bible say on gender equality?

Answer 2

1. In genesis, eve is made from Adam’s rib, she is his companion and later gives into temptation, she is punished by having her husband rule over her. 2. The Bible reveals a patriarchal society, men could divorce wives, menstruating women were seen as unclean and all the disciples were men. 3. St. Paul teaches “wives, submit to your husbands” and that “a man is the head of the household as Christ is the head of the church.”

Question 3

Give three Christian views against gender equality

Answer 3

1. Martin Luther- the role of woman was to stay home and take care of children. 2. Catholic Church condemns abortion and contraception. 3. No CofE female priests until 1994 or female bishops until 2015.

Question 4

Give three Christian views in support of gender equality

Answer 4

1. The Bible teaches that all are equal in the eyes of god, both Jesus and god have ‘feminine’ qualities. 2. Women have important roles, Esther saved the Jews from death and Ruth set an example of love and loyalty. 3. Jesus preached in the court of women, spoke with a condemned Samaritan woman and some of his closest followers were women.

Question 5

What are the two conflicting Christian views on gender equality?

Answer 5

1. Women and men are equal in all ways as we were all created in god’s image. 2. Women and men are equally valuable, but have different qualities, so should have different roles.

Question 6

Which churches permit female priests?

Answer 6

The united reform church, the Salvation Army church, the baptist church and the Church of England (since 1994.)

Question 7

Which churches do not allow female priests?

Answer 7

The Orthodox Church and Catholic Church, they argue that during the Eucharist, the priest represents Christ, women cannot play this role and Jesus only chose male apostles.

Question 8

What does classical liberal ideology think about gender equality?

Answer 8

Fundamentally equal rights for all, this idea comes from the work of John Stuart Mill.

Question 9

What does Mill think about gender equality?

Answer 9

In ‘the subjugation of women’ (1869) he put forward an argument for political and social equality. His role and that of 1000s of campaigning women was crucial in the establishment of equality laws.

Question 10

What did Elizabeth Cady Stanton argue for in ‘the woman’s bible’?

Answer 10

She was influenced by Mill and saw the churches’ attitude to women as a key reason for their oppression. She was arguing for women’s rights whilst the abolitionist movement was ongoing and she was worried it would sideline women’s rights, so took a racist view, arguing only for the rights of educated white women.

Question 11

What are the three types of racism?

Answer 11

1. Direct racism- treating someone differently because of their race. 2. Indirect racism- practices and polices disadvantaging races. 3. Institutional racism- racism present within social institutions.

Question 12

Give three arguments for the Bible being racist

Answer 12

1. Jesus does not condemn slavery in the way he condemns other traditional practices. 2. “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling” Ephesians, the Old Testament appears to condone slavery. 3. If the writers of the Bible were divinely inspired and supported slavery, can god really be seen as all loving if he condones such a practice?

Question 13

Give three arguments against the Bible being racist

Answer 13

1. Racism goes against the fundamental Christian value that all were created equal in the eyes of god. 2. The Old Testament makes references to treating foreigners as your own people. 3. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians.

Question 14

Give four positive Christian responses to racism

Answer 14

1. The church was deeply involved in bringing about the race relations act in the uk. 2. In 1537, pope Paul III said that keeping a slave merited excommunication. 3. In 1988, pope john Paul II condemned apartheid in South Africa. 4. Quakers were integral in the abolition movement, no slave owner was allowed to become a Quaker.

Question 15

What happened in Montgomery Alabama in December 1955?

Answer 15

Rosa parks, a black woman, refused to give up her bus seat for a white man and was arrested. A black boycott of the buses began on the day of her court hearing and lasted for 381 days until segregation laws were repealed.

Question 16

What were the main views of Martin Luther King?

Answer 16

1. All people were created as equals in the image of god. 2. It was a Christian duty to help people have better choices and strive for equality. 3. He believed in direct non violent action, inspired by Gandhi and Jesus’ view that violence could only be conquered with love and forgiveness.

Question 17

Describe King’s affirmative non violent action

Answer 17

It looked to resist evil and create understanding and friendship, it involved sit ins, freedom marches and silent protests, non violent protest can be redemptive and allow us to grow spiritually.

Question 18

What were achievements of Martin Luther King?

Answer 18

1. Organized the march on Washington in 1963, over 250,000 people heard his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech. 2. First African American to win the Nobel peace prize in 1964. 3. Integral in the passing of 1964’s civil rights act and 1965’s voting rights act.

Question 19

What are secular responses to racism?

Answer 19

Secular responses are the outcome of liberal policies and social change. The Runnymede trust believes that government policy does not do enough to tackle discrimination and that ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in key institutions and have worse life chances.

Question 20

What happens when cultural practices clash with liberal values?

Answer 20

In the case of female genital mutilation it has been proven that it has no health benefits and can result in health problems such as psychological trauma and death. Liberalism cannot condone practices which encourage inequality, this is why FMG is illegal in the UK.

Question 21

Give three Christian views against disability equality

Answer 21

1. “For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame.” Leviticus, this suggests that disabled people can’t be close to god or become priests. 2. Disability was understood as a punishment from god and a sign or impurity 3. If we were all made as equals in Genesis, why do some people suffer more, suffering seems unjust and unbalanced.

Question 22

Give three Christian views for disability equality

Answer 22

1. David spared the life of Saul’s offspring Mephibosheth, who was disabled, instead of killing him, he treated him as an equal and gave him his protection. 2. In Luke, Jesus healed a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and later cured a man with leprosy by touching him, he did not shy away from people with disabilities. 3. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus declared blessed all who society think are cursed.

Question 23

What are john hick’s views on disability?

Answer 23

His soul making theodicy says that suffering allows us to grow spiritually and close the epistemic distance between ourselves and god. God allows disabilities to occur and disabled people are equally loved by god.

Question 24

Give three Roman Catholic views on disability

Answer 24

1. Prayer, pilgrimages and miraculous cures are advocated, such as the town of Lourdes with its healing spring. 2. Pilgrimage is seen as providing both physical and psychological healing as it helps people feel closer to god. 3. Attitudes are changing, with the disabled being seen as being able to offer just as much as the able bodied.

Question 25

Who is Joni Eareckson Tada?

Answer 25

A Christian disability activist, a diving accident left her as a quadriplegic, but she sees her condition as a gift as it allows her to do things she would never have done before, painting, setting up the Joni and Friends disability charity and becoming closer to god.

Question 26

How does Joni view suffering?

Answer 26

Instead of looking for miraculous cures, we should see suffering as something that can transform us, she uses her voice to promote the rights of disabled people in across the world.

Question 27

What issues do disabled people face?

Answer 27

Disabled people struggle from discrimination and stereotyping, they are more likely to experience hate crimes and harassment and the medical management of their conditions focusses more on care and treatment, as opposed to freedom and dignity.

Question 28

What is disability according to the Union of the physically impaired against segregation?

Answer 28

It is not the impairment the person faces, but the exclusion they experience because of their impairment.

Question 29

What are secular responses to disability based on?

Answer 29

Governmental equality and diversity policies, the equality act of 2000 includes the disability discrimination act of 1995 which protects disabled people from indirect discrimination, victimization and harassment.

Question 30

What pieces of legislation are included in the 2010 equality act?

Answer 30

1975 sexual discrimination act, 1976 race relations act and the 1995 disability discrimination act.