Discrimination

B. Biblical Teaching

B1. Introduction

It is never difficult to find particular texts from the Bible which can be used to support other arguments. However, there is a wide range of biblical teaching, as identified here, which presents a direct challenge to negative discrimination.

B2. The goodness of all being and beings.

A positive perspective is evident from the outset with the Genesis creation stories, which affirm that common humanity and the whole world derive from God. Not just one race, or nation, or gender or religion, but the whole of creation comes from God. And in all its potential, it looks good! See Genesis chapter 1:

"God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light; and God saw that the light was good." … "God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters he called the seas; and God saw that it was good." …"God then created all living creatures that swarm in the waters…and every kind of bird; and God saw that it was good."…"God made wild animals, cattle and all reptiles..; and he saw that it was good."..."God created man in his own image; male and female he created them…and God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

B3. The Law demands fairness for all

According to Deuteronomic Law, and Torah:

"..I gave your judged this command: 'You are to hear the cases that arise amongst your kinsmen and judge fairly between man and man, whether fellow-countryman or resident alien. You must be impartial and listen to high and low alike: have no fear of man, for judgement belongs to God." Deuteronomy 1:16-17
"The Lord your God is God of Gods, Lord of Lords...He is no respecter of persons and is not to be bribed; he secures justice for widows and orphans, and loves the alien who lives among you, giving him food and clothing. You too must love the alien, for you once lived as aliens.." Deuteronomy 11:17-19

B4. This is the message of Wisdom writings

"How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked" Psalm 82: 2-4

B5. This is the message of the prophets

"I will appear before you in court to testify against…those who wrong the hired labourer, the widow, and the orphan, who thrust the alien aside and have no fear of me, says the Lord of hosts." Malachi 3: 5

B6. It is also the substance of the story of Jonah

The same breadth of concern for universal humanity is found in the short story of Jonah. Its theme is as follows: Jonah, son of a prophet, is called by God to share the news of God's love with the wider Gentile world typified by the alien city of Nineveh. Instead, he runs in the opposite direction, taking a boat to Tarshish at the opposite end of the Mediterranean. Perceiving him to be the cause of a terrrible storm, the crew throw him overboard. He's rescued by a big fish. ("Now Jonah he lived in de whale" - as the song goes.) In this hellish belly, he's thankful to God for his rescue and the fish spews him up. He sets off for Nineveh (capital of Assyrian Empire, located close to Mosul in modern Iraq) with God's message. The king and his people respond and change their notorious ways. Jonah is resentful, and even complains when a plant giving him temporary shelter from the sun. This prompts a final word from God:

"You are sorry for the gourd, though you did not have the trouble of growing it, a plant which came up in a night and withered in a night. And should not I be sorry for the great city of Nineveh, with its hundred and twenty thousand, who cannot rtell their right hand from their left, and their cattle without number?" Jonah 4:10-11

B7. Who receive attention in healing stories?

People, usually unnamed, who are outside the bounds of acceptable society:

B8. Who is my neighbour?

Jesus identifies a non-Jew - a Samaritan - as model neighbour, worthy of imitation, in contrast to officials amongst his fellow religionists - priest and levite.

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:36-7

B9. Everyone's inner light

All human beings are illuminated from within by sense of God. According to John's gospel, the illumination already there in everyone is seen in its full colour and extent in Jesus.

"When all things began, th Word already was. The Word dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was. The Word, then, was with God at the beginning, and through him all thiings came to be; n single thing was created without him. All that came to be was alive with his life, and that life was the light of men. The light shnes on in the dark, and the darkness has never mastered it. There appeared a man named John, sent from God; he came as a witness to testify to the light, that all might become believers through him. He was not himself the light; he came to bear witness to the light. The real light which enlightens every man was even then coming into the world." John 1: 1-9

B10. Extending beyond ritual birthrights

Contrary to some religious perspectives, human status before God in not dependent on possession or completion of some prescribed ritual. Peter, like Paul, both devout in their Jewishness, comes to recognise that the truth and goodness they have found in Jesus belongs not just to Jews, but Gentiles too, in effect to the whole world - and without any requirement of circumcision.

He said to them: "I need not tell you that a Jew is forbidden to visit or associate with someone of another race; yet God has shown me clearly that I must not call anyone impure or unclean.
I now see how true it is that God has no favourites, but that in every nation the one who is godfearing and does what is right is acceptable to him. He sent his word to the Israerlites and gave the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."
Peter was still speaking when the Holy spirit came upon all who were listening to the message. The believers who had come to Peter, men of Jewish birth, were astonished that the gift of the Holy spirit should have been poured out even on Gentiles.
Acts 10:28, 34-6, 44-5

B11. Irrespective of other qualifications

Paul, himself learned in his rabbinical Jewish learning and in possession of Roman citizenship, is very explicit that such qualifications are secondary to that of the common ground for all which the gospel affirms:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:23

Similarly, the judgement of the letters in the name of John is uncompromising: everyone is a child of God, accordingly, by definition, loving God entails loving all his children.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:19-20

Back to top ·


© 2002 ELMAR Project - webmaster@ybgud.net