Tackling Discrimination and Fighting for Equality
Prejudice and discrimination still affect millions of people today, even in the UK. Prejudice means pre-judging someone as inferior without cause, whilst discrimination involves actually treating people differently based on these unfair judgements.
Religious discrimination includes name-calling, attacking places of worship, or preventing people from wearing religious symbols. However, many religious communities fight back peacefully - Muslims host 'Visit my Mosque' days to break down stereotypes, and schools teach about different religions to reduce ignorance.
Martin Luther King Jr remains the perfect example of peaceful resistance to racism. This Christian minister used non-violent protests like bus boycotts and sit-ins, inspired by Jesus' teachings to "turn the other cheek" and avoid violence. His famous "I have a dream" speech still inspires people fighting discrimination today.
Key insight: Both Christianity and Buddhism emphasise treating everyone equally - Christians because all are "made in the image of God," and Buddhists because of their principle "do not harm any living being."
Even today, discrimination persists - women often earn less than men in city jobs, and Catholic women still can't become priests.