The Roots of Prejudice - Religion-A Force for Tolerance or Prejudice?

In his book The Nature of Prejudice, Gordon W. Allport states that "on the average, Church members seem to be more prejudiced than non-members."  This is not surprising, for religion has often been the cause of prejudice rather than its remedy (note: that's because they are not true Christians-they just claim to be. That is one way to tell which are true Christians.)  For example,  clerics incited anti-Semitism for centuries.  According to A History of Christianity, Hitler once remarked:  "As for the Jews, I am just carrying on with the same policy which the Catholic Church had adopted for 1500 years.  

Note: Its par for the course, when you say that's the  pot calling the kettle black.  Their religion is no better. They are the ones responsible for so many lives being taken in wars. And some of their priests or whatever they call them, were known for an unspeakable act. You know what that is.  True  Christians would not do that. 

 During the atrocities in the Balkans, Orthodox and Catholic teachings seemed incapable of producing tolerance and respect toward  neighbors who professed another religion.  

Likewise in Rwanda, Church members slaughtered fellow believers.  The National Catholic Reporter pointed out that the fighting there  involved "a real and true genocide for which, unfortunately, even Catholics are responsible." 

The Catholic Church itself has recognized its record of intolerance.  In the year 2,000 Pope John Paul II asked forgiveness for "deviations of the past" at a public Mass in Rome.  During the ceremony, "religious intolerance and injustice towards Jews, women, indigenous peoples, immigrants, the poor and the unborn" were specifically mentioned. 

Next time: The End of Prejudice

From the jw.org publications