Better understanding/tolerance of different viewpoints
New ways of living (yoga, meditation)
Disadvantages
Challenged about own faith
Fear of being the minority (marginalised)
Leads to beliefs and values ignored
Issues: conversion (apostasy in punishable
by death), raising children, interfaith
marriages (validity according to church)
Religious Freedom
Authority Action
2006 Equality Act
1998 Human Rights Act
2006 Racial and Religious Hatred Act
UK Inter Faith Network promoting links between faiths
SACRE organisation concerning RS education in schools
Christian Views
Evangelicals: exclusivist- only true Christians
will enter Heaven "no one will come to the
father except through me" (John 14)
Roman Catholics: inclusivist- Christianity has the full
truth so other faiths should be respected but
encouraged to convert "God is unknown yet near" (Catechism)
Quakers: pluralist- all religions lead to God "in my
father's house there are many rooms" (John 14)
Multi-ethnic Society
Advantages
Enables understanding of different faiths
New people with fresh ideas
Wider variety of music, food, clothes and culture
Disadvantages
Racism towards immigrants in the public and work sector
Steven Lawrence murder inquiry showed institutionalised racism in the Police Force
Racism
Christian Opposition
"From one human being he created all the races on Earth" (Acts 17)
Parable of the Good Samaritan & Parable of the Sheep and Goats
Jesus spent time with Romans, Samarians and outcasts of society
Martin Luther King Jr and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
"God does not show favouritism, but accepts men from every nation" (Acts 10)
'Assist Sheffield' with St. Thomas Church provides accommodation,
grants, assistance to asylum seekers unsupported by the Government
Promoted by: same place worship,
community social events, special international
services, charities combatting racism
Authority Opposition
Race Relations Act 1976
Commission for Racial Equality
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Amnesty International
Helping those seeking asylum
Women
Changing Views
Rights to vote: 1918 Representation of the People Act,
1928 Electoral Reform Act
Equality in the workplace: 1970 Equal
Pay Act, 1975 Sex Discrimination Act,
1975 Employment Protection Act
Equal opportunities and choice: Contraceptive pill (1960s)
1900s: 15% married women worked
2000s: Men earn 17% more, women
do majority of household chores and
less are in executive roles
Christian Views
Both sexes were created equally-Imago Dei
Evangelical Protestants: "I [St Paul] do not
permit a woman to teach or to have authority
over a man; she must be silent" (1 Timothy 2)
Church of England: Jesus treated women as equals- Mary Magdalene first witnessed Jesus after his ressurection
"There is neither... male nor
female for you are all one
person in Christ" (Genesis 3)
Roman Catholics: All Jesus' disciples (chosen to spread his word) were men
Quakers: Priesthood of all believers without ordained clergy