Is there a relationship between religion and racism?

Question

Religion and evolution are essentially opposites. Some religionists try to create a freakish hybrid between crusty-ole religious beliefs and the scientific fact of evolution, but this is only because they dont really understand evolution.

Often, the angst behind racial differences comes from fear, in the subconsious mind, of the reality of evolution.Jokes about people from different races being like primates really reflects a fear about the reality of evolution. Its almost as if the mere notice of racial difference gives us an intutive sense of evolution.

If everyone accepted the truth of evolution, then you wouldnt have any of this anxiety, after all, isnt it religion which creates the "us against them" mentality in the first place? Sure, you could still have racial superemists but most of the fear that feeds this beast would be dead, and the racial supremists would appear even more extreme and isolated. Best of all, you wouldnt have anyone murdering for Allah.

Answer 1

Yes there is... especially if that religion makes claims of being Chosen High-Borns... like being members of some sort of exclusive club or sorrority

Answer 2

Crusty ole religious beliefs? Scientific fact of evolution? What's up with that? Jesus changed the world and turned it on it's head. Millions still hold allegiance to Christianity. There are no scientific facts of evolution. Micro evolution yes (the peppered moth) but not marco evolution ( fish evolving to a reptile evolving to a bird ,etc.) Where are all the transitional fossils? There should be thousands by now. There is no truth in evolution. It is all based on presuppositions that the earth is billions of years old. Nobody truly ,knows how old this earth is. It is all based on presuppositions. Evolution is a cruel hoax that was invented by proud men that didn't want to bend their knee to The Bible.

If everyone accepted evolution than you would have more frequent Columbine massacres. If you keep telling teenagers that they evolved from nothing over billions of years and life is meaningless than you are just tempting the fate that these kids are truly worthless and that they can do whatever they want without eternal consequences.

Christianity says that the world is going to Hell unless people repent of their sins against God and trust Jesus to save them. That is the gospel. That is salvation. Repentance and trust.

Answer 3

Yes, There is, but I don't think it's essentially about evolution.
I'm a believing born-again Christian but I believe in evolution, or at least in the geological eras of time.

Christians have committed terrible racist crimes in the name of God, mainly using the justification that God told the Israelites to destroy the Canaanite tribes when they conquered the Promised Land. Hence genocide in North and South America, Apartheid in South Africa and unconditional support for Israel against the Palestinians today.

The murder of Jews in the Inquisition and the pogroms was a different kind of racism, based on the idea that the Jews were still guilty for the death of Jesus.

I think you will find that most of the "blacks are apemen" idiots are atheists, although some may try to cover their hatred with a religious facade.

Answer 4

I'm not a religious person. I love science. I believe in evolution.
I do however believe that the two can exist together. I've heard a few scientist believe that there is to much symmetry and balance in nature and science for there not to be an artist behind such marvellous work.
Who knows. I plan to keep an open mind and do what I feel is best.

Answer 5

Well I do think some racism can come from religion and yes, it also comes from fear. But, you do know that the first claims of Evolutionists were that black people were lower on the Evlolutionary scale that white people and often compared them to monkeys. Thats where all the racial "monkey" terms for black people came. Religion isnt innocent of this, and neither is science. Man has just generally not been willing to accept people different than him.

Answer 6

That would be a hard case to make, given that evolution can be used to justify superiority of races over others. Also, it was the theistic rationalism that gave birth to and predicated human rights in the American view of civil liberties. You might also check into the number of civil rights leaders from the 1960's who have Rev. in front of their names.

As far as your epithet concerning people of religion who are also evolutionists, you might consider the work of Cambridge theoretical physicists, John Polkinghorne, who is also an ordained priest. Alister McGrath is a theologian at Oxford, who also happens to have a PhD in biophysics from the same institution.

Answer 7

Well, the scriptures do not say on the 8th Day Adam & Eve got kicked out of the garden. They may have been there for millions upon millions of years. From the Bible, we know creation was organized into days, but I don't know anyone who believes it was a 24 hour day . . . again, millions of years could have been a day.

As for racism and religion, just look at the south and back in our history. The jokes do exist . . . but Darwin never said men evolved from monkeys . . .

Answer 8

There was racism before evolution, some founded in religion. There was racism based on evolution (e.g. Hitler). Whenever hating a group is convenient, an excuse will be found.

Answer 9

Spontaneous generation, the only explanation for the beginning of the process of evolution, was disproved by Louis Pasteur.

Answer 10

Any idea is subject to the same scenario when it wants to become the predominent idea. Right?

Time for soul searching !!!