Religion-ism

Question Description: Review the website “Test Yourself for Hidden Bias” (https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/test-yourself-for-hidden-bias)

Consider the significance of each “ism” in your pr and personal life. Write a reflective essay in which you:

Summarize your understanding of the patterns which transform personal bias and prejudice into “isms” (Be sure to cite the resources to substantiate your thinking)
Respond to the following questions:

Racism
What is the most salient experience in my life directly related to my race?
What have I learned about my comfort/discomfort and biases/prejudices with regard to race?
What new insights, professional and/or personal, about racism did I gain from the article, “Inverting Racism’s Distortions“?

Classism
What did I learn about my assumptions with regard to other people’s race, gender, education and/or personal dispositions when I learn that they are wealthy? When I learn that they are poor?
What do I identify as the main reason why some people are financially secure and others are not?
What new insights did I gain, professionally and personally, from the two articles about classism, “The Question of Class” and “The Myth of the ‘Culture of Poverty.’’

Ableism
With regard to varying abilities, what is one of my cognitive, physical, and/or emotional strengths and one of my limitations—and in what ways do they influence my life?
Given that emotional challenges are neither “visible” nor easily put into categories: What specific advantages/disadvantages do I think exist for emotionally challenged people?
What new insights, professionally and personally, did I gain from the articles about ableism, “Disability Images and the Art of Theorizing Normality”, “Disability Angst“, and “It’s Not Just About Racism, But Ableism.”

Religion-ism
Can I or can I not assume that I will not have to work or attend school on my significant religious holidays—and what are the implications of the answer to this question?
How safe (i.e., without fear of violence or mockery) do I feel if I decide to pray in public according to my religious beliefs?
What new insights, professionally and personally, did I gain from the article “Understanding Christian Privilege“?

Answer preview

The U.S law stipulates that employers shall not discriminate against anyone for their religious beliefs. The law also gives every U.S citizen a right to their own religious beliefs. Therefore, just as employers treat Christmas season as a holiday for everyone, they should treat other significant religious holidays affecting other religions. Treating the Christmas season as a holiday and not reciprocating the same for other religions on their significant holidays is falling into the Christian privilege trap. Therefore, it would be unfair to have different assumptions for different religions. This assumption also carries weight when showing one’s religious beliefs in public (Seifert, 2007). If praying in public is viewed as an acceptable gesture for me as a Baptist, so should Muslims be equally permitted to perform their prayers in public. It should not be subject to bias owing to the fact that one is Christian and one is not. Therefore the fear of mockery or violence should be a non-issue when it comes to religion.

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