Chapter 12: Religion and Prejudice
1. In accord with George Kelsey's argument, your textbook says that racism and Christianity are philosophically
*a. Incompatible because racism involves an implicit worship of one's genes and a concept of the source of human worth that is contrary to Christianity
b. Incompatible because the Declaration of Independence says everyone is "created equal"
c. Incompatible because he believes that Jesus was black
d. Compatible because the Bible endorses the idea of hierarchical relationships between people
e. Compatible because the Bible says Ham, whose skin was dark, was the rejected son
2. Levels of racism among church members show that
a. The most active church members are the most racist, followed by inactive members. The least racist are nonmembers
b. The nonmembers are the most racist, followed by inactive members. The least racist are the most active church members
*c. The most active church members are the least racist, followed by nonmembers. The most racist are inactive church members
d. Church members, when actives and inactives are combined, are far less prejudiced than unchurched people
e. Church membership or levels of activity in a church are not related to tendencies toward racism
3. At first, white masters in North America refused to allow missionaries to preach to their slaves because most denominations a. Did not want blacks in their churches
b. Charged plantation owners heavily for the service
c. Taught that blacks
*d. Maintained that a Christian could not own another Christian; thus black converts would have to be freed
e. All of the above
4. Which of the following was NOT among the cultural meaning factors identified by your textbook as being associated with racism?
a. Color symbolism
b. The doctrine of "free will" individualism
c. The "miracle motif" and resignation to the status quo
d. Particularism
*e. The doctrine of predestination
5. Joe feels he is not prejudiced against other people. He does not think anyone should be subjugated, humiliated, or demeaned by others. But he doesn't really want to interact with blacks. Just shaking hands with a person of color makes him feel like his hand is dirty. As long as he does not have to associate with them personally, he has no problem with Americans of African descent. Sociologists would say that Joe's attitude illustrates
a. The "miracle motif"
*b. Aversive racism
c. Dominative racism
d. Institutional racism
e. Religious particularism
6. Among religious abolitionists which of the following may have been linked to aversive racism, keeping blacks separated and disadvantaged?
*a. Color symbolism
b. The miracle motif
c. Free will individualism
d. Aligning actions
7. A situation in which policies in one institution cause unintended discrimination in another institution is called
a. Aversive discrimination
b. Color symbolism
c. Particularism
*d. Systemic discrimination
e. Racial asceticism
8. The "miracle motif" is likely to lead believers to
a. Pray without ceasing for a miracle
*b. Believe that God will bring change at the divinely appointed time and that human action is unnecessary
c. Organize prayer circles to petition the almighty for change
d. Inspire believers to both pray and work for change
e. Become actively involved in trying to solve problems of institutional discrimination
9. Development of we they prejudice involving religious groups is especially likely in situations where racial, economic, and religious boundaries are
a. Cross cutting
b. Easily discernible
*c. Coextensive
d. Blurred
10. Sentiments expressed by college students toward the Danireans, Pireneans, and Wallonians can likely best be explained by a. Conflict over scarce resources with members of these groups
b. Negative effects of ethnic jokes
c. Stereotypes
d. Institutional discrimination
*e. "We they" theory
11. An important reason that clergy in Little Rock did not speak out more forcefully during the school desegregation crisis in 1957 was that
a. Most of them did not support school desegregation
*b. Institutional rewards enticed them to go easy and not rock the boat
c. The official policies of their denominations either supported segregation or were silent on the matter
d. White "citizens' councils" threatened to burn their homes
e. All of the above
12. Your textbook suggested that a belonging system of a religion can increase racism through
*a. Group development of informal and unofficial norms favoring discrimination
b. Discouraging a dualistic world view
c. Following the basic teachings of Christianity
d. Official policies, which in most denominations still define blacks as inferior
e. All of the above
13. Several good friends at a church potluck supper complain to each other about characteristics of another ethnic group and laugh at a few ethnic jokes. This is an example of how in a religion can contribute to racism
a. Institutional factors
b. Belonging factors
*c. Meaning factors
d. Cognitive development factors
e. Anomie
14. Roberts discusses research suggesting that prejudice may be the result of a dualistic mode of organizing and interpreting one's experience. This research can be considered as part of which research tradition?
a. Reference group theory
b. Structural functionalism
c. Exchange theory
*d. Cognitive structuralism
e. Social conflict theory
15. Roberts believes that the most important theory of racial and ethnic discrimination is
a. Arrested moral development in Kohlberg's stage 3
b. Improper socialization
c. Alienation
d. Personality maladjustments in prejudiced people
*e. Conflict over scarce resources
16. A major thesis of Roberts's chapter on Christianity and racism is that
a. Christianity, like most religions, is intrinsically racist
b. Some Christians are racist, but they are maladjusted individuals who do not represent the majority
c. Discrimination will soon stop because racism within the church is nearly eradicated
*d. Religion may contribute to prejudice unintentionally , as in the case of the institutional system or the belonging system rewarding behaviors contrary to the official meaning system of the faith
e. All of the above
17. The idea that religious prejudice is a consequence of other social processes and tensions rather than its cause is most represented in
*a. Conflict theory
b. Structural functional theory
c. Symbolic interaction theory
d. Exchange theory
e. Reference group theory
18. Which of the following is NOT a point made by Roberts regarding religious bigotry?
a. One reason for racial prejudice in the churches is that extrinsically religious persons join churches for secular advances and, thus, are not necessarily committed to the moral teaching of the faith
b. The symbolic connotation of the colors black and white, which can be traced back many centuries in Western civilization, may be one of the factors that has unwittingly contributed to racism
c. Christian particularism is highly correlated with anti Semitism, but not with racial prejudice
d. Religious prejudice is often a reflection of larger social conflicts rather than their cause
*e. Tragically, about one third of the major denominations in the U.S. have not spoken out and declared Christianity and racism to be mutually exclusive