Christianity

Old Testament

The Old Testament teaches that all humans are equal in value because everyone is created in the image of God (Latin: imago dei):

This teaching underpins Christian opposition to all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including racism.

According to Genesis, Adam and Eve were the first human beings created by God, and all people are descended from them. This means that, despite differences in skin colour, culture or nationality, all humans share the same origins.

Because everyone comes from the same first parents, Christianity teaches that there is only one human race, not separate races. This supports the belief that all people are equal in value and dignity. Racial prejudice and discrimination are therefore wrong because they treat some people as inferior, even though all humans belong to the same human family created by God.

Jesus' teachings

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

He replied by asking what the Torah said. The man correctly answered that he must love God and love his neighbour.

However, wanting to justify himself, he then asked a crucial follow-up question: “And who is my neighbour?”

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to answer this question.

In the story, a man is attacked by robbers and left injured. Two respected Jewish figures, a priest and a Levite, pass by without helping. Instead, a Samaritan, (a member of an ethnic group that were hated by the Jews), stops and shows compassion. By making the Samaritan the hero, Jesus deliberately challenged the racial and religious prejudices of his audience.

The parable shows that Jesus was teaching that neighbourly love has no racial or religious limits. The message is that a true neighbour is not defined by ethnicity or religion, but by actions of compassion and mercy, directly opposing prejudice and discrimination.

Jesus healed the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman

When Jesus healed the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman, a non-Jew (from modern day Lebanon & northern Israel), he showed that God’s love and compassion extend beyond ethnic and religious boundaries. At the time, Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) often avoided one another, and Gentiles were seen as outsiders. By responding to the woman’s faith and healing her daughter, Jesus challenged these prejudices and demonstrated that God’s care is not limited to one race or nation.

This event teaches that faith and need, not background, are what matter, and it clearly supports Christian opposition to racial prejudice and discrimination.

St Paul's letter to the Galatians

This teaching that we have seen before reinforces the opposition to racial prejudice:

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile ... for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3)

This teaching suggests that racial divisions should not exist within Christian communities

Judaism

Judaism opposes racial prejudice because all humans are created by God:

The story of Adam and Eve again suggests one shared human origin.

Torah

Judaism strongly opposes prejudice and discrimination by teaching that all people deserve equal respect and justice.

This key commandment in the Torah shows that caring for others and treating them fairly is a religious duty. This teaching means Jews should cahllenge racial prejudice.

Another important teaching reinforces this message: Jews are commanded not to oppress strangers (foreigners) because they themselves were once oppressed in Egypt:

Together, these teachings show that opposition to racism is central to Judaism.

Islam

Obedience to Allah

Islam teaches that racism is wrong because Allah created all human beings equal, though different. Diversity in race, ethnicity and culture is part of Allah’s design and should be respected rather than judged. The Qur’an teaches that humanity was created from a single man and woman and divided into nations and tribes so that people may know one another, not discriminate against one another:

Muhammad

The Prophet Muhammad strongly opposed racism. He chose Bilal, a black African man, to perform the call to prayer, showing that status in Islam is based on faith rather than race. In his teachings, Muhammad stated that an Arab is not better than a non-Arab, and a white person is not better than a black person. The concept of the ummah, the worldwide Muslim community, emphasises unity and equality among believers.

Non-Abrahamic religions

Hinduism

Hinduism teaches that racial prejudice is wrong because all people share the same spiritual essence.

Hindus believe that everyone has an atman (true self), and that Brahman, the ultimate reality, is present in all beings. This means all people are spiritually equal.

The Bhagavad Gita teaches:

“I look upon all creatures equally.” (Bhagavad Gita)

This shows that God does not favour one race over another. Prejudiced attitudes create bad karma, which affects future reincarnations.

The Bhagavad Gita also teaches that people should work for the welfare of all, which racial prejudice would prevent.

Sikhism

Sikhism strongly rejects racial prejudice and teaches complete equality. The Guru Granth Sahib states:

“We are the children of one God.” (Guru Granth Sahib)

This shows that all humans share the same divine Creator.

Another teaching from the Guru Granth Sahib says:

“The clay is the same but the Fashioner has fashioned it in different ways.” (Guru Granth Sahib)

This metaphor shows that external differences such as race do not change inner spiritual equality.

The Mool Mantra also teaches that God created everyone equally. Therefore, Sikhs believe all people deserve equal respect and treatment regardless of race or ethnicity.

Buddhism

Buddhism teaches that racial prejudice is wrong because it creates suffering (dukkha) and stems from wrong attitudes.

The Eightfold Path, particularly Right Thought and Right Intention, requires Buddhists to reject harmful or prejudiced thinking. Developing metta (loving kindness) and karuna (compassion) means treating all beings with care and fairness.

The Dhammapada, teaches:

“The things which separate and divide people, race, religion, gender and social position are illusory.” (Dhammapada)

This shows that divisions such as race are ultimately not spiritually real.

The Dalai Lama has also taught that “the best way to live life is to always think compassion.” Racial prejudice creates bad karma, which negatively affects rebirth, so it is rejected by most Buddhists.