An institution is defined as “a place where an organization takes care of people for a usually long period of time” (Merriam-Webster). An example that fits this definition would be the Christian church. The Christian church serves its congregation and the community by providing spiritual guidance and teaching its members core values that are at the heart of Christianity. One of the most commonly practiced values and teachings is “Love your neighbor as yourself” (New International Version, James 2.8). The core belief of love and acceptance that Christianity was founded upon was not practiced in many places, particularly the South, through the 1960s. Many predominantly white, southern Christian churches failed to address racism and failed to
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Narrator Scout Finch attends her Aunt Alexandra’s missionary circle meeting and the reader learns, through Scout's narration, that hypocracy is alive in the white church of Maycomb County. The women of the circle were discussing supporting missionary J. Grimes Everett, who was working in Africa to christianize the Mruna tribe. The irony is that the women of the missionary circle were perfectly happy to help Africans who were far removed from their world, while at the same time did nothing to support the conditions of the black community in their own hometown. At this same meeting, Mrs. Merriweather, a missionary circle member, tells the other members how she had to reprimand her black housekeeper, Sophy, for being upset about the jury ruling against Tom Robinson. Citing Jesus Christ as an example, Mrs. Merriweather tells the group how she had to explain to Sophy that Jesus, “never went around grumbling and complaining” (Lee 310). The hypocrisy is evident when Mrs. Merriweather concludes by saying, “you never ought to let an opportunity go by to witness for the Lord” (Lee 310). The Methodist Episcopal Church of Maycomb County, Alabama, turned a blind eye to justice and furthered racist
Narrator Scout Finch attends her Aunt Alexandra’s missionary circle meeting and the reader learns, through Scout's narration, that hypocracy is alive in the white church of Maycomb County. The women of the circle were discussing supporting missionary J. Grimes Everett, who was working in Africa to christianize the Mruna tribe. The irony is that the women of the missionary circle were perfectly happy to help Africans who were far removed from their world, while at the same time did nothing to support the conditions of the black community in their own hometown. At this same meeting, Mrs. Merriweather, a missionary circle member, tells the other members how she had to reprimand her black housekeeper, Sophy, for being upset about the jury ruling against Tom Robinson. Citing Jesus Christ as an example, Mrs. Merriweather tells the group how she had to explain to Sophy that Jesus, “never went around grumbling and complaining” (Lee 310). The hypocrisy is evident when Mrs. Merriweather concludes by saying, “you never ought to let an opportunity go by to witness for the Lord” (Lee 310). The Methodist Episcopal Church of Maycomb County, Alabama, turned a blind eye to justice and furthered racist