Discrimination is embedded in the cultural fabric of the United States through access to housing, employment, health, and the justice system and therefore sensitizes those who have traditionally been discriminated against to recognize it. Policies that have been implemented to counter this discrimination have recently been decried as going so far as to implement “reverse discrimination” because of the benefits they inure to those who have historically been harmed at the expenses of the majority. Reverse discrimination occurs when those in power discriminate against members of the majority group in favor of the minority group (Lerner & Nagai, 2000).This type of discrimination includes policies such as preferential hiring and college admissions
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This could be a result of the fact that the same legal principles used to prove discrimination may not necessarily be applicable for reverse discrimination cases (McQuaid, 2006; Sullivan, 2004). Though there may not have been much success in the court system, a few states have passed laws strictly prohibiting this type of discrimination or favoritism (Lerner & Nagai, 2000; Menache & Kleiner, 1999).
Based on the definition of discrimination, reverse discrimination is a form of racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is defined as “unequal treatment of an individual on account of his or her racial membership . . . or denying someone a privilege or reward that he would have otherwise received except for the fact of his group membership” (Lerner & Nagai, 2000). Those who implement certain practices decried as reverse discrimination certainly deny those in the majority, or who have typically held power, from receiving certain benefits or …show more content…
In Leviticus we are told “not [to] prevent justice [and not to] show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but [to] judge [our] neighbor[s] fairly” (Leviticus 19:15 New International Version). This same train of thought is confirmed in both the old and new testaments multiple times, where favoritism of certain individuals is shown to be against the character of God or being a Christian (Exodus 23:3 NIV; Romans 2:11 English Standard Version; Ephesians 6:9 ESV; James 2:1 ESV). The scriptures also espouse a view of justice by which the one who has committed the sin should be the one punished (Ezekiel 18:19-20 NIV). This means that those who are in the current majority should not continue to be punished for the sins of the majority in the past or those committed by their ancestors. We as Christians should strive for impartiality and encourage our government to view all based on their merits, actions, and
This could be a result of the fact that the same legal principles used to prove discrimination may not necessarily be applicable for reverse discrimination cases (McQuaid, 2006; Sullivan, 2004). Though there may not have been much success in the court system, a few states have passed laws strictly prohibiting this type of discrimination or favoritism (Lerner & Nagai, 2000; Menache & Kleiner, 1999).
Based on the definition of discrimination, reverse discrimination is a form of racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is defined as “unequal treatment of an individual on account of his or her racial membership . . . or denying someone a privilege or reward that he would have otherwise received except for the fact of his group membership” (Lerner & Nagai, 2000). Those who implement certain practices decried as reverse discrimination certainly deny those in the majority, or who have typically held power, from receiving certain benefits or …show more content…
In Leviticus we are told “not [to] prevent justice [and not to] show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but [to] judge [our] neighbor[s] fairly” (Leviticus 19:15 New International Version). This same train of thought is confirmed in both the old and new testaments multiple times, where favoritism of certain individuals is shown to be against the character of God or being a Christian (Exodus 23:3 NIV; Romans 2:11 English Standard Version; Ephesians 6:9 ESV; James 2:1 ESV). The scriptures also espouse a view of justice by which the one who has committed the sin should be the one punished (Ezekiel 18:19-20 NIV). This means that those who are in the current majority should not continue to be punished for the sins of the majority in the past or those committed by their ancestors. We as Christians should strive for impartiality and encourage our government to view all based on their merits, actions, and