S17 E10: The One About GCSE RS Paper 2 Theme F - Human Rights and Social Justice

In this episode I unpack Theme F: Religion, human rights and social justice Students should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. They should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of these issues.
They must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:
Status of women in religion.
The uses of wealth.
Freedom of religious expression.

Human rights

• Prejudice and discrimination in religion and belief, including the status and treatment within religion of women and those in same sex relationships.
• Issues of equality, freedom of religion and belief including freedom of religious expression.
• Human rights and the responsibilities that come with rights, including the responsibility to respect the rights of others.
• Social justice.
• Racial prejudice and discrimination.
• Ethical arguments related to racial discrimination (including positive discrimination), including those based on the ideals of equality and justice.

Wealth and poverty

• Wealth, including:
  • the right attitude to wealth
  • the uses of wealth.
• The responsibilities of wealth, including the duty to tackle poverty and its causes.
• Exploitation of those living in poverty including issues relating to:
  • fair pay
  • excessive interest on loans
  • people-trafficking.
• The responsibilities of those living in poverty to help themselves overcome the difficulties they face.
• Charity, including issues related to giving money to those living in poverty

We also look relate this to key exam questions;

06.1 Which one of the following best expresses the religious ideal that everyone should get what they deserve?
A Tolerance.
B Prejudice.
C Justice.
D Compassion.

06.2 Give one example of what religious believers would see as exploitation of those living in poverty. 

unfair pay

4-marker

Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about the right of freedom of belief. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.
Some Christians believe it is right to give people freedom of belief today because that is what God has given humans
In Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve free will over whether to obey his rules or not
However, fundamental Christians do not agree with giving people freedom of belief as it is not always a loving action
This is because they believe people will be condemned if they choose the wrong religion

6 marker. 

Explain two religious beliefs about the status of women in religion. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.
Some Christians believe women have equal status to men in religion as all humans are equal in the eyes of God
This is because the Bible says ‘there is no male, there is no female, we are all one in Christ.
This verse says that gender doesn’t matter as we are all the same in Jesus so men and women have equal status
However, other Christians think God made man and woman separately and differently so have different status
This is shown in the Bible when Eve is told to submit to her husband who will rule over her.

12-marker

‘It is always right to give charity to those living in poverty.’

Transcript

My name is Louisa Jane Smith and this is the RE Podcast – the podcast for those of you who think RE is boring, which it is, and I’ll prove it to you.

What I wanted to do is create a series of episodes to help students revise for their GCSE RE exam.  This can be used with Year 10 / 11 to revise topics, prepare for mocks or support revision for the final exams.  It might even be helpful for teachers who are new to teaching GCSE RE, or need a refresher to give them an overview of the main concepts and exam skills. I am going to focus on AQA as this is what most people follow and use Christianity as my religion as this is the one everyone has to do. I have completed episodes on all of paper 1 in the last series and now I am doing Paper 2. I have already done a general introduction to Paper 2, plus the first 5 themes - Theme A Marriage and the family,  Theme B Religion and life, Theme C The existence of God and Revelation, Theme D Religion Peace and Conflict and Theme E: Crime and Punishment. This episode is on Theme F Human Rights and Social Justice. Remember there are 6 themes in Paper 2 but you only need to learn 4 for the exam. Check which 4 you are doing and only listen to the relevant episodes. 

It is worth noting that if you do theme F, many of the topics often underpin many of the issues in the other themes, so teachers, make sure you make those links and try and use the same Bible verses and examples . In theme F we should study religious teachings, and religious, philosophical and ethical arguments, relating to the issues that follow, and their impact and influence in the modern world. We should be aware of contrasting perspectives in contemporary British society on all of the issues. 

Our three special topics are Status of women in religion, The uses of wealth, Freedom of religious expression. For these topics, we must be able to explain contrasting beliefs on the following three issues with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions. I won’t talk about these separately, but in the context as I think it is a difficult enough unit to navigate as it is. I have to admit, on one hand, I feel that I have a moral duty as an RE teacher and a human to teach my students Theme F.  I think an understanding of human rights and social justice is essential knowledge for any young person trying to navigate the world, plus it is empowering to them individually.  However, I think this unit is poorly organised and sequenced, and often it is the unit that is taught the most poorly and answered most poorly in the exam.  I can never find a logical way to teach it that builds students knowledge logically.  As such, I personally don’t teach this unit but try to bring the concept of human rights into the other topics. I think it would be a really good unit to teach in Year 9 but without the rubric of the exam and exam spec.  

The unit is divided into two sections: Human Rights and Wealth and Poverty. Let’s begin with the Human Rights section. However, I am going to change the order slightly in order to make the unit flow more logically. The specification begins with prejudice and discrimination in religion and belief, including the status and treatment within religion of women and those in same-sex relationships. However, it makes more sense to begin with the concept of human rights, as this underpins the rest of the unit.

The wording in the specification is: Human rights and the responsibilities that come with rights, including the responsibility to respect the rights of others.

So let’s start with the definition of human rights. Human rights are how we instinctively expect to be treated — how we deserve to be treated simply because we are human. They include the right to live freely, speak your mind, and be treated equally and fairly. Human rights apply to everyone, everywhere. So whether you are male, female, non-binary, gay, black, white, rich, poor, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, French, English, or Albanian — they apply to you. But what exactly are human rights, and where did they come from? They have not always existed. In the past, powerful people had rights, but most people had very few. Around two and a half thousand years ago, Cyrus the Great changed this. He freed all slaves and gave people the freedom to choose their religion. These ideas were written down on the Cyrus Cylinder, and over the next 500 years they spread to Greece, India, and Rome.

People began to realise that societies often followed similar moral rules even when they were not formally written down. These were called Natural Law. However, people in power frequently overrode these principles. About 1200 years later, in England, King John signed the Magna Carta, which stated that everyone had rights — not just rulers — and that kings were not above the law. Around 400 years later, in the 17th century, the Bill of Rights further developed these ideas. However, enforcing these rights sometimes required conflict. Events such as the American War of Independence and the French Revolution forced those in power to recognise the rights of ordinary people. At the same time, these rights were not yet considered universal. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, European nations built empires across Asia, South America, Australasia, and Africa. Leaders such as Gandhi challenged this, arguing that rights should apply to all people. Eventually, the idea of universal rights became widely accepted. However, the rise of Hitler and the devastation of World War II showed how fragile human rights could be. After the war, the United Nations was created and introduced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which outlines 30 rights that all humans should have.

For example: Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms in the declaration, regardless of who they are.

These principles underpin this unit.

In the UK, human rights are reflected in laws such as the Equality Act 2010.

This law protects individuals from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in the workplace and wider society. It identifies nine protected characteristics:

Age

Disability

Gender 

Marriage and civil partnership

Pregnancy and maternity

Race

Religion or belief

Sex

Sexual orientation

This means it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of these characteristics.

Let’s look at Christian Support for Human Rights

Many Christians believe that the Bible supports human rights. For example:

“Love your neighbour.”

Humans are made in the image of God.

“There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.”

These teachings suggest that humans have equal dignity and value.

However, some human rights appear to support ideas that some Christians do not believe are biblical. For example:

The right to marry — some Christians believe not everyone should have this right.

The belief that men and women have different roles.

We will examine these debates later in the unit.

Let’s look at Humanist Views on Human Rights

Humanists strongly support human rights and actively campaign to ensure they are protected. Humanist organisations run campaigns promoting equality, freedom of expression, and social justice.

The main tension for some Humanists comes with freedom of religious expression. If someone uses their freedom of expression to argue against the rights of others, this can create ethical challenges.

Let’s look at the Limitations of Human Rights

Human rights are not always fully protected in practice.

Some countries, such as Russia and North Korea, do not fully follow international human rights agreements. Even countries that have signed them do not always enforce them effectively.

For example:

The UK supported the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 but did not legalise same-sex marriage until 2014.

Women in the UK still earn 7–13% less than men on average, despite human rights stating that everyone should receive equal pay for equal work.

The BBC has previously been criticised for paying male presenters more than female presenters.

These examples show that legal recognition does not always lead to full equality in practice.

Next we need to look at Rights and Responsibilities

Human rights come with responsibilities.

Human rights are not only about what you are entitled to; they also affect how you treat others. Everyone has a responsibility to respect the rights of other people.

This idea appears in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says that humans should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

For example:

If you have the right not to be discriminated against, you also have the responsibility not to discriminate against others.

Discrimination means treating someone unfairly because of a protected characteristic such as race, gender, sexuality, or disability.

Another example is freedom of religion. If you want the freedom to practice your religion, you must also allow others to practice theirs.

A good example of balancing rights and responsibilities is hate speech. You have the right to hold racist views, but if those views incite hatred or harm towards others, you do not have the right to express them in ways that violate others’ rights.

In simple terms:

Rights are what you are entitled to.

Responsibilities are how you ensure others receive those same rights.

The Bible expresses this principle through the Golden Rule:

“Treat others the way you want to be treated.” - if you want rights, you have the responsibility to respect the rights of others! Christians also believe that because all humans are made in God’s image, everyone should receive equal dignity and rights.

The next concept to understand is social justice.

Social justice is essentially the reason WHY human rights exist.

Justice means restoring fairness, correcting wrongs, and ensuring equality. In Christianity, justice is often connected to God’s nature and religious teachings about standing up for justice. The idea also appears in other GCSE themes such as Theme D Peace and conflict and Theme E crime and punishment. In this theme, social justice refers to ensuring that life in society is fair and equal for everyone. It is really important you understand concepts like justice distinctly within the  different themes. God as just and judgement day in Christian Beliefs, fighting justly and for justice in Theme D, enacting just punishment in Theme D and creating social justice in Theme F.

Human rights are one way societies try to achieve social justice. If everyone receives their human rights and respects the rights of others, social justice becomes possible.

Christians may support this idea using the biblical phrase: “Let justice roll like a river.” Also, if God is just, Christians try to stand up for justice too.  Remember, you can use this as an influence in Christian beliefs.

Humanists also strongly support social justice, believing society should be structured so that all humans can live fairly and equally.

The next point on the specification is issues of equality, freedom of religion and belief, including freedom of religious expression. Freedom of religious expression is one of the special topics. 

Let’s start with equality. Equality means that everyone is treated the same. In mathematics, we use the equal sign (=) to show that two things are the same. In society, equality means that all humans have equal value, status, and rights, regardless of gender, race, religion, or background.

This means people should have:

Equal treatment

Equal pay

Equal opportunities

Equal value

This idea is based on Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and Article 2, which states that everyone is entitled to these rights regardless of who they are.

Christians may support this idea with Bible verses such as:

“There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.”

Many Christians interpret the word “one” to mean equal.

The belief that all humans were made in the image of God also suggests that everyone should be treated equally. Similarly, the Bible teaches that God loves “the world,” meaning all people.

Humanists also support equality. Humanism emphasises the inherent worth and dignity of every human being, which is why the philosophy is called Humanism - a belief in humans.

However, there is an important challenge when discussing equality. If everyone is treated exactly the same, it does not always create fairness. Sometimes people need different support in order to achieve the same outcome.

For example, imagine a maths class. The teacher explains a concept, but some students understand it while others do not. The teacher has three options:

Explain it again to the whole class.

Not explain it again because some students understood it.

Explain it again only to those who did not understand it the first time.

The first two options treat everyone exactly the same. However, the third option creates real equality, because by the end of the lesson everyone understands the same concept.

Another example: if one of your friends has a serious problem, you might spend an hour talking with them. You would not then phone your other friends for an hour each simply to make it equal. Instead, you would support them if they needed help in the future.

This idea is called equity. Equity means giving people what they need in order to reach the same outcome.

Let’s apply issues of equality to freedom of religion and belief - one of our special topics where we have to explain contrasting beliefs with reference to the main religious tradition in Britain (Christianity) and one or more other religious traditions:

Freedom of religion and belief is one of the key human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Article 18:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This includes the freedom to change religion or belief and the freedom to practise religion alone or in community with others.

Article 19:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

These rights are also protected in UK law by the Equality Act 2010.

Freedom of religion and belief means people have the right:

• To follow a religion
• To have no religion
• To change their religion to a different one

Some Christians support this idea using the concept of free will in Genesis. In the Garden of Eden, God gives humans the choice whether or not to eat from the tree of knowledge. By offering this choice, God gives humans freedom.

However, not all Christians fully agree with this interpretation. Some believe that because Christianity teaches that belief in Jesus leads to salvation, Christians have a responsibility to encourage others to become Christians.

For example, the Bible says: “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” As such, many Christians don’t want others to be condemned so think they should become Christians

Another verse instructs Christians to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

Historically, the word ‘make’ has sometimes led to forced conversions. For example:

Some conversions occurred during the Crusades. During the reign of Mary I (Bloody Mary) in Tudor England, Protestants were executed because Mary was Catholic.

In modern Britain, religion is no longer enforced by the state. Religious Education has shifted from Religious Instruction (teaching students to be Christian) to Religious Education, which teaches about many religions and none.

However, there can still be pressure within families for children to follow their parents’ religion. This raises a question: do parents have the right to teach their children that other beliefs are wrong, or do they have a responsibility to allow children full religious freedom?

This demonstrates how rights and responsibilities can sometimes conflict.

Muslim Views on Religious Freedom

The Qur’an is very clear on this issue. It states: “There is no compulsion in religion.”

This means religion should never be forced on anyone. Most Muslims therefore strongly support religious freedom. However, a small minority of extremist groups have attempted to impose their interpretation of Islam on others. For example, ISIS believed that Sunni Islam was the only true form of Islam and persecuted Shia Muslims and other religious groups.

Humanist Views on Religious Freedom

Humanists strongly support the right for people to be religious or non-religious.

However, a difficult issue arises when religious beliefs are used to argue against the rights of others. For example: If someone believes that non-Christians will go to hell, is it acceptable to tell others this? Or does this take away someone’s right to feel free and not pressured. If someone believes homosexuality is wrong, do they have the right to express this view? Or does this take away someone’s right to equal dignity. The usual solution is that human rights must be balanced together. People are free to hold and express beliefs, but they cannot act in ways that remove the rights of others. For example, someone can hold a belief about homosexuality, but they cannot prevent them from having the same legal rights. These are also examples of how to balance rights and responsibilities.  You have rights for yourself but you have the responsibility not to take away rights from others, and to ensure everyone else gets their rights.

Freedom of religion also includes the right to practise religion publicly or privately.

We have the right to meet in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. A minority of Christians in Britain believe that because the UK has a state religion — Christianity, with the monarch as head of the Church of England — other religions should have fewer rights. However, freedom of religion means all religions must have equal rights. Historically, Christianity itself was diverse and multicultural. Jesus was a Palestinian Jew, and early Christianity quickly spread among Greeks, Romans, and many other cultures. That is why there is a verse in the Bible which says  There is no Jew, there is no gentile, we are all one in Christ.  

Christianity from its inception recognised the diversity of belief and tried to teach non-judgement and acceptance. Many people feel that because of what is going on in the WIDER world, it would be better if each country had their own religion.  This belief goes against so many human rights - the right to move country and the right of religious freedom. Christianity can still be the STATE religion in the UK without taking away people’s rights to practice other religions. In the same way as people practicing other religions does not take away people’s rights to be a Christian

Unfortunately, religious discrimination still occurs. Particularly against people perceived to be Jewish or Muslim. For example, 42% of mosques in the UK have experienced criminal damage or arson or malicious communications. You can use this information in your hate crime section of Theme E if you do that one. Some people feel that religious diversity weakens national identity, but human rights emphasise that freedom of religion must apply to everyone. So, the majority of people in Britain support religious freedom. 

Let’s move onto Prejudice and Discrimination in Religion

If Freedom of religious belief and expression means you cannot treat one religion as preferable to another, as we have just expressed, this next section means there cannot be prejudice and discrimination WITHIN religion. 

Prejudice means to judge someone unfairly because of a protected characteristics, Discrimination means treating someone differently because of a protected characteristic. Protected characteristics are:

Gender

Race

Religion

Sexuality

Disability

So if you judge anyone unfairly because of these characteristics, or treat them differently, this is against human rights and against the law in Britain. 

As we have said, all are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination. 

Most Christians believe discrimination is wrong because the Bible teaches that:

Humans are made in the image of God.

“There is neither male nor female; you are all one in Christ.”

However, the established Church does have practices which do appear to discriminate against people based on Gender and sexuality.  Let’s look at two examples. There are two examples we need to cover;

Let's start with gender.  The specification tells us we need to look at the Status and Treatment of Women in Religion. This means how important are women in religion and how they are treated and is one of our special topics.

Human rights state that people should not be treated differently because of gender. This includes equality in:

Opportunities

Pay

Status

Despite these principles, gender inequality still exists in society. For example, women often earn less than men in many industries and institutions, for example, the BBC, and also throughout the film industry. Female actors are often paid $1million less than men even though they have equal billing in the same film. This is a 25% pay gap.  Furthermore, female doctors are paid 20% less and business executives are paid 45% less for doing equivalent jobs. 

Gender prejudice refers to negative thoughts, feelings, or beliefs about a person or group based on their sex or gender. Gender discrimination is acting on those prejudices. These ideas are often linked to beliefs about different status between 

men and women. 

Some Christians argue that believing women should not work or that men should not stay at home is based on prejudice and can lead to discrimination.

Other Christians disagree and do not see these differences as discrimination. Instead, they view them as natural differences, similar to the biological fact that only women can bear children. They believe women have important roles in caring for and supporting their families. We can therefore use our knowledge from Theme A if we use it

A key Bible verse in this debate is the description of Eve as Adam’s “helper.” Traditionally, some Christians interpreted this to mean women must serve men and have a lower status. Other Christians interpret these passages differently. The original Hebrew word used in Genesis is ‘ezer’ (עֵזֶר), pronounced “ay-zer.” This word means strong support, aid, or rescuer rather than a subordinate assistant. It is also used in the Bible to describe God as Israel’s helper. Therefore, it suggests a powerful and equal partner rather than a servant. 

Other Biblical teachings also support gender equality. The Bible states that both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, and that all people are one in Christ.

Jesus challenged social norms about women and treated them with unusual respect for his time. Women such as Mary Magdalene were among his followers, and he allowed women to learn from his teachings, like his other friend Mary.. Because of this, egalitarian Christians support gender equality, the belief that all genders have equal status and value and that discrimination against any gender is wrong. They believe this approach is the most loving and compassionate and allows people to use their God-given strengths.

If we apply these teachings to the role and status of women in the home.

Some Christians believe that as men and women were created differently they have different roles designed to complement each other. This is called complimentarianism. Often, this means men take leadership roles in the home because God has given them qualities suited to leadership, while women take nurturing roles that align with their natural abilities. For example, women carry babies in the womb and can feed them from their bodies, so some believe they should also take primary responsibility for childcare. Supporters often refer to verses such as “the man is the head of the household.” They also point out that Adam was created first and Eve was made as his helper, and after the Fall Eve was told she must submit to her husband. Therefore, they believe the Bible teaches that men and women have different but complementary roles. This is called complementarianism Some argue that complementarianism can lead to gender prejudice and discrimination.

However, other Christians believe that God gives different roles to individuals regardless of gender. They refer to verses such as “there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This view is called egalitarianism. Egalitarian Christians believe men and women should have equal roles, with responsibilities such as childcare, housework, or paid work decided according to individual skills, circumstances, and preferences.

The other relevant issue is the status and role of women within the Church

Historically many Christian institutions have not given women the same status or treatment as men. For example, the Catholic Church does not allow women to become priests, bishops, or the Pope.

Some Christians support this restriction using Bible passages such as:

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent.” They also cite Genesis where Eve is made as Adam’s help suggesting women should be subordinate to men. 

However, many Christians support equality and believe men and women should have equal status, roles and opportunities. Also, the use of the word ‘I’ in I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man’ was said by Paul to one other person - a new Christian called Timothy, so could just be his opinion rather than a rule for everyone. Also there are female leaders in the New Testament like Phoebe The Church of England do allow women vicars and bishops and Dame Sarah Mullally was appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury in October 2025, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England in its nearly 500-year history. However, there is still a clause that means that Churches can reject a female vicar.  There is not an equivalent clause for men.  

This creates a conflict between religious freedom and gender equality. If we force the Catholic Church to give equal rights to women, we take away their right to practice their religion freely, but this practice is against the rights of women and against the 2010 equalities act.

Humanists are careful not to take away religious freedom by dictating what Christians should do and think but they do feel in modern Britain, gender discrimination is against human rights, against the law and not in keeping with important values of gender equality.  Women have fought hard for equal rights, and any beliefs that women can’t do the same things as men has been contradicted by experience and evidence. They would therefore stand up for equal opportunities for all genders in all institutions. 

Another issue in the specification is prejudice and discrimination in religion towards those in same-sex relationships. Again, we can use our knowledge from Theme A here

Human rights state All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.  All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination, Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.  So this means, everyone, including people in same sex relationships should be treated the same and have equal rights to get married. In the UK, same-sex marriage became legal in 2014. This is in part due to the 2010 equalities act.

Traditional Christians may oppose same-sex relationships based on their interpretation of the Bible such as: “Homosexuality is an abomination.”  Furthermore, God made Adam and Eve and said this was ‘very good’ as such heterosexual relationships are the only ones God thinks are acceptable.  

Some believe relationships should exist primarily for procreation, which same-sex couples cannot achieve naturally.

Such beliefs have led to some practices that are considered extremely harmful and against many human rights which is ‘conversion therapy’ which is trying to change someone’s sexuality. It is against many teachings in the Bible about love, and against the human right which says  No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  Most Christians are COMPLETELY against this practice, 

However, many Christians interpret the Bible differently as the original language didn’t use the word ‘homosexuality’ as this is quite a modern word. The original word used was ‘molestation’ but has been mistranslated over time. They argue that the Bible says to love their neighbour and not judge anyone so will fully accept same sex relationships as an expression of that teaching. This is also based on the belief in compassion which is sympathy and concern for the suffering of others. Not accepting same sex relationships can cause discrimination and suffering of others. They may believe same-sex relationships are natural and that God created people with diverse sexual orientations. 

Many Christian denominations now accept same-sex relationships. For example, Methodist and Quaker churches allow same-sex marriages. The Church of England allows same-sex relationships to be blessed. Pope Francis said "Who am I to judge?": emphasising that the Church should be welcoming and that homosexual orientation is not a crime

Humanists strongly support LGBTQ+ equality and oppose discrimination based on sexual orientation. This is because they believe in equal rights and dignity for all people, and believe this is in the best accordance with what is reasonable and logical. The performed same sex marriages BEFORE it was decriminalised, they fought for a ban on conversion therapy and for RSE to be fully inclusive of LGBTQIA

The next point on the specification is racial prejudice and discrimination, including ethical arguments related to racial discrimination (including positive discrimination) and the ideals of equality and justice.

This section of the specification can be difficult to teach because of how it is worded, so it helps to break it down into smaller parts.

Firstly, Racial Prejudice

Racial prejudice refers to negative, irrational, or unfair attitudes, beliefs, or opinions about a person or group based solely on their race, ethnicity, or skin colour.

Examples of racial prejudice include:

• Making generalisations about someone because of their skin colour
• Believing that all people of a particular race share the same characteristics
• Feeling fear or distrust toward someone because of their race

The law cannot ban thoughts, only speech. So, a question sometimes arises about freedom of speech. If people have the right to express their views freely, does that include racist views?

In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 limits freedom of speech when expression becomes unlawful harassment, such as creating an intimidating or offensive environment. In other words, there are limits to free speech when it becomes hate speech. This links back to the idea of responsibility. While individuals have the right to hold opinions, they do not have the right to use those opinions in ways that harm others or deny their rights. People must balance their freedom of expression with the responsibility to treat others with dignity and in a spirit of brotherhood.

Christian teachings strongly oppose racial prejudice. For example, Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Jesus continues by saying that people should remove the plank from their own eye before pointing out the speck of dust in someone else’s eye, emphasising the danger of hypocrisy and judgement.

Another relevant teaching is: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile… for you are all one in Christ.”

From its earliest days, Christianity was a multicultural religion. Jesus himself was a Palestinian Jew, and the early Church included people from many ethnic backgrounds, including Greeks and Romans. Interestingly, Jesus himself experienced prejudice. For example, people once asked: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Because of these teachings and examples, most Christians strongly oppose racial prejudice. 

Humanists also oppose racial prejudice because it violates human rights and the principle of human equality. It is also not compassionate or rational.  Most prejudice is based on beliefs which have no basis in evidence or rational thought.  They also cause suffering which humanists believe should not be part of modern society

Secondly, Racial Discrimination

While prejudice refers to attitudes or beliefs, racial discrimination refers to actions.

Racial discrimination means treating someone unfairly, differently, or less favourably because of their race, colour, nationality, or ethnic background.

Human rights clearly oppose this. For example:

“All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.”

Examples of racial discrimination include:

Refusing to hire someone because of their race

• Paying someone less because of their ethnicity
• Racial profiling by police
• Laws that unfairly target certain groups

Evidence of racial discrimination can sometimes be seen in statistics. For example, some racial groups are over-represented in prisons or underrepresented in positions of power.

For instance:

Around 75% of England’s population is white British, but they make up around 85% of Members of Parliament and around 95% of CEOs.   In the US, white Americans make up 60% of population but only 30% of the prison population. To be clear, in the UK, it is illegal to discriminate against anyone because of their race - this is in the 2010 equalities act.

This does not automatically prove discrimination, but it can raise questions about equal opportunity.

The Bible contains many teachings that oppose discrimination. These include:

“Love your neighbour.”

“Treat others as you would like to be treated.”

The Bible also emphasises kindness toward foreigners. For example:

“You shall treat the stranger who stays as a native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Similarly, Jesus taught that welcoming strangers is important, saying that some people have “entertained angels without knowing it.”

Issues of racial discrimination often appear in debates about immigration.

The human rights which relate to this are. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. 

However, some people believe that immigration should be restricted. Some Christians who hold this view argue that illegal immigration involves breaking the law, and they may refer to Bible teachings about obeying the law.

Other Christians take a different view. They argue that many refugees are forced to flee their countries because their rights are being violated, so are not choosing to break the law, but there is no legal way for them to help them. We can link this to breaking unfair laws as a protest from Theme E.  In the same way Jesus broke unfair laws, Christians throughout history like Martin Luther King have broken unfair laws, some Christians believe this can be acceptable in certain situations.  Furthermore, Christians have a moral duty to help people in need. They may refer to biblical teachings such as:

• The Parable of the Good Samaritan
• The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
• Instructions to love the stranger

Humanists generally argue that immigration policies should be guided by compassion and reason, balancing the moral duty to help vulnerable people with the need to maintain a safe and organised society.

Another issue in the specification is positive discrimination.

Positive discrimination involves treating certain people better than others because they belong to a group that has historically experienced discrimination. For example, hiring someone specifically because they belong to a particular ethnic group.

Most people believe positive discrimination is unfair, and in the UK it is illegal, because it still involves discrimination. However, societies often attempt to address historical inequality through positive action, which is legal. Positive action involves removing barriers and creating opportunities so that disadvantaged groups can compete equally. We have to link this to the ideals of equality and justice.  Positive discrimination is not equal or just.  Although it MIGHT lead to more equality and justice. Positive legal action allows everyone to be treated equally and fairly and ensures that society becomes increasingly more just - ie it is right and fair for ALL. Therefore this would link to verses like ‘let justice flow like a river’ and ‘you are all one in Christ. The goal of positive action is to support the ideals of equality and justice, ensuring society becomes more fair over time.

Examples include:

• Making school curricula more diverse so that students learn about a wider range of cultures and perspectives (e.g most books read in English are written by white men)
• Removing rules that unintentionally discriminate against certain groups - For example, some school policies about hairstyles have historically disadvantaged students with Afro-textured hair. Changing such policies can be considered positive action.
• Ensuring job advertisements reach a wide range of communities so you get more diverse applicants. You then simply choose the best person for the job.
• Create rules within organisations which prevent discrimination and fairly deal with any situation where discrimination takes place

If we use the example of the Church of England which has a clause that means that Churches can reject a female vicar (not a male one).  Positive discrimination is saying that the Church of England must employ a certain number of female vicars - this is illegal.  Legal Positive action is removing the clause which unfairly discriminates against women.

Most Humanists support positive action because it aligns with their beliefs about compassion, fairness, and rational social organisation. It is based on the Golden Rule - treat others the way you want to be treated. CHristians use this rule too.

The second major section of the specification is wealth and poverty.

 1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

Let’s start with Wealth

Wealth refers to an abundance of money, resources, and possessions, particularly the money someone has left after covering essential living costs.

The distribution of wealth in the world is extremely unequal.

For example:

Elon Musk has around $800 billion and is set to become the world’s first trillionaire, while others are living on $3 a day.  This means Elon Musk is earning 266.67 billion times more than the poorest person. The richest 1% of the world earn 50% of the wealth and the bottom 50% earn 1% of the wealth.  The amount of wealth in the world is $1 quadrillion. There are 8.3 billion people in the world.  This means, there is enough money in the world for everyone to have £120,000. Obviously, it is not realistic that everyone earns the same amount.  We can link this to the idea of equality.  You cannot have social justice if everyone earns equal amounts.  But many people believe there should be equity - ie that people are paid a FAIR wage for the job they do.  A doctor should be paid more than someone who works in a fast food restaurant, but one person should not be earning 266.67 billion times more than someone else. 

The Bible warns about the dangers of wealth. For example: “The love of money is the root of all evil.” If there are people earning nearly $1 trillion dollars when 750 million people are starving, it is easy to understand why the Bible teaches that. So what does the Bible teach is the right attitude to wealth? 

Jesus taught that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is an often misunderstood verse.  It does not mean it is impossible as it doesn’t mean a sewing needle. The eye of the needle is a small gate in the wall surrounding Jerusalem.  Camels could go through it but they had to stoop.  This teaching emphasises the importance of humility and generosity rather than wealth itself. Rich people can go to heaven if they are humble about their wealth.  This means they don’t think they deserve it or they are better than others. 

The Bible includes stories that emphasise generosity, such as the story of the widow’s offering, where a rich man gave lots of coins, but a poor woman gives a small amount but was praised because she gave all she had.

Christians may therefore believe wealth should be used to help others, particularly the poor. One example of this is tithing, where Christians donate around 10% of their income to the Church or charity. This is a practice which comes from the Old Testament where people like Abraham and Moses gave 1/10th of all they had to the temple. 

I think we can also use our knowledge of Zakah here if you do Islam.  Zakah is a form of social justice.  It is Islam’s way of ensuring those who have excess give a % of that wealth to those who need it. They only have to give 2.5% of their wealth but this generates $½ to a billion a year.

Some Christians follow a teaching known as the prosperity gospel. This teaching suggests that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and that people who give money to the church will receive even greater rewards. As such poverty is based on a lack of faith. This is based on verses like, give and you will receive,  anyone who leaves home, family, or fields for Jesus and the gospel will receive a hundred times as much in this present age. And whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully and that this must be done cheerfully as God loves a cheerful giver.   

However, many Christians criticise this belief, arguing that it can lead to exploitation and contradicts Jesus’ teachings about humility and helping the poor. They interpret those Bible verses to refer to kindness and generosity of time rather than wealth. However, if we look at the story of King Solomon in the Bible then we can see God blessed him with huge amounts of wealth!  Read 1 Kings chapter 10!  It says he received 25 tonnes of Gold a year - this is the equivalent of about £3billion, plus taxes, plus profits from trade!

The specification also requires understanding the uses of wealth -  this is another one of our special topics. 

The Bible teaches that wealth should be used to help others. For example, in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus says that those who feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and help strangers are serving him. Christians may therefore believe wealth should be used to:

• Support family members (we can use theme A here) But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. 
• Help those in need (Christian practices)
• Support charitable work (Christian practices)

Humanists generally do not see wealth as morally wrong. However, they support reducing extreme inequality and ensuring that everyone has access to a decent standard of living. Humanists have played a key role in the development of the UK's welfare state.  They are often active in charitable giving, with a focus on social welfare and international development. Humanists UK continues to campaign for a more equitable society, focusing on issues like affordable, high-quality healthcare, and addressing the root causes of poverty. As such, wealth should be used to make society better.

However, some people believe that if individuals work hard to earn wealth, they should be free to spend it as they wish, as it is the reward for their effort. From this perspective, it seems unfair to require people to give away money they have earned to those who may not have worked as hard. Some also argue that higher taxes on the wealthy punish success and discourage hard work. They believe that wealthy individuals should instead invest their money to generate more wealth, which can benefit society through economic growth. 

This argument appears logical in a meritocracy, where rewards are based purely on effort and ability. However, modern capitalist societies do not always operate this way. Many demanding and socially valuable jobs—such as teaching, nursing, and policing—involve long hours and hard work but are not paid proportionately. In contrast, some professions, such as professional football, can earn far higher salaries despite arguably requiring less socially essential work. In addition, individuals who inherit wealth may be able to live off interest or property investments without working as hard as others. Furthermore, in the Bible, Jesus states, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” suggesting support for paying taxes. From this perspective, avoiding taxes—especially by the very wealthy—could be seen as going against biblical teachings about the responsible use of money.

The specification also discusses the responsibilities of wealth, including tackling poverty and its causes.

Both Christianity and Islam include religious practices that encourage wealth redistribution, such as tithing and zakat.

Most Christians agree with this and will support this belief with teachings from the Bible like the parable of the sheep and the goats, and faith without works is dead, the good Samaritan and love your neighbour.  There are specific Bible verses too: whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done" and Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered". 

Many Christians believe wealthy individuals and governments both have responsibilities to reduce poverty as most of the causes of poverty are outside the individuals control.

Poverty can be caused by many factors, including:

• Rising costs of living - so you work just as hard but cost of living is increasing faster than wages. In the UK over the last 5 years, the cost of living has increased by 40% compared to only a 10-15% increase in wages.  So over the last 5 years, more people are in poverty
• Average house prices were 3.5 x the average wage, now they are 10x - £300k
• Low wages - living wage is believed to be £500 a week - that’s £26k a year.  But you need to earn £70k a year to afford an average house of £300K. Universal credit is only £300 a week £15,600K a year. 
• Illness or disability - if the main wage earner suddenly can’t work
• Loss of employment - if someone is made redundant due to cost cutting
• Lack of education or opportunities. Although free education aims to provide equal opportunities, students from wealthier backgrounds often still achieve better outcomes. This is partly because they may have greater cultural capital, supportive home environments, space to study, healthier diets, and parents who can help with schoolwork. They may also develop skills linked to academic success, such as confidence, resilience, and effective study habits. As a result, children from poorer backgrounds may work just as hard but still achieve lower results. As mentioned earlier, the education system itself can sometimes reinforce these inequalities. Features such as the curriculum, classroom structure, timetables, exams, and teaching methods may favour certain social groups. Instead of removing barriers to learning, the system can unintentionally create new ones.

Humanists argue that poverty is often caused by structural problems in society, meaning governments and societies have responsibilities to address these causes. This is based on beliefs about compassion and logic. For example, laws which means wages rise in line with inflation.

However, some Christians argue that giving too much support to people who have not earned their wealth can discourage them from helping themselves. In the Bible, Jesus says, “the poor will always be with you,” which some Christians interpret to mean that poverty is an inevitable part of society and cannot be completely eliminated.

Other Christians support the idea of Trickle-down economics, which suggests that helping the wealthiest members of society will ultimately benefit everyone. According to this view, lowering taxes for the rich allows them to invest more in businesses, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth. However, critics argue that this approach has not been effective in reducing inequality. When wealthy individuals can legally avoid paying large amounts of tax, the gap between rich and poor often widens instead.

The specification also includes the exploitation of those living in poverty.

Exploitation means treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work. A historical example of exploitation is the Transatlantic Slave Trade, where enslaved people were forced to work without pay while others profited from their labour. Although slavery is now illegal in most countries, modern forms of exploitation still exist. The International Labour Organization estimates that around 50 million people worldwide live in modern slavery, often being forced to work for little or no pay.

Examples from the spec we need to look at are:

• Unfair wages
• Excessive interest on loans
• Human trafficking

Exploitation can also occur through unfair employment practices. For example, in the UK some workers are employed on Zero-hours contracts, where employers are not required to guarantee any working hours. This means workers may technically be employed but receive no income in some weeks, creating financial insecurity. In addition, some companies have been criticised or investigated for failing to pay the legal minimum wage, including firms such as WHSmith, Argos, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis & Partners, The Body Shop, Pret A Manger, Amazon, and Uber. These cases are often linked to businesses trying to reduce costs and maximise profits.

Another example is excessive interest on loans. Many traditional lenders require borrowers to earn a certain level of income, meaning people who most need financial help are often denied loans. Some lenders do offer loans to low-income borrowers but charge extremely high interest rates. In some cases, people may borrow a relatively small amount but end up paying back many times the original loan. Although regulations exist to limit interest rates, complex contracts and lengthy legal processes make it difficult for some borrowers—particularly those with lower levels of education—to challenge unfair agreements.

A further example of exploitation is human trafficking. Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transport, or control of people through force, deception, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. The United Nations estimates that millions of people worldwide are trafficked each year, and it occurs in many countries, including the UK. Victims are often vulnerable people living in poverty who are promised legitimate work. Instead, they may be forced into activities such as prostitution or forced labour and rarely receive any payment. For example, a trafficking network in the West Midlands was found to have exploited hundreds of people, forcing them to live in poor conditions while working for little or no pay.

Practices such as these are widely condemned by international law, human rights principles, and many religious teachings. For instance, teachings associated with Jesus emphasise justice and compassion for the vulnerable. Many people therefore argue that society has a responsibility to ensure that no one becomes so desperate that they are vulnerable to exploitation, and that those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice. In most cases, victims of trafficking or exploitation are simply trying to improve their lives and support their families.

Christianity and Humanism, along with all other religious and non-religious groups strongly condemn these practices as against human rights, illegal and immoral. We can use all the teachings we have used throughout these episode.

Another question raised by the specification is whether people living in poverty have responsibilities to help themselves.

Some Christians believe poverty is caused by personal choices or lack of effort, referring to Bible verses such as:

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth

Therefore, it is the individuals responsibility to work harder to bring themselves out of poverty. However, many Christians emphasise compassion and argue that, as we have seen, poverty is often caused by factors beyond an individual’s control.

Christians to love their neighbour, treat others the way they want to be treated, parable of the sheep and goats. "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done". Jesus also encourages selling possessions to give to the poor, which is described as storing up treasure in heaven. Also, there wouldn’t be Christian charities if Christianity taught that the poor should help themselves out of poverty. We will look at this topic next.

Humanists mostly take a compassionate response that society has to create a context in which someone is ABLE to bring themselves out of poverty, and a logical approach that as it is not always a persons FAULT they are in poverty, it should not be their responsibility to bring them out, but, we can create systems which empower people to overcome their difficulties. 

For example, imagine someone whose spouse has secretly accumulated a large amount of debt. If that spouse suddenly dies, the surviving partner may lose half of the household income while also discovering the debt. If their remaining income is not enough to cover bills or repay the debt, they may lose their home. Without a stable address it can be difficult to find or keep employment, yet without a job it is also difficult to secure housing. If the person has no family or friends able to help, they may become trapped in a cycle of poverty despite their willingness to work.

In situations like this, social support systems can play an important role. Temporary assistance—such as access to housing, employment support, and manageable repayment plans—can help individuals stabilise their circumstances. Over time, this support can enable them to regain independence and gradually take greater responsibility for improving their financial situation. While personal effort is still important, overcoming poverty in such cases cannot be the individual’s responsibility alone.

The last point on the spec is Charity, including issues related to giving money to those living in poverty. Charity involves voluntarily giving money, time, or resources to help people in need. 

 If you do Islam, then please bring your knowledge of Zakah in here, and link it to social justice! We can also use our knowledge from CHristian practices here.

Christian charities such as CAFOD, Christian Aid, and Tearfund provide:

Emergency aid (food, water, shelter)

Long-term development (education, farming support, training)

Christians believe charity expresses:

Love for neighbours

Is an influence of their belief in God’s love

Obedience to Jesus’ teachings

Faith expressed through actions

However, some critics argue that charity alone does not solve the root causes of poverty for example, institutional racism, tax avoidance and social injustice and may sometimes create dependence.

Despite this, most people believe charity plays an important role in supporting vulnerable people and addressing injustice, and follows the human right for all humans to be treated with equal dignity.

Right, let’s look at some exam questions

For our multiple choice, we could get; Which one of the following best expresses the religious ideal that everyone should get what they deserve?

A Tolerance.

B Prejudice.

C Justice.

D Compassion.

Now, if we think about the fact that this unit is called Human Rights and Social Justice, we can probably guess which is the right answers - C Justice, and this highlights the importance of taking a concept like justice and checking students know what it looks like in Paper 1, Theme D, E and F

For our one marker, Give one example of what religious believers would see as exploitation of those living in poverty. We just need to give any ONE of the things listed in the spec; unfair pay, excessive interest on loans, people-trafficking.

For our 4-marker, we will do one of our special topics. Explain two different beliefs in contemporary British society about the right of freedom of belief. In your answer you should refer to the main religious tradition of Great Britain and one or more other religious traditions.

Some Christians believe it is right to give people freedom of belief today because that is what God has given humans

In Genesis, God gave Adam and Eve free will over whether to obey his rules or not

However, fundamental Christians do not agree with giving people freedom of belief as it is not always a loving action

This is because they believe people will be condemned if they choose the wrong religion

We have two different, fully developed points which are relevant to modern society in Britain

Right, let’s tackle a 6 marker. Explain two religious beliefs about the status of women in religion. Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.

Some Christians believe women have equal status to men in religion as all humans are equal in the eyes of God

This is because the Bible says ‘there is no male, there is no female, we are all one in Christ.

This verse says that gender doesn’t matter as we are all the same in Jesus so men and women have equal status

However, other Christians think God made man and woman separately and differently so have different status

This is shown in the Bible when Eve is told to submit to her husband who will rule over her.

We have got two fully developed points, a quote with a source, an application of the quote to the question. Please notice that the development in the first paragraph is the quote so will get double marked!

And finally our 12-marker ‘It is always right to give charity to those living in poverty.’

So let’s turn the statement into a question - is it always right to give charity to those living in poverty?  So we can say yes it is always right, no it is never right and thirdly that it is sometimes right.

So yes it is always right we can argue from a place of compassion, parable of good samaritan - love your neighbour, parable of the sheep and the goats - whatever you do for the least of one of these, you do for me - how often should you help Jesus - always, God loves a cheerful giver. So the bible is very clear that giving to charity is always right. If we do Islam, we could link in Zakah and Khums here as these are obligatory for Muslims who can afford it and must be done yearly, we can link this to judgement in the afterlife. God sees the good you do. We could link it to human rights and social justice - about everyone being equal in rights and dignity and people have rights to food and water etc. We could talk about a humanist perspective of compassion and reason arguing that many people are in poverty through no fault of their own, so it is always right to give to charity. We could argue this is a strong argument as it is supported by sources of authority like the Bible, Qur’an and UDHR.

Then we could argue that it is not always right.  Charity stops people being empowered to help themselves, and having agency. It means people are given money rather than finding a solution to themselves, so ultimately this is not a loving action.  We could support this with the verse from the bible Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth so we shouldn’t encourage people to be lazy.  It also isn’t fair if people who work hard have to support those who don’t.  However, some might argue that giving to charity doesn’t stop the reasons for poverty and so doesn’t actually help the problem.  If time, you could uppack this more.We could argue that this is a weak argument as it doesn’t take into consideration the evidence of what causes poverty and it is a weak argument morally as it is not supported by UHDR or significant religious teachings. 

We could then argue that the strongest argument is to take a more measured approach.  It is SOMETIMES or MOSTLY right to give to charity as this is the most ethical argument and ensures social justice, however, at the same time, we need to do OTHER things to help the poor overcome the causes of poverty.  This might be to invest in education, and mental health support, and we can do this by ensuring everyone pays their fair share of tax to support these societal changes.

So I hope that has helped unpack Theme F Human Rights and Social Justice and apply the content to exam questions. I have now finished all of paper 2.  At some point I may do paper 2 from the perspective of Islam so watch this space. 

My name is Louisa Jane Smith and this has been the RE Podcast, the podcast for those who think RE is boring, which it might be, but I hope it helps you gain the qualifications you need for your next stage of education and thank you for letting me bore the life out of you.