FOREWORD

January 2002

The hearts of all people in our nation and many others around the world are heavy as a result of the human tragedy

and loss of life visited upon the United States on September 11, 2001. In the wake of these terrorist attacks against U.S.

symbols of Democracy and the related toll on civilian lives, the level of hate directed toward people of different faiths is

alarming and palpable. Alarming because it gives bigotry a righteousness it does not deserve. Palpable because public

backlash against the actions of extremists threatens to rock the foundation of people of goodwill to build diverse

communities and a society based upon understanding and respect.

The physical manifestations of the attack will be remedied. The World Trade Center Towers will be rebuilt and the

Pentagon will be restored. It is the impact of these images on the next generation of leaders that places 's

blueprint for neighbor helping neighbor at risk. In the past we have always pulled together to embrace our collective

strengths. The current crisis provides an opportunity to tap this power instead of those that threaten to tear us apart.

That means we must come to terms with personal bias, bigotry and racism.

Denouncing Racism: A Resource Guide of Faith Based Principles addresses how the concept of being actively anti racist

is documented in most faiths' spiritual practices and policies. This unprecedented compilation of faith and spiritually 

based principles lifts up the moral responsibility of each person of faith to denounce racism. Coupled with the policy

statements of many denominations, this guide provides the foundation as to why we all must work together in

combating the divisiveness of racism.

This resource guide may be used:

  As a quick reference tool to explore what different traditions' scriptures, policies and practices say about racism 

  As the moral foundation for creating opportunities and providing access by breaking down barriers that divide 

  As a resource to identify formal and informal practices that create inclusion

  To examine our own biases, stereotypes, and prejudices by reviewing our own faith tradition's teachings and practices

These ideas, complemented by the fact that most denominations advocate that if one is not actively anti racist then

one is precluded from the ultimate realization of his or her faith tradition, provide the answer to why people of faith

should be more compelled to eliminate the pervasive and often invisible advantages of a racist system. Such sentiment is

critical to convey and practice across our country, according to a recent survey on intergroup relations. al

Conference for Community and Justice's Taking America's Pulse II (TAP II) reported that 79% of the respondents

believe that  racial, religious, or ethnic tension  is a very serious or somewhat serious problem. According to TAP II,

many people are unfamiliar with various social groups that exist in our society, and the majority do not feel close to

most of these groups. More people say that they are (1) far away from, rather than close to, atheists and Muslims, (2)

neutral or far away from Asians, Jews, immigrants, Hispanics, American Indians, and Fundamentalist Christians, and

(3) close to, rather than neutral or far away from, Blacks and Whites. Further, more than one third of the respondents

(36%) don't know enough about Muslims to form an opinion on this issue about them. Muslims are also among the

more isolated groups in the country only 24% of Americans surveyed have interpersonal contact with people of the

Muslim faith, compared to 51% of the Jewish population and 48% of Fundamentalist Christians.

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DENOUNCING RACISM