The Question: Which "ism" is more entrenched in America, sexism or racism? Which should religion address?
Emmanuel Levinas argues that much of Western thought "suffers from an allergy to the other." All over the world this is demonstrated through the unlimited lists of isms; sexism, ageism, racism, classism, etc. There is no monopoly on hatred of the other.
This reality is manifest in the ill-treatment and prejudice against people because they belong to a certain demographic which is different from our own. The histories of genocides, slaveries, concentration camp internments, and holocaust against groups like Armenians, Jews, Native Americans, African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, are all examples of the sin of racisms and xenophobia. In addition, the history of patriarchy and kyriarchy has left too many women ill-compensated, marginalized, exploited, abused, raped, and murdered at the hands of a society that sees woman as less-than man.
What should not go unsaid is that classism is an "ism" that dominates much of the world. People wrongly associate human value with net-worth, assets, and income. Many of our towns, cities, and nations are de-facto segregated across economic lines. Regrettably, a prejudice against poverty is still acceptable among many in society. The inheritance of Plato's hierarchy of human existence still rears its ugly head.
The history of humankind shows that we as humans often label what we don't know so as to control, dominate, and too-often extinguish that which is radically other. The moral call to embrace the other as my sister or brother is still a challenge. The radical call of Jesus Christ is to love not just your neighbor but also the stranger, and yes, even your enemies. This is no simple call and I don't always get it correct. Still if we understand that we as humans, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "are connected in a web of mutuality," and "are part of one global household" we must shun and repudiate our "allergy to the other." Sexism, classism, racism and all of the other prejudices are interstitial and are an affront to our common humanity.
Much of public discourse surrounding the recent U.S. elections and public policies has regrettably sunk into the moral slue and slough of demonizing the other. In this election, some people are focusing on age, gender, and race in divisive ways. There is still another call to all people of good will to provide an antidote to our learned allergies to the one we label as other. The antidote is love. Not love as some second-hand emotion but one steeped in justice and the dignity of the other. For in loving the other we affirm their humanity and ours.
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