Monday, May 28, 2012

The Wrong Question

The Daily Mail of the U.K. reports that GCSE students with an interest area in religious studies were asked to respond to the following essay question:
Why some people are prejudiced against Jews?
As the article reports, there was an uproar about asking the question. However, after so many centuries of brutal anti-Semitism, isn't this a question which should be asked? The uproar consisted of people who saw the question in some way justifying anti-Semitism.

I understand their view but still believe the question must be asked if we are to understand what about human beings motivates this "fear of other." Perhaps deeming high school graduates as the wrong group to ask can be defended.