Keywords

values, religion, racism

Abstract

Throughout history, both the oppression and emancipation of racial and ethnic groups have often been conducted under the influence of religion. Contemporary research, often marked by contradictions itself, has also made note of this complex issue. To examine further the association of religious variables with racial attitudes and personal values, data were collected from 752 subjects. The results lent support to the hypothesis that when examining racial attitudes, religious affiliation is a less meaningful variable than the importance of spirituality in the lives of individuals; also, two values historically associated with religion, Humanitarianism and the "Protestant work ethic" were moderately associated with subjects' racial attitudes.