Altruism and Prejudice: The Fruit Spirit
Altruism can be defined as selfless acts of kindness that are motivated by the desire for helping others. According to research, individuals with altruistic behaviors tend to show higher empathy. This allows them to understand the needs and provide solutions (Batson and colleagues, 2019). However, prejudice is a negative attitude or belief towards members of one group or class, such as race and ethnicity. The negative effects of prejudice can cause discrimination, which can be detrimental to both the person being targeted and the society in general (Dovidio 2021). In their behavior and attitudes towards other people, a person who demonstrates the fruit of God’s Spirit will be different from one who doesn’t. Galatians 5:22-24 describes love, joy peace, patience and kindness as the fruit of God. These qualities are more likely to lead to a person being kind and compassionate towards others. These people may show more empathy and understanding and be less inclined to discriminate against other people based on their arbitrary ethnicity or race. Cont…