As human beings, we are bounded together as brothers and sisters by God. He created and gave attributes to each and every one of us. When Jesus died on the Cross to save us from sin, he did not call out groups of people he was saving, but rather the whole world. Because Jesus' sacrifice helped to save us all from sin, we are all equal as brothers and sisters in Christ. With God, our uniqueness is created and with Jesus, our solidarity and unity is formed with one another.
With God's gift of uniqueness of every human being, we are called to respect one another's gifts and talents. Society itself must not degrade, terrorize, or hate a group of people based on the color of their skin. But rather, their uniqueness and difference helps determine the society that we live in because it helps to break apart the monotony of the same culture and trends.
With these principles, we are guaranteed basic rights as citizens of the world. A person has the right to partake in their community to the best of their abilities without the threat of prejudice or tyranny. From this example, I see the United States and the Voting Rights Act of 1964. Blacks and minorities were ensured the right to vote, especially in the Southern regions. The act helped to abolish the Black Codes and any other system that would impede minorities from participating in their community. With the Act, blacks were able to vote in new representation that was sympathetic to the notion of equality. As Christians and as humans, we have basic rights that we should be thankful and appreciative for and not take for granite.
U.S. Catholic Bishops: Office of the Catechism
