Plessy v Ferg Trial

 Plessy v, 1896 Supreme Court ruling. The Ferguson case is one of the most disagreeable cases in American law. The decision by the Court to support Louisiana Separate Car Act and the doctrine of separate yet equal essentially allowed legal segregation in the entire South. The frustrating thing about this decision is even stronger since it ignored solid religious objections to segregation which was informed by basic biblical values. The realization of how religion was resistance to segregation in these times indicates the colossal misalignment between the so-called Christian ideals in America and the legal system in real practice.

The central theme of Christian theology is that all men are created in the image of God which is called imago Dei. This is based on the idea of Genesis which states that God fashioned man in his own likeness. 

It was not a trivial fact, but an underlying doctrine that provided each and every individual with natural dignity and value, regardless of his or her appearance or origin. The segregation laws were in direct conflict with this because they considered the Black citizens to be fundamentally different and inferior to the white citizens. With everyone bearing the image of God in the same manner, then there is no theological reason to put people into different races and make them to be treated differently in the eyes of the law.

The New Testament gave even more arguments against racial divide. In Galatians, the Apostle Paul stated that there was no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female and that they were all one in Christ Jesus. This was a radical utterance of the day, and in essence, implied that all the social classifications and levels that humans establish are inconsequential to the eyes of God. 

Even Jesus did not stop at breaking social rules communicating with Samaritans, tax collectors and other people who are treated as outcasts. His whole ministry consisted in breaking down rather than erecting fences among people. When you consider it, therefore, segregation was the very antithesis of what Jesus taught and showed in his acts.

Another religious principle, which renders segregation unacceptable to justify, is the Golden Rule. Do unto other people as you wish they should do unto you demands that people must be truthful with themselves and think of how they would feel when they are in the position of the other person. Would the white Americans have been satisfied to be compelled to separate and inferior facilities? Could they subject their children to inferior treatment? Obviously not. This is a basic ethical exam that reveals the extent of iniquity that existed as a result of segregation.

It is also important to mention that the racial injustice was being combated by religious communities decades before. Quakers played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad since their religious inclination on equality among humans made them view slavery and discrimination as evil. They risked their lives as they felt that the law of God was of a higher priority than unjust laws of human beings.

 This religious activism on racism was not dead during the Plessy era in spite of its disregard by the Supreme Court.

The Plessy v. The Ferguson decision demonstrated to what extent America had lost its proclaimed religious values. In a country that prided itself as a Christian country, the supreme court of the land supported the system that went against fundamental bible teachings on human equality, unity and love. This inconsistency between religious principles and the law would ultimately assist in the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and help to demonstrate that these religious justifications against segregation possessed actual strength and permanency.

AI disclosure: I created the essay about the Plessy v. case with Claude AI. In his argument, Ferguson contended that Plessy relied on religion to take on segregation.  I then attached photos, links and captions.