Why we often treat each other poorly

Just because someone is a believer in Jesus Christ does not mean that person is automatically going to be kind to those outside (or inside) the local church.

Awareness of the following information is paramount to proper behavior toward others.
 
If we believe that someone else is in a group to which we belong, we will have positive views of them and give them preferential treatment.

This works because we build our self-esteem through belonging, and the presence of someone from an in-group reminds us of that belonging.

The opposite of in-group bias is out-group bias where, by inference, out-group people are viewed more negatively and given worse treatment. 

This is the basis of racial inequality. It is also the basis of Church inequality.

In-group linguistic bias (in my context - ChurchSpeak) is where out-group people are described in abstract terms (which depersonifies them) when they conform to the out-group stereotype. 

Out-group people will be referred to in more specific, concrete terms when they act in unexpected ways.

This is In-Group Bias, and it is often UGLY.


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