Pyarali

1
Mehak Pyarali
English 1120
W.S. Simkins
14 April 2016
Importance of Religious Tolerance
American religiosity is dying. Perhaps it isnt on life-support just yet, but it is definitely
in a coma immobile and lost within itself and if we dont resuscitate it, hospice care may
soon be necessary (Organ Para. 1). The number of people practicing religion in their daily lives
is decreasing steadily, but the number of people identifying as atheists or agnostics is increasing
tremendously. Recent data shows that the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has
more than doubled in the past generation, with one-fifth of Americans and a third of adults
under the age of 30 identifying themselves as religiously unaffiliated (Organ Para. 2). Out of
the limited amount of people that do identify with a religion, only a few of them regularly go to
church and pray daily. While it is debatable if religion is something worth sustaining,
nevertheless many people believe religion has a significant role in our society. Religion
encourages people to do good for the society, while also giving them hope in difficult
circumstances. For many people, religion is a moral code and without religion they feel it would
be acceptable to cheat, steal, lie, or murder. For some people, belief in a supreme being and the
afterlife is what makes them want to be good people and do virtuous actions, and without
religion they would have no incentive to do good deeds. Also, for some, religion encourages
them to help the less fortunate by donating to, or helping other fellow human beings. Religion is
worth sustaining because it affects many lives directly and indirectly, but if the correct steps are

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not taken to sustain religion, it may disappear altogether. Furthermore, the world today is putting
many societal pressures on religion, which ultimately is causing its decline.
Religion is declining, and ignorance, disproval of homosexuals, and the
misrepresentation of religions are currently the leading reasons for this decline. Not only are
people misunderstanding religious beliefs, but they are also associating religion with violence.
Christine Organs article in the Huffington Post titled Evolve or Die: Why We Need to Change
the Way We Think About Religion states that the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans
has almost doubled over the last few years because there is misconception of the ideals
associated with religion. Stereotypes attached to different religions make people reluctant to
identify with them, which leads to the distancing of religion from people and their personal lives.
Not only are there negative connotations to the words God and spirituality, but also there are
negative connotations affiliated with certain religions. Chris Carroll suggests that religions such
as Islam continue to be shown violently in media, which is ultimately leading to a decline in the
number of people that affiliate themselves with Islam. For example, in Hollywood, Arabs are
portrayed as terrorists, which gives Arabs a negative connotation and prevents people from
dressing traditionally (Carroll Para. 3). Positive portrayals of religion would help end
discrimination and stigma in modern society. Furthermore, the negative portrayals of many
religions have increased employment discrimination within the U.S. Steven Greenhouse reports
rising employment discrimination against Muslims. Specifically, his article discussed how
Abercrombie &Fitch was sued for discriminating against and refusing to hire an 18-year-old
Muslim because she was wearing a headscarf. She was being discriminated against solely
because of her religious practices (Greenhouse Para. 4). After learning about this discrimination,
many people have distanced themselves from their religion to prevent the same thing from

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happening to them. Many people have recently seen religion as a barrier that hinders their growth
in modern society, but religion should not be considered an interference but instead it should be
something from which people receive peace and joy.
Additionally, many people decided to distance themselves from their religions because
certain religions place restrictions on their followers. Ivy Brashers discusses the stigma of being
a homosexual in a Christian society. The author discusses being bullied for being a part of the
LGBT community and leaving the Christian religion because it did not accept her sexual
orientation. She was told that being openly gay was disrespectful to God and that she would be
condemned for such disobedience. She was constantly harassed and bullied, which made her
distance herself from her religion (Brasher Para. 6). Most religions are accepting and forgiving,
but there are extremist in certain religions that expect people to dress and act a certain way.
Religion is a personal connection, and nobody can judge or evaluate if someone is fit to be a part
of a religion. Beaumont sheds light on the concept of people using religion for personal
advantages. He suggests that religion is often pushed aside for political ideologies and is only
used when it is convenient. Christianity has been used to justify discrimination such as racism,
sexism, and homophobia (Beaumont Para. 3). If people understand the ideals of religion and do
not use it for personal gain, then religion will be more easily sustained.
Although statistics prove that religions such as Islam and Christianity are the most
widespread and practiced religions in the world, when looked at each situation individually,
discrimination is leading to a decline in religion. As a Muslim in America, I personally know
how hard it is to practice a religion that is widely misunderstood, and I have experienced the
decline of religion in my life. As a child, I remember being excluded from certain friend groups
because of my religion. I was discriminated against for being Muslim, and my religious practices

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were not understood. My brother was called violent and a terrorist, and my parents were mocked
for their accents, and after 9/11 the stigma and discrimination increased drastically. Every time
Islam was mentioned, it would always be affiliated with terrorism; so, I learned at an early age to
clarify the fact that I was born in America. The stereotypes that go along with being Muslim and
the negativity that is portrayed towards Muslims has made me more reluctant to accept my
religion. As I grew up, I saw myself becoming less and less religious, and I saw several of my
friends struggling to be accepted. I had several Muslim friends that changed their names and
their way of dressing to prevent getting taunted for the way they look and the way they spoke. I
have been fortunate enough to find friends that are accepting and understanding, but some of my
Muslim friends are not as fortunate. Several of them deal with discrimination, and some, to this
day, feel excluded and victimized because of stereotypes about their religion. These societal
pressures have affected my friends and family directly, and there are many other religions that
are decreasing because of stereotypes affiliated with them. Religion is decreasing because of
societal pressures, and in order to sustain it, religious tolerance is a necessity.
Sustaining religion will be a long process and everyone will have to actively make an
effort to inform him or herself about religion. Religion is currently declining rapidly because of
stereotypes and stigma imposed by society, and until people start viewing religion as a personal
relationship to God, and not an act of violence, it will continue to decline. Societys
misconception of religion stems from ignorance, which increases discrimination in the world.
The only way to sustain religion is to educate others about the beliefs and traditions of different
religions. In order for people to be religiously tolerant, they must first be open to the idea of
learning about different religions.

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The best way to educate society is to teach the youth about the ethics of inclusiveness,
acceptance, and religious tolerance. If the youth is educated then discrimination and stereotypes
about certain religions will decrease. In order to sustain religion, classes must be taught to inform
people about different religious practices, ideals, and morals. It will make it easier for people to
practice religious tolerance. Every high school curriculum should require a religious education
course that informs students about different religious practices and beliefs. The class would be
funded by the federal government just like any History or English class would be. Since credits
like foreign language and fine arts are currently major requirements in a typical high school
curriculum, so incorporating another history or ethics class that would help students get a better
understanding of various cultures should not be difficult. Although many people have made the
argument that this class could be taught earlier, possibly as early as middle school, I feel that
high school seniors are mature enough to respectfully hear diverse opinions and form their own
conclusions. This class will allow students to see everything from diverse perspectives, and it
will increase religious tolerance. In this day and age where misconceptions about Islam,
Christianity, and Judaism are increasing drastically, a class that teaches people about the origins
of a religion and the teachings of the various religious holy books will be beneficial. Often,
people are only exposed to the medias negative portrayal of certain religions, but if classes are
made available to educate people then religious tolerance will increase. This will help people
draw connections between their religions and others, and show them that most religions have
similar morals.
Although many people may object to the addition of a religious education class in the
public school system, due to the possibility of bias, it needs to be clarified that this classs sole
purpose would be to educate students on different religions. Many people think this goes against

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separation of church and state, but this class will merely be a way to increase religious tolerance,
not a way to prove that one religion is superior to another. In order to make sure this class
remains neutral, the school board must insure that they hire teachers that can separate their bias
from the content they must present to the students. Most religions have the same fundamentals,
and this class will be a discussion based class about the morals of different religions so people
not only understand other religions better, but they could also learn about the morals and ideals
of their own religion. Many people are born into a certain religion and do not know anything
about their own religion. The class will allow students to draw parallels between their religion
and others.
The class, if made available, would be a required class for seniors to help expose them to
different religions and cultures before they go off to college and encounter people of different
heritages. Informing students about different religions and their ideals when they are young will
prevent them from saying something offensive when they come to college. Many colleges have
diverse communities, which draw from many different cultural backgrounds and if students are
not well informed then it can lead to problems on campus. If students are not well informed it
can cause religious dissonance amongst peers, which in return would lead to increased tension on
campus. Fortunately, most of the students at Auburn University are religiously tolerant, but it
does not take much to thoughtlessly say something disrespectful and offend someone of a
different religion. If students are informed at a young age, they can use those values later in life.
Throughout their lifetime, people will eventually have to deal with people of different religions
whether it is in college or their careers. If students are exposed to different cultures and their
ideals in high school then it will be much easier for them to connect and adapt their colleagues or
coworkers in the future. A religious education class would help people tolerate and maybe even

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appreciate different perspectives and teach open mindedness. If prejudices or misconceptions are
clarified at an early age then it will decrease the chances of discrimination in the future and it
will promote religious tolerance.
However this is merely the first step in preventing intolerance amongst religions. To truly
change someones mind a single class is sometimes not enough. Although this is a step forward
to increase religious tolerance, many steps must be taken in order to completely eliminate
stereotypes in this society. The decline of religion because of societal pressures is a problem, but
the more education people receive about various religions the more tolerant they will become.
The only way to increase religious tolerance is to be aware of the different religious practices and
traditions. Stigma will continue to lead to a decline in religion as long as people do not educate
themselves about religion. Religion to this day is widely accused of being the main reason for
crimes around the world. Until societies decide to educate themselves about the ins and outs of
different religions, it will continue to be a big issue for followers of religion everywhere. Being
victimized and being associated with victims of religious stereotypical attacks, I know personally
how deeply it affects relationships with families and friends. To this day, I hear people being
verbally abused because of their religions, and it is very surprising to think that it is still a big
problem in the 21st century. With all of the different faiths and religions in the world, religious
tolerance is a necessity in todays society. The article titled Religious Tolerance in America
states that most religions preach tolerance and acceptance not violence. Religious tolerance must
be practiced, so we can all live in peace and religion remains intact. The weakening of religion is
a serious problem and if people do not make an effort to sustain it then eventually more and more
people will become atheists.

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Works Cited
Beaumont, Peter. "Religious Intolerance on the Rise Worldwide, Says US Report." The
Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Brasher, Ivy. "Half Acceptance Hinders Economic Transition." Journal Of Appalachian Studies
20.2 (2014): 132-135. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Feb. 2016.
Carroll, Chris. "Negative Religious Stereotypes in the Media." Negative Religious
Stereotypes in the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Dhaliwal, Kulwant. "Religious Ignorance Can Have Serious Consequences." Religious
Ignorance Can Have Serious Consequences. N.p., 25 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 Feb.
2016.
Greenhouse, Steven. "Muslims Report Rising Discrimination at Work." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 23 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Organ, Christine. "Evolve or Die: Why We Need to Change the Way We Think About Religion."
The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
"Religious Tolerance in America." CARM. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
Smith, Rev. Dr. Susan K. "The Way In Which Religion Has Failed Us." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 Dec. 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
"U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life
Project RSS. N.p., 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.