The Uniting and Dividing Power of Religion

By Vonciel Bryant | VOX Staff

Graphic Illustration by Tracy Jackson | VOX Staff

Most U.S. teens say religion is a major part of their lives. Even though a majority of us can only explain the basics of our faith, we believe enough to tell others what we know. And having faith in something helps us define who we are, according to the National Study of Youth and Religion (a research project by professors from the University of Notre Dame and UNC Chapel Hill). So when another person doubts a major part of who we are, there will obviously be tension, but we have a duty to keep religion from dividing our communuties.

Religious Division

I don’t let religious rifts happen in my life. Since I firmly believe that my faith is the truth, it would be easy to put down someone else’s beliefs or say how wrong they are. However, a large part of many religions, including mine, is expressing love. If I truly love my peers, I should show them respect, even if I oppose what they believe.

My mother taught me not to dislike people who are different from me. She also taught me that being friends with someone different doesn’t mean you have to drop everything you believe and mold your opinions to his or hers. It just means that you should always try your best to understand the other person, even if it’s really hard.

I would not be friends with one of my classmates today if I had allowed religious differences to come between us. My friend Catianna, a sophomore at Columbia High School, is Buddhist, and I’m Christian. We have gone to the same schools for the last three years and have had a lot of the same classes. We weren’t friends at first because of our opposite personalities. But in the end, we found out that opposites really do attract, even in friendships.

While Catianna and I disagree on many things, we still care about each other. In terms of religion, neither of us is less devout because of our friendship. We try not to force our opinions on each other, but we both secretly hope that the other will convert to our chosen belief. And we debate whether there is a God, if people are sinful creatures, and if so, how to rid ourselves of these sins.

“It gets hard sometimes because I have a strong opinion about what I believe, but we try not to argue...because we know that we aren’t going to agree,” Catianna said.

Many teens try to stay away from the topic of religion in order to avoid conflict.

“We never really talk about it,” said Jake Andrews*, a freshman at Columbia High who practices Hinduism. “It doesn’t come up unless I have a holiday or something where I have to miss school. Then they’ll joke about it and say, “Hey man, maybe I should convert to your religion so that I can miss school.’ But we never fight.”

Religious Unity

It’s natural for people of different religions to feel distant from one another and for those who share similar beliefs to connect. This is why some people find it hard to step outside of their comfort zones and reach out to people with different beliefs. It’s easier if we take into account the similarities between our faiths instead of the differences. For example, when I’m trying to avoid fighting with a friend, I look at the fact that she believes in peace and love just as much as I do, even though the way we find these things may be different.

Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism all share universal philosophies. The virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control — formally called the “fruit of the Spirit” in Christianity — have their parallels in all of the other major religions. Another philosophy that is almost universally used is the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Janie Michaels*, a sophomore at Columbia High, knows firsthand what it’s like to find the similarities between two opposing religions and keep the peace. Her mom is Christian and her dad is Muslim.

“I don’t have two different relationships with my parents because of religion, but because of my parents’ two completely different personalities,” she said. “I love my mother who is of the same religion as me. But oddly enough, I have a more open relationship with my Muslim dad because he is just more down to earth.”

Angela Bryant, a 19-year-old sophomore at Oglethorpe University, who is a Christian, says that she has no friction with her Muslim friend.

“We are open to discussing our differences. I don’t feel like I’m trying to convince him that I’m right,” she said. “Someone’s belief is a part of who they are. And if you disrespect that belief, then you are ultimately disrespecting them.”

What to Do?

People have different tactics for “keeping the peace,” but here’s what I suggest: Instead of avoiding the topic of religion because we fear confrontation, we should all try to be as open as possible so we can understand each other better. We can intentionally bring people from diverse backgrounds together by creating clubs or fun activities. For example, you can have a potluck where friends from different religions or cultures bring foods that are significant to them and share the meal together. Or invite your friends to celebrate a religious holiday with you. It’s OK to share your faith as long as others don’t feel pressured.

As Lithonia High sophomore Hope Chiles said, “We must treat each other equally and respect other religions although we may not agree with them.”

Being open and transparent are the beginning steps toward peace.

Vonciel is a sophomore at Columbia High who loves the spring time.

*Names changed.