I’m currently in my sophomore year of college as a biology major, but one thing that surprises some people is that I’m also a religion minor. For me in particular, it was important that I be more aware of religious beliefs of others. Part of this is because I’m going into the medical field and I think that it’s going to be useful to know the perspectives of my potential patients. I also think that being knowledgeable on ideas other than your own helps to make you a better person. I’m currently taking a class entitled religions of the world, and, as a starting point, it has opened my eyes to how other people view the world. It’s been such a great experience for me so far that I think everyone, no matter their future profession or religious beliefs, should try to take a world religions class in college (or at least explore the beliefs of others).
Religion is a huge part of culture in many of the world’s countries. In the same way that learning a new language can help you connect with others, learning the basics of other religions can help you to make those same connections. Something as simple as knowing the reason why a person might believe one way or another can be useful in navigating conversations and being respectful of others’ beliefs.
One thing that I’ve always appreciated about my friends that don’t share my beliefs is their respect for me as a person. In America, a lot of what we deal with is Christianity. This isn’t to say, however, that these are the only religious beliefs held by the residents of our country. There’s a reason why our country is called the melting pot, and it has to do with the fact that not all of us look and believe the same way. One of the biggest things I’ve gained from my studies of world religions is the expanded knowledge of religions I had heard of, but knew little about. For example, in studying Islam, I was educated on many of the similarities that are shared between Christians and Muslims. Being aware of the similarities and differences between yourself and others can help you to see them more as a person rather than a foreign idea.
I was raised in a conservative, Christian home as were many of my friends growing up. One of the biggest problems I have with the families that share these beliefs is the lack of acceptance they show to people of other religions. In part, this is because the Christian religion requires you to minister to others. Understanding the religious beliefs of others, however, is not the same as agreeing that they’re correct in their beliefs. You can disagree with a person, but still respect them. Christianity, specifically, is based on showing the love of Jesus and one of the best ways to do this, in my opinion, is to treat others how you would want to be treated. You wouldn’t want someone to come up to you and stomp all over your beliefs so why should we allow ourselves to do it to others?
Before anyone tries to tell me that being tolerant of other religions is wrong (which I’d like to see your evidence for first of all), I want to point out that many religions --including Christianity as I stated before—are based in the idea of love. Educating myself on the religions of people I might encounter in my day to day life has given me a greater respect for those that choose to practice those religions. I apologize for bringing politics into things, but I think that our current president shows how prevalent the fear of foreign ideas is in our country. Countless times I’ve heard Muslims referred to as terrorists in a broad and general sense. If the country were to educate itself, however, more people would know that the religion of Islam is meant to be a peaceful religion and that there are extremists just as there are in any religion. We are often quick to judge and slow to listen which is an avoidable tragedy in this day in age.
In the end, the point I’m trying to make is that we should take advantage of our resources that allow us to better ourselves. We are more and more likely to encounter individuals with beliefs different than ours, and we now have the opportunity to be understanding and empathetic towards those individuals. I just ask that, as a society, we not remain blissfully ignorant when we have the option to do otherwise. That being said, if you’re a college student, maybe take a low stakes religion class that can open your eyes to what else is out there besides you. If you don’t have that opportunity, the internet is probably still at your fingertips. Maybe take a second to get the basics on something new to you. Who knows, maybe you’ll be a better person for it.