Religion should not be taboo

Don’t chew with your mouth open. Keep your elbows off the table. And whatever you do upon first meeting someone, do not talk about religion.

Emily Wilkins

This bit of etiquette has been around for ages, and I’m sure whoever originated it was well-intentioned and probably meant to keep yelling matches at a minimum. After all, there are those who instantaneously will condemn anyone who does not share a similar belief system.

A perfect example: the Wells Hall preachers. A one-on-one discussion with one of them led me to discover that even though he and I both believed in God and Jesus and were even raised in the same faith, he still thought I was headed straight for Satan’s gates.

He also told me that drinking alcohol is a sin and he’s sure the wine that Jesus drank at the Last Supper, an important event in Christian traditions, contained no alcohol.

With mind-sets such as these in the world, I do not blame the Miss Manners-type who first taught the “no religion” rule. But in the 21st century, at a place of higher education such as MSU, mannerisms such as these are restrictive to our worldview. If we as individuals cannot freely express our beliefs and be tolerant of others’ ideas, then we need to examine ourselves, not the rules of society.

What’s more, there still are stereotypes that exist for almost all religions. Some are obvious. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Muslims have been trying to disassociate themselves from a terrorist image. Those following Judaism often are faced with jokes about wealth or money. For that matter, there are incorrect notions about atheists and agnostics. But the worst aspect of stereotypes is that often they are so accepted in society that we don’t realize our perspective on a group is incorrect.

I came to MSU after 12 years of Roman Catholic schooling — nuns, uniforms and all. My family is active in our parish, and most of the people in my life prior to college believed the same things as I did. I’m not shy about my faith, but when I tell people what religion I am, the reaction isn’t always a positive one. My roommate and I went in blind, and when she found out I was coming from a Catholic school, she assumed I was going to judge her for going to parties and missing church on Sunday.

For me, this notion is ridiculous. I respect the opinion of those who find Mass a waste of time. And why shouldn’t I? I don’t expect people to agree with all my beliefs, but I would like my own opinions to be treated with equal respect.

Another bias I have found against religion that could be diffused through conversation is the notion that those who follow a religion are crazy. At first I was angry at the statements I heard. Many seemed hate-fueled, and a few displayed a certain ignorance of Christianity.

But when I realized that the anger I felt stemmed from a frustration that they made several valid arguments, I began to ask questions. I asked my parents, I asked my grandparents. My sister and I cornered a priest at a First Communion party and, for an hour and a half, bombarded him with questions about marriage, homosexuality and purgatory.

And in the end, I still classify myself as a Roman Catholic. But now I can more clearly define what I believe in. And it’s an ongoing process — as long as I can find someone who is willing to talk about what they believe.

In fact, discussion of religion should not simply be allowed; it should be encouraged. At MSU there are many groups associated with promoting racial diversity. Why aren’t there more groups looking to foster harmony among different religions? It has been emphasized that we have much to learn from other cultures. How is it not the same for beliefs?

Even if we gain nothing from such exchanges, it is important that we do have the freedom to discuss religion without being perceived as people looking to start a fight or force their views down someone’s throat.

I have witnessed people attempt to halt conversations about religion that they aren’t even a part of. This action in particular strikes me as immature. Not only are they interrupting something that is none of their business, but I can’t help wonder whether they want every conversation to revolve around the latest episode of “Glee” and the lost brown cow they found on Farmville. What’s so wrong about having a deeper conversation?

In today’s society, we should be able to talk about religious beliefs and our personal views openly. To deny a person the right to express themselves is just bad manners.

Emily Wilkins is a State News staff writer. Reach her at wilki196@msu.edu.