Finding Meaning, In and Out of Religion
“Spreading your faith is like spreading knowledge; there isn’t anything wrong with wanting to inform others, but misinformation can corrupt even well-intentioned teachings.”
Throughout history, people have used their faith to justify their own extremist desires, which puts the other members of that faith in a negative light. From colonists to pro-life advocates, extremist views can be known to drive others away from different faiths, since they are only being exposed to negative perspectives.
Consider the case of Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group in Nigeria. They were involved in violent attacks and kidnappings in Northern Nigeria. Their founder, Mohammed Yusuf, found Western influence to be corrupt and un-Islamic, and wanted to unite Nigeria under one Islamic state. While Boko Haram wishes to spread Islamic beliefs, they directly go against it by taking it to extremes. And there are many examples of religious texts that discourage or condemn the acts that extremist groups take to spread their ideology.
Extremist groups spread their faith by displays of power, but this often contradicts the messages that their faith wishes to spread. Most religions do not condone violence, as it goes against their teachings. For example, in the Qur’an, it states: “Fight in Allah's cause against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits [in aggression]: Allah does not love transgressors.” (Qur'an 2:190) And, in the Christian Bible (King James Version), it states: “Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” (Exodus 20:13-16 KJV)
Spreading your faith is like spreading knowledge; there isn’t anything wrong with wanting to inform others, but misinformation can corrupt even well-intentioned teachings. In history, religious people can often be seen as the villains rather than the victims, or even just as ordinary people.
I interviewed students in our community to see how they view their faith. Out of all the religious students who were interviewed, most identified as very religiously committed. When interviewing them, I wanted to get an understanding of what keeps them connected to their faith. Humu Fofana and Arnel Nsowah-Asante, who are Muslim and Christian respectively, both felt a sense of closeness with others within their faith. Arnel stated that it “feels like one big family.” One aspect that makes their respective faiths enjoyable for them was the forgiveness and acceptance within their communities. This sentiment was also shared by other religious interviewees.
Maty Diagne, a senior, told me: “I really like my community. I get along with the people at my masjid and we hold each other accountable.”
When interviewees were asked about what they disliked, there was more of a focus outside of their communities rather than within them, such as life getting in the way, misogyny, a lack of cultural understanding, and even conflicting political views. To help develop more of my own understanding, I asked each interviewee about assumptions that people make about their respective religions. Here are some assumptions about religion that I gathered from fellow students, assumptions that are untrue:
“It is fine for Muslims to commit sins.”
“Politics affect your commitment to religion.”
“Too many rules.”
“All Christians are Catholic.”
“Muslims are oppressed.”
“All Rastafarians do is smoke weed and worship Jah.”
“You can’t do anything.”
As for those who were interviewed and identified as either agnostic or atheist, they all felt that no particular religion matched their views on life.
“I didn't believe in the things that were being told to me,” Mr. Castro told me. He went on: “Over time when I became more independent I stopped attending church. Science was always my favorite subject, and while some people think science and religion aren't mutually exclusive, that wasn't the case for me personally.”
There was also shared dislike for those who look down upon religious people. Common assumptions were that all non-religious people are atheist and lack belief in any higher power, that they cannot be moral without a god, or that they are all on the extremist side of the community.
This article is not meant to sway either side towards the other, but rather to shed light on different perspectives that many of us may not have previously been exposed to. Here is what members of our community had to share about their religions and perspectives:
“Even though it takes a lot of discipline and work, I believe it will be worth it” - Maty Diagne
“[Islam] brings others together” - Jaria Fofana
“Freedom is key. Until you're allowed to be you fully, you are not free.” - TaeVaughn Gayle
“There isn’t one way to be Jewish, everyone is different” - Ms. Rebitizer
“Our religion is different than other religions” - Humu Fofana
“It’s not a set of rules to follow, it is about wanting to build a relationship with God” - Arnel Nsowah-Asante
“I am okay with anyone’s religion” - Joseph Medina
“[Islam is] a beautiful religion, a very forgiving one” - Djenabou Diallo
“Just follow whatever makes you happy. That's what I do.” - Mr. Castro