In today’s increasingly polarized society, nuanced topics such as religion often become taboo due to biases and stereotypes surrounding certain religions. This is especially prevalent in Seattle — often regarded as a “liberal front” — where residents may avoid conservativism in particular due to fear of retribution. As an institution, Lakeside certainly doesn’t shy away from discussing the happenings in the world around us; the “current events days” hosted by the history department assure this. The issue is how we can have meaningful conversations about current events, which are often tied to religion, while avoiding the stereotypes about religious beliefs.
Religious Polarization
Today, religion is often perceived as inseparable from political identity, rather than as an external system of personal beliefs. As a result, stereotypes about political ideologies easily translate to biases against certain religions. “[Trump] has taken Christianity into this very national, very right-wing area where it’s less about the religion itself or the teachings … but the fact that you aren’t on the left,” Gus L. ’28 explains.
In the greater Seattle area, with the “blue bubble” surrounding us, there tends to be even greater stigma against right-wing political views. When this political stigma extends to religious views, as Gus mentioned, it makes it harder for students to openly share their beliefs out of fear of judgement from others.
Additionally, preexisting stereotypes about religion affect individuals’ perceptions of others. One example of this is anti-Islamic sentiment, which Gus notices has persisted due to the September 11th attacks, which created a “miasma of anti-Islamism in the US … [that] continues on now.” This pre-existing prejudice often becomes intertwined with political assumptions, where “the first thing [many Americans] think of when they think of Islam is [that] Islam is like terrorist groups,” says Ruhamah T. ’28. Historical and political events shape how religion is perceived, reinforcing broader generalizations. Religion becomes more heavily associated with specific political identities and past events, contributing to pre-existing stigma.
At the same time, Devon S. ’28 mentions that people often assume individuals holding specific political or religious beliefs are automatically biased against certain groups. He notes that “religion does not inherently make you biased,” as everyone has different perspectives shaped by their personal experiences. Specific to his personal experiences, Devon mentions that when he talks about his religious beliefs “a lot of people … think that I am a hypocrite because I’m gay, and Christians and Hindus dislike gay people. I follow the parts that I believe in.” Stereotypes about religious beliefs lead to inaccurate, oversimplified assumptions about individuals. That is, ignoring peoples’ personal interpretations of their faith and beliefs causes judgement and reinforces that religion determines a person’s values.
Impacts on Lakeside
At Lakeside, this stigma has seeped its way into our classrooms and hallways and is especially obvious when the class discussion dies upon the prompting of a controversial question or when the mood in the room immediately shifts to something more somber. Devon recalls that “the religion aspect of HD9 is probably one of the most awkward ones because everyone comes here from different backgrounds.” He adds that “people are scared to talk about religion at this school … classes don’t really talk about it … we don’t really get to explore the actual tenets and teachings of different religions.” Insofar as religious prejudice is an issue on a regional and national scale that flows down, it’s predictable that schools and communities are affected, especially in a politically passionate city such as Seattle. This stigma spills over to political views as well, as religion today is commonly tied to political events and stances. Far too often, we conflate discussion with aggression, and avoid sensitive topics due to our lack of knowledge of the subject, or more significantly to minimize the risk of offending somebody or hurting them. People often are earnest and well-intentioned in their refrain from speaking on sensitive topics, but in a diverse community existing in a volatile and divided world, it’s somewhat inevitable that some issues become “sensitive” to certain groups of people.
“People are scared … and in a way, rightfully so, of treading on someone else’s beliefs, right? When you speak about what someone else believes in, that can be incredibly hurtful,” notes Gus. “And because we live in Seattle, where it’s liberally inclined to say, ‘Oh, well, let people have their beliefs,’ it makes it very easy not to talk about religion for a lot of people. Especially when most people aren’t that educated about it.”
Beyond discussions of religion, the prejudice surrounding certain religious groups has had an immense impact on the individuals within those groups, often manifesting in the form of shame, fear, and frustration. “At my middle school, it was very common to see people wearing crosses or embracing their religion, … and at Lakeside, I don’t really see that,” explains Devon S. ’28. “If someone wears a cross, they usually hide it under their clothing … it feels like at Lakeside, or even in the world right now, you just have to hide your religion, period.” The need to hide one’s religion is indicative of the silencing effect that the stigma surrounding religion can have. Expressing one’s faith and religion is contained within the right to self-expression, and should be something that we as a society should always seek to preserve and cultivate. How we treat religion in our community has an impact on how safe people feel to express their beliefs. By avoiding discussion of these sensitive topics, we sometimes passively perpetuate the stereotypes forwarded at the national level, which in turn can increase the pressure for individuals in certain religious groups to remain silent.
Potential Solutions
To address the stigma against certain religions, as well as religion more broadly, there are a few steps Lakeside can take. One approach is to have more open discussion about religion. This could be implemented by emphasizing religious factors in the history department’s current events days. To illustrate this, the history department could cover the religious aspects of the Iran-Israel conflicts, which can be seen as tied to religious biases/beliefs. Utilizing classes to discuss different religious and political beliefs can also help stem conversations which are inclusive of all beliefs.
It’s essential that these conversations are structured so students feel comfortable to share their thoughts and experiences: Gus explains that “if you want to talk about Judaism … then immediately, everyone’s mind goes to, ‘oh, what are his thoughts on Israel?’ … I personally think that people don’t really like talking about Judaism. They’re scared to … [since avoiding such topics] originates out of this political theater of being canceled and political correctness.” Creating an environment accepting of all political beliefs encourages open, in-depth conversations about topics like religion.
Another way we can increase visibility for different religions is by supporting a wider range of religious clubs and groups at Lakeside. Devon S. ’28 noticed that “the Christian fellowship seemed to have [arisen] right when support for Christian people started to fall down.” Establishing more religious groups at Lakeside can inspire students to learn more about a diverse set of religions while also increasing visibility for them. Greater representation of the vast range of religious beliefs in our community can further encourage conversations about religion, destigmatizing the topic and allowing students to freely share their beliefs without fear of judgment.
Lastly, Lakeside could also do a better job of celebrating all holidays. Currently, Devon S. ’28 says that “we need to talk more about Hindu holidays. We need to talk more about holidays in general.” Expanding awareness and celebration of diverse traditions would further support inclusivity and counter religious biases within the school community.
Ultimately, the issue of religious biases and stigma will inevitably persist in society, and will likely be perpetuated as our country becomes more divided and chaotic in a sociopolitical sense. Rather, we ought to take it into our own hands, as youth and as members of our respective communities, to discern discourse surrounding religion, dispel stereotypes, and distill in ourselves a sense of understanding, community, and sympathy through which we can graciously interact with those who might not feel seen.
