Introduction Take 2

“I bet your Dad beats you and that’s why you hide inside your burqa.”

“At least you’re not one of those hyper-breeding Utah Mormons.”

“Look at me! I’m a Hindu cow! Bow down to me!”

Children and adolescents are very capable of hurtful comments. At one point or another, I have heard each one of these comments pointed towards a friend in mocking disrespect. However, the children themselves are not entirely to blame. We foster animosity towards different religions when we emphasize that religious customs and traditions that we do not understand belong to “them,” instead of “us.” Thus, it is our responsibility to narrow the perceived gap between “them” and “us” by helping community members understand the motivations behind different religious customs and practices. 

In our public halls, it should not be a choice between having a Christmas tree or Diwali candles or a Taoist shrine. We should not defensively guard our traditions of making latkes, floating lanterns and painting henna, but turn outwards and share our religious traditions. Bullying and discrimination against religious customs and beliefs is often the product of ignorance. We, as leaders in the community, can combat ignorance by implementing more incorporative religious activities and education in our communities so that the Muslim may grow to understand Easter, the Jew, Ramadan, and the Christian, Yom Kippur. Such actions may include implementing a more comprehensive religious education in public school systems, or holding community holiday events. 

Indeed, the crux behind moral judgements is “how choices are made” (Kuykendall, 84). If we can play a part in helping students to make choices based upon a comprehensive understanding of religion and cultures, we can begin to eliminate the perceived notion of a “them” and “us” perception. After all, Diwali, Loy Krathong and Hanukkah all mean a “festival of lights” to Hindus, Buddhists and Jews.