The Impacts of Religion on the Human Race

Brittany Grey

Government, Period 1

Mr. Hawkins

14 December 2016
 Grey 1

Introduction

Religion is one of the most common methods worldwide to bring similar groups of

people closer together. Whether one is Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or anything in

between, religious practices have both thrived and torn apart countries and communities for

thousands of years, and thousands more to come. Religion has united children in schools, while

simultaneously dividing peers and bringing forth their differences. It has allied groups of people

within communities, while bringing countries further and further apart, driving them closer to

religious wars. It has created a picture of eternal peace into peoples minds, while being a threat

to those who are skeptical. Although religion has been linked to happiness and higher levels of

energy in most faiths, it is also somewhat detrimental to those both claiming to be religious and

nonreligious. It can be damaging to self-esteem among schoolchildren and even people in the

workplace, and has even been linked to poor dietary choices to those who are actively involved

with their church. Not only is religion as a whole controversial, but it should be kept out of the

public school system indefinitely, and can drastically divide people from all around the world.

Sub Topic #1
 Grey 2

What reasons help to explain why religion is controversial?

For many years, religion has struck a plethora of controversy within people from very

different and diverse backgrounds. The question of whether or not their religion is the true

religion has lived in peoples minds since the beginning of time. Many people who are faithful in

their religions wonder if those who are not religious are lost at heart, or if those whose religions

differ from theirs are simply misguided. Without stopping to think about and question their own

religion, often times the skepticism simply just falls on people of various backgrounds. Not only

is this sudden and unfair suspicion confusing to those who are not religious, but it also strikes an

enormous amount of anger, bewilderment, and maybe even violence into those of opposing

religious beliefs. With that being said, there are many different reasons that help to explain how

religion, as a whole, is controversial.

One reason that explains how religion is controversial is that it promotes segregation and

tribalism. In todays day and age, nonbelievers and those who have chosen to remain separate

from churches are seen as lost and mistaken to believers, which creates a major feeling of

segregation within communities. Alternets website explains, Religion divides insiders from

outsiders. Rather than assuming good intentions, adherents often are taught to treat

outsiders with suspicion (Tarico, 1). The religious believers of the world are often times

taught through holy books, such as the Bible and the Koran, to look at those who are not

religious in a suspicious light. Although many might not usually take a moment to see things

through a different point of view, it is important to note that this way of going about things is

perhaps one of the most controversial of them all. The author also states, At worst, outsiders

are seen as enemies of God and goodness, potential agents of Satan, lacking in morality and

not to be trusted, (Tarico, 1). There are numerous horror stories about children both back
 Grey 3

then and in modern times being ostracized from the community because of their beliefs, or lack

thereof. Those horror stories, however, are not always just stories, and evidence has shown that

hundreds of children have been nearly disowned by their peers because of this arising issue.

Finally, the author says that, To stay strong, religion trains believers to practice self-

deception, shut out contradictory evidence, and trust authorities rather than their own

capacity to think, (Tarico, 1). Many followers of religion are unwelcoming to the evidence

that has been proven against their beliefs, according to Tarico. This can create an infusion of

frustration among scientists and believers. Though those are worthy pieces of evidence, there are

dozens of other pieces of evidence that can and will come to light.

Another reason that explains how religion is controversial is that it creates a false sense

of truth. The Church and State website published an article stating, Instead, they (major

religions) discover ways to force conflicting information to adapt to their own doctrine; no

matter how effective the evidence is at actually disproving the rationality of that particular

religion, (Babilonia, 1). Not that religions technically try to force their ideas on people all

the time, but that typically ends up being the case according to typical bystanders. Along with

that, many try to convince people of other religions why they are wrong, and why their religion

is right, which is just crude and unnecessary. Continuing, the author says, For instance, the

majority of Christians would agree that the idea of Mohammad riding a flying horse into

the heavens is an impossible fairy-tale; while simultaneously, they are unable to see how

their own story of a talking snake or a man living inside a fish for three days is also

impossible, (Babilonia, 1). Many people who do not follow faith would look at those

assumptions and think that they are completely insane, while other peoples religions have driven

them to think that these are the absolute truth. Regardless of these seemingly real or completely
 Grey 4

false idealizations of what religion are, they are just another example as to how controversial

religion truly is.

Finally, one very important reason to note is that religion both creates a superiority

complex and the potential of violence. Babilona goes on the say that, Religion enables people

to act callously and inflict mental punishment on those they label evil without

consequence to their hatred (Babilonia, 1). Since those who do follow a religious system

do not see their religion as questionable, a lot of the times they feel as though it is their duty to

inflict their religion on others. This creates a distinguishable barrier between the believers and

nonbelievers. In fact, as Bob Eckhard claims, Terrorist activity is nowadays commonly

associated with religions, irrespective of whether this association is truly reflective of the

religious tradition itself and the tenet of its beliefs, (Eckhard, 1). So why is it socially

acceptable for terrorism in certain religions, but for other religions is an atrocity? The actions

taken by certain religions are prime examples as to the extreme cases of religion as a whole, but

socially, each religion is not too far off from one another. They are each following a higher

power to get to a better world after death, or something like that.

With this being said, religion in its entirety is potentially one of the most controversial

topics of the modern day world. With the potential of violence, separation of peers, and a

plethora of other factors, many begin to wonder if all of this talk about religion is even worth it.

Many start to believe that with the cost of following a certain religion and the restraints that

come with it, if it is even going to be as beneficial as it claims to be. This is detrimental to people

both involved by the situation, and completely unaware, as it creates an overwhelming barrier

between both sides. With that being said, each person follows a specific belief system based on
 Grey 5

what they feel is the absolute truth, and although this can drastically vary from person to person,

it is impossible to tell right from wrong.

Sub Topic #2

Why has religion been discluded from public schools?

Involving religion in public schools is another major way that religion can affect people.

Whether religions are taught in class by a textbook, or just simply discussed among classmates
 Grey 6

and teachers, many people have differing viewpoints on this topic in particular. Some think that

teaching religion is necessary in order to expand students horizons and make them more open

and knowledgeable to different ways of life. Others think that teaching religion can end up being

very one-sided and is just unnecessary in the everyday classroom, arguing that it can even end up

making some people uncomfortable. The topic of religion in classrooms usually tends to work its

way back to Christianity, no matter what setting it is being discussed in. Many teachers in the

past have show to work their way into religion, only to end up discussing why Christianity is

their preferred choice of faith. No matter what ones viewpoint on this topic is, there are

numerous reasons that help to explain why religion should not be taught in schools.

Religion belongs out of the public school system for many different reasons. Once

religion gets sparked in the classroom, there is no telling where the discussion will lead to.

Writer and author Annie Gaylor from religionandpolitics.org writes, Unfortunately, even

today, students who stick up for separation of church and state still often become outcasts,

as demonstrated by mistreatment of high school student Jessica Ahlquist last year (Gaylor,

1). Jessica had removed a prayer banner from her school back in 2015, and was so threatened by

her peers at one point that she had to be accompanied by a school police officer. The sheer fact

that a student who goes to school to learn the basics of life, like math, science, and English, in

order to move on to bigger and better things is ostracised by other students simply because of a

religious ordeal is a big enough issue that should be brought to everyones attention. No student

should go to school feeling as though they need to give in to others religions simply so that they

can feel more comfortable. Gaylor also goes on the write that, Religion in our public schools

creates divisiveness, and awareness of religion differences often builds walls between

students, (Gaylor, 1). Making students aware of everyone elses religious preferences can
 Grey 7

create a feeling of isolation and awkwardness among those who are involved in the unnecessary

discussion. Once again, the discussion tends to become very one-sided in the end, which can

disclude the majority of students in the class. Annie also states that, In the best of all possible

public school environments, it would be ideal, of course, to include, at least at the high

school level, a class on comparative religion, (Gaylor, 1). At least in this sense, all types of

religion- ranging from branches of Christianity, to Islamic religions, to no religions at all will

guaranteed be taught at the same caliber for the same amount of time during the course.

Another reason why religion should not be taught in schools is simply because there are

far better things to learn. As students get older, they need to learn how to file taxes, make money

on their own, learn how to live on their own, pay bills etc, and learning religions would set

students back from what they really need to learn. The main focus of all schools should be to

teach students that fundamentals of life, like critical thinking skills, logical analysis of

situations, and teaching how to do basic necessities, (Godfrey, 1). Teaching religion would

be a roadblock to these important fundamentals, and could even lower a student's drive to want

to learn the fundamentals. The less roadblocks we set forth to the growing students of the future

generation, the more likely they will be to succeed. Another main reason why religion should

remain out of public schools is because the majority of times, (teachers, instructors, and

school officials) do not know enough about other religions besides their own, states Olivia

Godfrey of the Knightly Herald. Teachers might be either ignorant or just generally unaware of

the logistics of other religions, so for them to try and teach different types of religions would be a

challenge for both them and the students. Generally, teachers would want to have at least a

decent understanding of what they are teaching before they have to stand in front of a class and

teach it. It is also important to note that it would be nearly impossible, if not, incredibly difficult
 Grey 8

to try and cover each and every religion if it were to be taught as a class or even at all in public

schools.

There are thousands of religions out in the world, so covering them all in the span of one

school year would certainly be a challenge for each instructor. That is perhaps why teaching

religion in schools was taken out of the curriculum in the first place. Olivia Godfrey also states

(paraphrasing), that no matter how you teach a specific religion to a group of diverse and

opinionated individuals, you are bound to offend at least one person in the room. Naturally,

teaching a group of Muslim kids about Christianity is going to spark some uncomfortable stares

and questionable outlooks on the topic, and visa versa. This goes with nearly every religion, as it

is hard to be so open minded about other beliefs when you feel as though what you believe is the

only truth. An online blogger writes, The bible should be taught either at home or at

church but not in public schools. Children should be able to make their own minds up

about what religion they want to participate in when they are old enough, (Debate, 1).

Once a child reaches a certain age, they will be able to distinguish religions on their own time,

and by self-discovery. Trying to force-feed religions to a child during the peak of their growth in

the classroom is a hindrance to the well being of the child.

With all of this information being put out there, it is important to keep the curriculum

exactly how it is, and at a manageable pace in order to be basically opinion-free. No harm, no

foul. Teachers should try their best to keep religion out of the classroom so that they can avoid

offending people, and to avoid creating a feeling of uncomfortability in the room. It is absolutely

imperative that students go to school to further their careers in a way that will be outstandingly

beneficial to them, and having them take a class on religion is certainly not the way to go. This is

the exact reason why teaching religion in public schools was abolished long ago.
 Grey 9

Sub Topic #3

What reasons help to explain how religion divides people?

Religion also affects people because it is one of the most apparent reasons of segregation

among the people of the world, next to skin color and politics, perhaps. It makes it nearly

impossible for people worldwide to come together and live as one. An author from the FFRF

states, We know from history how harmful and destructive religion is(Think:

September 11th and the Wisconsin Sikh Temple Massacre), (Gaylor, 1). Of course, not all

religions are this radical - in fact, the majority of them arent - but when you take into

consideration all of the acts of terrorism that were committed simply because their religion was
 Grey 10

essentially endorsing it is enough to raise more than a few eyebrows. These acts of terrorism

affect the world around those who took part, and it raises questions as to how a religion is

allowing such atrocities. Religious differences fuel violent conflict... As social scientists have

shown, this divisiveness is a product of humanitys general drive to form tribes and to

engage in in-group/out-group conflict, states an English author (Blair, 1). It is in human

nature to single out people who are different from the rest of us, but it is not in the nature of

humans to teach similars things such as this. Once a religion goes so far as to claim that those

who do not believe in the same things they do should not be treated the same, should simply not

be allowed to uphold those teachings. To put it simply, Religion does group people into

different sects. Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus. These differences sometimes can cause

disagreements and hostility between people of different religious backgrounds, (Ahmed,

1). Regardless of the so-called proof trying to debunk this, religion divides people. Whether

people agree with it, scoff at it, or just simply dont want to hear it, it is the truth. Religion would

not be religion if people didnt full support or understand it, and thats partially what makes it so

interesting.

Religion itself is such a diverse and seemingly never-ending topic among the people of

the world, it would be nearly impossible for it not to divide people. The only way religion could

be cohesive is if humans themselves changed their entire being to fit the molds of others beliefs.

Interestingly, Ahmed goes on to say, Humans are inherently different from one another.

No matter what you do, people will disagree over one matter or another and will always

have different opinions, (Ahmed, 1). Unfortunately, there is nothing the human race can

possibly do to prevent these divisive qualities from happening. As he explained, people will

disagree over one matter or another, and that couldnt be more simply put. On the contrary,
 Grey 11

one author states, ...the essential problem is not just tribal hatred, but the fact that

religion is the way to heaven and an aspect of that way, at least for Christianity and Islam,

is to despise nonbelievers, (Karson, 1). Karson points out that these specific religions are

essentially demeaning what it means to be a diverse human race. Without the so-called non

believers, humans would not be as beautifully diverse as they are today. Instead, we would all

fall under the same, typical category of just Christian or just Muslim, and so on and so forth.

Furthermore, religion has been such a widely controversial and highly discussed topic

since the beginning of time, and although it seems to have taken a leveled turn, it is still always

on the bottom of peoples minds. Gaylor continues in her dramatic essay, saying, It

(religion) teaches people that those who disagree with them on a variety of lifes issues are

perceptively evil and unworthy of their friendship, or even of their humanity, (Gaylor, 1).

Of course, those who disagree are clearly not evil necessarily, but in holy books such as the Bible

and Koran, it teaches believers to disassociate themselves with people of opposing views, to rid

themselves of harm's way. It slowly deteriorates relationships that would have once been alright

had they never been taught such a crazy thing. For example, people in the days of historian

Martin Luther were often times ostracised from their church for suddenly deciding to

break away from the typical beliefs of the people and focus more on the deeds of themselves

onto others (History, 1). Relationships like these have been deteriorating for thousands of years

simply based on different religions beliefs. It gets to a point where the people of the world need

to stop and take everyone elses feelings into account. Along with that, Gaylor explains,

Those in power are well aware that a community divided amongst itself has no strength to

withstand tyranny or corruption, (Gaylor, 1). Essentially, those who have the power to truly

make a difference within those of religions, such as priests and priestesses, need to work together
 Grey 12

with the people of their church or mosque or the likes to get along with everyone, even the

nonbelievers. It is very important that these role models take a step forward into furthering the

world in order to become less segregated.

That being said, it is absolutely crucial that people of all religions backgrounds, and even

with no religious background at all, work to improve the wellbeing of the world as it is currently

known today, as well as their outlook on those with differing religious views. All of the different

countries need to become more aligned with one another, and religious leaders need to step up

their game to help to execute those plans. Along with that, it is very important to focus on

becoming less divided as a human race as well. Segregation of the different countries is bound to

happen regardless of the wars or propaganda used to defuse it, but when working together, the

world can certainly become less divided.

Bibliography

Valerie Tarico / AlterNet. "6 Ways Religion Does More Bad Than Good." Alternet. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

Babilonia, Shanna. "The Problem With Faith: 11 Ways Religion Is Destroying Humanity." N.p.,
n.d. Web.

Eckhard, Bob. "Is Religion Bad For Society?" Is Religion Bad For Society? | Issue 78 |
Philosophy Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

Gaylor, Annie L. "The Dangers of Religious Instruction in Public Schools." Religion Politics.
N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

Godfrey, Olivia. "Why Religion Should Not Be Taught in Public Schools Olivia
Godfrey."Knightly Herald. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

Anonymous. "Should Religion Be Taught in Public Schools?" Debate.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 14
Dec. 2016.

Blair, Tony. "Does Religion Unite or Divide Us?" New Freethinkers. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec.
2016.
 Grey 13

Ahmed, Waleed. "Religion Divides People A Refutation." BloomingPeaches - Sit. Think.

Imagine. N.p., 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

Karson, Michael. "Religion Divides Us." Michael Karson. N.p., 15 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Dec.
2016.

History.com Staff. "Martin Luther and the 95 Theses." History.com. A&E Television Networks,
2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.