Religion is a universal concept, even for those of us who consider ourselves nonbelievers. I say this because even nonbelievers are surrounded by the influence of religious structures, literature, and history. Beyond this, nonbelievers cooperate with people of faith on a daily basis. Religion, and the lack thereof, has the ability to shape peoples’ thoughts, lifestyles, and ways of interacting with others. To make the claim that it is unimportant, irrelevant, or pointless is to ignore its place in culture, in contemporary society, and its influence over people.
On college campuses, it is not uncommon to find students who feel like religion is irrelevant, like it does not pertain to their everyday or to the culture of their campus. However, I would say this is wholly inaccurate, particularly here at Pace. The mission of Pace University, according to its website, includes, “Our objective is to create thinking professionals who are highly sought after as innovators and successful leaders, and who will positively impact twenty-first century society.”
One cannot hope to positively impact twenty-first century society without understanding the inherent importance of religion and spirituality within.
It amazes and disturbs me when I hear peers employ religious slander in passing conversation, when students mock the religious convictions of others, and when people claim they are completely different because of the religions they do, or do not, believe in. On our secluded campus, we have a diverse array of beliefs and traditions. Student organizations such as the Muslim Student Association as well as CRU are just a small example of organizations with religious affiliation on our campus.
In addition to existing student organizations, Pace has a small, yet strong, department for Philosophy and Religious Studies, whose webpage states, “In the uncertain world in which we live, it is more important than ever to understand the beliefs of others. By finding out how others think and reason, the world in which we live can become more meaningful and the distance between cultures and belief systems could be narrowed.”
This is what I hope to accomplish with this column, for the distance between cultures and belief systems on our campus to be narrowed. Through my learning and investigating of religious and spiritual traditions amongst us here at Pace, I hope to share the insight of peers and faculty with additional peers and faculty. Hopefully, you’ll join me next week to read what I have discovered and to help bridge the gap between cultures on our global, multicultural campus.