From: Chelsea Van de Ven

Dear Editor,

Religion is everything. Religion is nothing. To some people in this world, the former is the truth and for the others, it is the latter. Faith has been a dividing factor in our country and for most around the globe. It can cause people to hate, to fear, to despise and, in some cases, even to kill. In a perfect world, faith would bring love, happiness, and hope, but we are not in a perfect world.

Today, religion divides people. It forces us to choose sides. If we take a deeper look at religious freedom today, it looks almost like religious discrimination. Somebody somewhere will judge you for your religious beliefs. They can and will use it against you. That’s wrong.

America was the melting pot, however, now we are the segregated pot. We let our differences tear us down rather than build us up, which once was our strongest aspect as Americans. We used to embrace our differences and now we belittle them.

We need to realize we are not all similar and not everyone shares the same faith. We must address this problem. Americans need to learn. Ignorance is not bliss. Without knowledge, we have nothing. The best way to fix this issue is to educate.

Start by teaching many religions and beliefs in schools. Start in elementary school. Continue in college. Americans need to understand all faiths and not live in fear of them. By simply understanding others, we can change our minds and then change the world.