The role religion used to play in schools has not only gotten smaller over the years, but it is now the source of prejudice. Students in public schools are regularly reprimanded in some way or another for expressing their personal beliefs. The freedom of religion in first world countries seems to be slowly dying. People can now be openly discriminated against in public schools, social media and the workplace. Anywhere there are extreme woke ideologies religion seems unable to coexist. In Alberta, Canada over this past summer, a teacher at North Edmonton’s Londonderry Junior High School berated Muslim students. They were chastised for simply not wanting to attend pride events. A vile recording was leaked to social media where the teacher in question was heard criticizing the Muslim students. The importance of supporting trending ideologies seems to outweigh long standing traditions and religions. The teacher compares Ramadan to the school pride event. She stated that the Muslim students should acknowledge pride events with the same respect as they do with Ramadan.
When Schools Pick Sides.
In Michigan, another student is challenged for their beliefs that contradict the trending LGBTQ community. A student named David Stout was suspended for three days from Plainwell High School for discussing his religious beliefs. He said over a text message to another student that he views homosexual conduct as a sin. This was a private conversation between two students discussing religion and sexuality. The conversation however, ended up being the material used to suspend David. His words to the other student were not that of hate or derogatory homosexual terms. He was only stating his religious beliefs to the student which he should be allowed to have and express under our right to free speech. Of course, there is accountability if the free speech is infringing on others, but Davids’s comment does not take away from any other student being a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
They Cannot Take Our Rights…
Davids’s beliefs whether expressed or kept private do not change other people from being able to live their lives or have their own beliefs about sexuality. Yet David was the one suspended, thus the school took the side of the pro LGBTQ+ student. It seems that very often, when there is a dispute between teachers and students, or students and students the religious parties lose in the scenario. Whether Muslim, Christian or another faith, if the beliefs contradict with current trends punishment is likely to follow. In schools, we have a responsibility to our youth. We should not train them to hide how they feel because it does not fit the current ideals. Bullying and scaring youth into being afraid to speak about their beliefs in not the honorable way to handle differences of beliefs. We should encourage productive conversations in safe spaces. That student who did not like Davids comments or the teacher who did not agree with the Muslims may have discouraged the students, but you cannot extinguish religion altogether. Never.
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