This legal trend in acceptance is also mirrored by a general public trend in accepting ethnic, religious, and racial diversity. Despite the tragic events we see on the news, Americans have become nicer and more tolerant. "The country's attitudes towards once-marginalized groups….have softened considerably since the 1970s," said The Economist.
"More people are agreeing that controversial out-groups should be allowed public expression," researchers Jean Twenge, Nathan Carter, and W. Keith Campbell explained. "Tolerance is an important indicator of how societies treat people with views and lifestyles divergent from their average members."
Additional trends make me hopeful that the American attitude toward religious minorities will be more open and accepting. For instance, in a recent Pew study, America's Changing Religious Landscape, the group of people who says they have "no religion" has experienced large gains. As the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated continue to grow, many millennials adopt "spirituality" over religion, and personal prayer, meditation, yoga, and mindfulness have started to take the place of traditional rituals, Sunday mass, and prescribed prayers. The pluralism that many spiritualists embrace is reflected in Sikhi. Sikh theology teaches that there is no single "right" path to attain enlightenment and everyone has the opportunity to reach their spiritual goals. I can see many of those who shed orthodox religion being attracted to elements of Sikhi, such as the emphasis on meditation, love for nature, developing a personal connection with Divinity, social justice, and seeing the good in everyone. While they might not adopt Sikhi, this new environment of openness can make it easier for Sikhs to practice their faith without fear of ridicule, ostracization, or discrimination. The over-all trends in the United States regarding tolerance are positive and promising.
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