Opinions can be dangerous things. Wars have been started because of them, people have died because of them, the fates of entire races and the destinies of whole countries have been permanently altered just because a difference in belief escalated into a conflict due to a lack of understanding and empathy.
I am speaking, of course, of religion. Currently there are 34,000 documented sects of Christianity alone, and Christians comprise only 33 percent of the world’s population. The opportunity for differentiating opinions is limitless. There is so much dissonance in the world of faith that unless tolerance is practiced consistently and completely, the cycle of hate and death may never end.
Even on a tiny island like Vashon, with only 10,000 residents, religious tolerance is paramount. A casual drive down the highway will take you past the doors of several churches, each with its own unique ideologies. If Islanders did not practice tolerance and respect, life here would devolve into a series of petty feuds between religious cliques.
That realization is exactly why it is so hard to witness youth making careless remarks or sweeping generalizations about religion. It’s a nasty habit to get into, and one not easily broken during adulthood. Worse, behaving in such a manner outside of childhood can have grave repercussions.
Students need to be aware that the people around them may hold different beliefs than them, and act accordingly.
I spoke with a Vashon High School (VHS) student who behaves in exactly this manner. Clarrisa Boyajin is a senior this year and has adhered to a liberal sect of Quakerism all of her life. Most of her friends are agnostic or atheist, but she lives in harmony with them and the vast majority of the students at VHS, despite her religious preferences. I decided to ask what tolerance meant to her.
“Tolerence is realizing that just because someone believes something different than you doesn’t mean they’re wrong, or stupid,” said Boyajin. “It just means that you have to agree to disagree.”
This philosophy seems to have served Boyajin well thus far, but even with her accommodating mindset, and even in an open-minded community like Vashon, she has been subjected to typecasting from time to time.
“When I say I’m Quaker, people’s immediate reaction is, ‘Oh, do you have electricity?’ Or ‘Do you eat oatmeal at every meal?’” said Boyajin. “And a lot of textbooks misrepresent Quakers.”
What Clarrisa’s testimony tells me is that, even on an Island as accepting as Vashon, there are still improvements to be made as far as our ability to peacefully comingle with people that don’t necessarily share our opinions.
Just a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of serving as a counselor at an interfaith camp for 12- to 15-year-olds at the YMCA Camp Seymour, located in Key Peninsula. Leaders from different sects spoke to the teens about their respective faiths over the course of a week, so they could learn about other religions and coexist without conflict.
Among the faiths represented were Islam, Christianity, Bahai, Unitarian Universalist, Zen Buddhist and the Center for Spiritual Living.
Witnessing those kids befriend and educate each other made me realize that such practices should not be confined to a weeklong camp.
No matter your age, and no matter your affiliation, you will create a more positive environment for everyone if you make an effort to educate yourself about other religions.
It is utterly impossible to live your entire life in the company of people who believe exactly what you do, and practicing intolerance and disrespecting those who think differently has never led to anything but conflict. All too often, that sort of thinking has manifested suffering and death that is completely unnecessary.
Every miniscule effort you make towards embracing alternative faiths is a step towards a tolerant society.
— Joe Sutton-Holcomb is a senior at Vashon High School.
but seriously…
