Most families are bound to a religious belief and thus attempt, while many succeed, to raise their children to carry on this same trend. While this is somewhat of a reasonable request, it may be altered during certain milestones through a child’s life such as college. College is an arena of different cultures, backgrounds, personalities and an overall learning experience. The college atmosphere is designed to expose opinions and options for the decisions students make on a daily basis. Having said that, is there a place for religion in college? Maybe, but should it be there?
Religion can be considered therapeutic for some while a habit for others. Nonetheless the investment someone puts into their beliefs results in a different mindset than those who do not. They see the world in a different shade. While this is a fair choice, what happens when this person comes to college? A place filled with an array of temptations. Should they block all opportunities to open their mind? It’s somewhat unrealistic to not have an open mind in college.
There are things constantly happening and, as a student, you are constantly growing. Religion in essence is a unified way to think and anything outside of that appears false. So could a closed mind receive information if it’s not willing to accept other ideas?
Colleges could function without religious majors or programs. America, as a whole, tries so hard to incorporate religion within the school system while in fact the two ought to be separated. Everyone should attend college with a precedent foundation and continuously add on the necessary bricks to stay strong throughout the years with their own morals.
According to a speech given by President Barack Obama, “62 percent of kids who enter college with some sort of faith commitment leave without it.”
Another article written by Max Baumgarten, a Unigo Editor, stated that barring students from a public American university and its supposedly open intellectual environment is nothing short of discrimination. Though this is a valid statement, I don’t consider it discrimination. Religion is incorporated in other aspects of this country such as the pledge of allegiance and U.S. currency. I found that once I separated myself from a religion based reality, my mind gradually became more expanded.
As the job market becomes more demanding, less students are concerned with religion and more so with careers and IRA’s. This mindset they have when they leave college brings me to my stance that religion shouldn’t be incorporated into colleges.
Nothing is wrong with having a religion or being religious, but by having religion in the colleges, such as bible study or religious advertising, there is no deviation from said normality.
College is one of the few times where nonconformity from normality can be nurtured in such a way that the end result is beneficial. The growth throughout the process assists with uncovering who you are. Not to encourage completely dropping your faith, but allow yourself to experience what it is like without it. Then come back to it, if so chose, with a better understanding.
