Religion - What's The Problem?

Religion in America has long been one of the centerpieces of society, but as of late the standing of many religious institutions has been declining. Though the actual number of people who have declared themselves as atheists still remains relatively low, the number of people who do not actively practice their declared religion has risen greatly. With this rise in secularism has also come a sort of disdain for people who do openly and actively practice their religious beliefs, thus isolating them from the bulk of society. In Jeanette Wall’s The Glass Castle, this sort of stance is clearly illustrated, but likewise the book also places a great deal of stress on righting this current injustice.

We’ve all heard the term “Jesus Freak” before, and it’s never really used as a compliment. It’s a description used to single out a person who essentially wears their religion on their sleeve; they put their beliefs out there for the entire world to see. And in many cases, such people are either looked down upon or isolated by society. They almost seem to get sorted into their own social group much like jocks, nerds, techies, and the countless other social factions that exist in the world. But is such treatment right? Is it justified? I think that most people would say, “Of course not. I don’t feel that way at all.” But then why is such treatment so prevalent in today’s society?

In the modern world, there is a great deal of fear with regards to religious extremism. Naturally, as recent history has showed us, there are times when the followers of a religious sect can cross forbidden lines and commit massive atrocities. But should these instances be used as a precedent towards fearing religion as a whole? It would seem that in today’s world, it’s alright to say you believe in a God, but you’re not allowed to believe “too much”. People are expected to show a certain amount of restraint when it comes to such matters, almost as though they’re expected to keep their beliefs behind closed doors. In my mind, if you really are a devout follower of your religion, then you should show it. And no, I’m by no means advocating the violent expression of one’s faith that is actively practiced in certain areas of the world. But I do think that if a person wants to actively and peaceably express their religious beliefs to the general population, then they should be able to do so without being frowned upon as though they had violated some sort of taboo.

In The Glass Castle, this sort of religious phobia is clearly illustrated in how Jeanette and Brian deal with their sister Maureen. Maureen begins to take a sincere interest in the beliefs of her Pentecostal neighbors, whose beliefs seem somewhat outlandish to her siblings, as is made evident in this passage:

Under their influence, Maureen developed a powerful religious streak. She got baptized more than once and was all the time coming home proclaiming that she’d been born again. Once she insisted that the devil had taken the form of a hoop snake with its tail in its mouth, and had rolled after her down the mountain, hissing that it would claim her soul. Brian told Mom we needed to keep Maureen away from those nutty Pentecostals, but Mom said we all came to religion in our individual ways and we each needed to respect the religious practices of others, seeing as it was up to every human being to find his or her own way to heaven. (207)

Maureen was isolated by members of her own family because of her expression of her own religious views. She was quite devout, and she wanted the world to know about it. And because of this, she was viewed by her brother and sister as being borderline insane. However, in this instance, their mother acts as a stronghold of virtue. She encourages her children to accept each other’s religious views. After all, one’s religious beliefs are an immensely personal thing, and realistically they should be respected and accepted by everyone. Maureen wanted to make her religious affiliations a centerpiece in her life, and her mother recognized that the rest of the family would really have no choice but to accept those views. At the end of the day, Maureen herself should be the only person passing judgment on her own ideologies. Simply because they do not conform to those held by the bulk of the people around her is no indication that her views are incorrect or unjust.

Religion, like race, ethnicity, gender, and the vast number of attributes that people use to define themselves as individuals, should be treated with simple respect. Do people need to conform to a set of religious beliefs? No, if they want to be non-religious then that’s simply their own choice in how to express themselves. But everyone does need to respect the existence of each other’s views. Simply because a person may show a good deal of devotion is by no means an indication that they are or should be social outcasts. They just happen to have faith in something. And I sincerely doubt that anyone could argue that faith in and of itself is a terrible thing.