SHADES OF
D E V O T I O N
One society, under God BY KAITLYN MCCURDY kmccurdy@wsspaper.com
When politicians take the oath of office, they say “so help me God.” On American currency, you can find the phrase “In God We Trust.” Congress opens sessions with prayer. Gay marriage and abortion are huge social issues due to their religious connotations. Whether we like it or not, religion surrounds us. “If your religion is that much of who you are, there’s no way to get around it influencing society,” said Erin Cook ’14. Debate has surrounded religious influence in the government for a long time, especially in regard to the Pledge of Allegiance. “The little ways that religion influences society are great, and our forefathers were right in putting those things in our Constitution. A lot of our country was based on Christian views and beliefs, so I believe these little things are important. People take these things as a joke and it frustrates me when people laugh during the Pledge of Allegiance,
the Star Spangled Banner, or when people are praying because religion should not be judged or denied to anyone,” Jonathan Neese ’16 said. There’s also the idea that these influences are based on tradition. As Neese pointed out, America was built on the idea of freedom of religion, but it was still predominantly Christian in the beginning. “Things like ‘one nation, under God’, and ‘In God we trust’ are just kind of ground into our culture from way back when. Saying these things should be optional for people that don’t believe that way, but they shouldn’t be banned or anything like that,” said Cook. The idea of complete separation of church and state has been thrown around for a long time. The question you have to ask yourself, however, is would you prefer a society with religion less involved? “[I would] because there’s been a lot of conflicts based upon religion, and a lot of people have died because of [it]. I don’t think people who are super religious and they
Speaking of faith BY AMIELA CANIN
acanin@wsspaper.com
While years ago the two-week retreat from school was referred to as “Christmas Break,” most students now know the time off as “Winter Break.” With increasing diversity in belief, religion is becoming a sensitive subject of discussion in society. According to studies conducted by the Pew Research Center, atheism and agnosticism are on the rise in the United States. However, the majority of Iowans still consider themselves followers of organized religion. At West High alone, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and other faiths are represented. Strict rules stemming from separation of church and state cause many students to be unaware of other students’ beliefs and their 2 INSERT DECEMBER 2012
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think their religion is against [something] should be able to control other people,” said Colin Waldron ’16.
It’s likely that religion will be involved in our daily lives and society for a while. Students at West can choose to ignore it or be less influenced by it, but you most likely won’t be able to get away with from it. “I just feel like everybody needs to remember to think and make decisions for themselves and not just do things because ‘the bible says so’ or ‘that’s what my religion wants.’ [...] I don’t want any of my actions and beliefs influenced by anybody but me,” said Cook.
ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI {DESIGN BY FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK}
A look at West High’s comfort level with publicly expressing religious beliefs.
presence at West. Azzah Nasraddin ’13 believes many Muslims feel uncomfortable discussing their faith because of the stereotypes associated with Islam. “Sometimes people ask me if I’m going to have an arranged marriage, or they ask me if I am forced to wear this,” she said, pointing at her hijab, “or people ask me what happens if I take it off, and I’ll make up a crazy story about it.” Jason Guymon ’14, who practices Mormonism, also considers his religion less prominent among West students. He said that many people remain ignorant of “minority faiths” because they do not want to ask about them. According to Nasraddin, another reason for this reluctance to express faith is the growing atheist sentiment among young people.
“People look down on people who are religious because it’s not the cool thing to be. It’s like if you’re religious you can’t be intelligent about the world,” she said. Despite this, a WSS survey showed that the majority of West High students do feel comfortable talking about their religion. “I don’t necessarily bring it up, but I do tell people when it comes into the conversation and they ask about it,” Guymon said.
Which religion do you associate yourself with? [859 students surveyed]
Other Buddhism: 2% Hinduism: 1% Judaism: 2%
6%
Religion by the numbers COMPILED BY//AMELIA MOSER Do you feel
uncomfortable expressing your religious beliefs (or lack thereof)?
Yes
[857 students surveyed]
Sometimes
28%
11% No
None
Islam
31% 5% Christianity
53%
61%
Religion through their eyes
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Molly Lipman ’15
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Surrounded by Muslims from all over the word in a place she had previously had only seen in pictures, Sara Elhattab ’13 described her visit to Mecca as “the best experience of my life.” Mecca is the holy place in Saudi Arabia where the Kaaba, a cuboid-shaped place of worship, is located. Followers of the Muslim religion must pray facing in the direction of the Kaaba five times a day, as part of the five pillars of Islam. Elhattab said her favorite part of visiting Mecca was that everyone was there
O S BY
BY BRITTANI LANGLAND
Elthattab said. She said she was significantly impacted by the surreal experience of visiting the place that she has been praying towards her whole life. “It was the highlight of my year,” Elthattab said, adding that she hopes to visit more in her lifetime. with accordance In Muslim tradition, Elthattab chose to wear a hijab her sophomore year. “It is more than just a piece of cloth on your head,” Elhattab said. She says her hijab represents modesty and good manners, as well as encourages others to treat her with respect. Elthattab said her religion gives her peace of mind because she is able to look up any question in
P H OT
Islam
for the same reason: to worship god. However, she said the journey was long and frustrating, flying out of Iowa City, and running through Chicago and London, before finally ending in Geda. From there, it was a five hour car drive through Saudi Arabia to the Mecca. “It is the longest car ride of your life, all you want to do is go to the Kaaba,” said Elhattab. With little to no sleep, Elhattab finally saw the minarets and the hudem - figures surrounding the Mecca. She immediately became alert. “All your worries about the trip are gone when you see it; you just take a deep breath and sigh,”
ab ’13
Elhatt Sara
the Quran, the Muslim holy book. She added that she is passionate about her religion because it reminds her to be humble.
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learned some very importan t lessons. One, do n’t oversleep. ing experien The other though ce,” Thorne sa , w id. Thorne star this mantra found. Her gr as more proted going is supported oup had plan to th e by U the church’s U church as ned to climb an ex recognition tremely tall m a lit tle girl upon th of ounsa tain; there w m esex marriage, e insistence ere two opti and their of her mother, ons to ac get to the top. ce pt an w ce of all ho was raised People could people. Lutheran. Th either “I know a lo trek up the orne is co steep incline t of gay coup nvi nced her mot les alone, ge or take a bus. t m ar ried at the U her’s religious Thorne opted U church switch derive be the more ar for ca us e d w fr e have duous of th policy of ac om the UU’s e two. sive environm a really incluHowever, the ceptance, an ent. I think th day of the cl d th ei r lack of gove at’s why a lot of im Thorne over rning rules, pe slept and m b, ople go to U “I went thro U issed - we have a lo journeying w ug h t of socially ch ith her group the religious educatio al memle bers. Hurried ng ed kids who com n class. We ha ly, she comm e to our d a class where enced yo the hike. It to ut h gr ou w p because we ok the whole posed to defin e were supdon’t make them day, and upon e our beliefs an feel bad ab reaching the d fig ure out wha out w top, Thorne had ho th ey are,” Thor t we believe learned abou ne said. d on our own t herA self and what lth ou gh it walking up was differshe w ent from mos that mountain in “When I got to as capable of, t churches w Guatemala ha the top I was ho te ll da you what to po ally proud of rew er fu l effect on Thor believe. [My mys mother] took ne , sh e w the mountain elf for climbing ou ldn’t have go me to the U in tten this opU because you po a bus, and no stead of taking rt un can ity if she hadn w whenever ’t gone to course to follo set your own the UU chur I’m faced with so w,” Thorne sa ch, a place w mething diffi id . According to here cult I sh tell myself th e feels she ha Thorne, the at if I could s learned to UU church climb “l a mountain in ov e an be d respect ev lieves in th Guatemala be eryone.” e “inherent w fore breakfast, th orth of all en I can do hu m an beings.” anything. It was Thorne thin a really empo ks werINSERT DECEMBER 2012 5
Unitarian Universalism BY BLAKE O
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One morning in Guatemal while on a tr a, ip w ian Universal ith the Unitarist (UU) ch urch from Iowa C ity, Kate Thor ne ’14
holiday
Wholly in the
{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}
spirit
PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP
Amid recent Pew Research Center polling reports showing the largest number of religiously unaffiliated Americans ever, the West Side Story got students’ take on the role religion plays in the U.S. this holiday season. BY AMIELA CANIN AND AMELIA MOSER
acanin@wsspaper.com amoser@wsspaper.com
Winter has arrived. That blast of cold, unforgiving air that smacks you in the face when you walk out your front door, the white-knuckled driving through treacherous, icy streets, bright and cheery holiday (let’s face it, mostly Christmas) music playing non-stop on the radio – all the signs of another holiday season come again. This year, though, fewer Americans will celebrate as part of a specific religion than ever before. Pew Research Center reported, “One-fifth of the U.S. public - and a third of adults under 30 - are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center 6 INSERT DECEMBER 2012
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polling. … the unaffiliated … now include more than 13 million selfdescribed atheists and agnostics … as well as nearly 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation. This large and growing group of Americans is less religious than the public at large on many conventional measures, including frequency of attendance at religious services and the degree of importance they attach to religion in their lives.” Hilah Kohen ’14, a self-described secular Jew, doesn’t think you have to believe in God to maintain religious traditions and morals. “When my family … [practices]
Judaism, it’s as a heritage, not as a religion. Traditions are part of the
I think we’re seeing society moving away from religion and loss of principles.
“It’s less people becoming more secular, [and more] a secular aspect growing alongside religion,” Kohen said. That being said, she contends that religion isn’t going anywhere soon.
-Karl Wenzel ’14
h e r i t a g e ,” she said. Kohen recognizes secularism outside her family. PHOTOS BY// HANNAH MUELLERLEILE
{DESIGN BY HANNAH MUELLERLEILE} PHOTOS BY// HANNAH MUELLERLEILE
ment of the population who does not identify with a religion or does not believe very One-fifth of Stati stic sf strictly in a religious ro Americans doctrine, or is comare religiously pletely atheistic, unaffiliated 13 million but I don’t get Americans the sense that are self-described that has made us atheists and “I think its bad [for a secular society. agnostics Christmas to only be associThat just means we ated with religion]. The associadon’t publicly thank tion with Christian holidays with God for everything that’s good in the world, even if we American holidays make it seem ardently believe that in private,” Ko- like we are a Christian nation hen said. “I think there is a societal which we are not,” he said. With this move toward secularizaperception that sort of flaunting your religion will offend those who tion and lack of religious affiliation, winter holidays are also seemingly don’t agree with it.” Winter holidays are being affected becoming more and more commercialized. The by this lack of appearance religious deof Santa and votion. his reindeer “The secuI’m not as fond of the and the exlarization of a of holiday is not commercialization of change increasingly bad as long extravaas it retains holidays, gant gifts on its cultural because I feel like ... Christmas significance morning and moral with Hanukkah, the leave some significance,” presents are meant questionKohen said. ing whether Karl Ratner to satisfy our jealthe holiday ’15 agrees has become holidays ousy [of Christmas.] about more don’t have to than the celbe purely reebration of ligious. “I think [Christmas is] thought of Christ’s birth. “I’m sure most Christians still find more as an American holiday then a Christmas is primarily important religious one,” he said. Further, Ratner doesn’t find fault because of the events it celebrates, but then there’s this added comin holidays becompletely non-religious aspect of Santa ing less devout. and presents that doesn’t necessarily detract from the religious part, but shows secularization nonetheless,” Kohen said. Ratner went further, and said Christmas is m
rch Center esea wR Pe
“Even if America is becoming more secular, it’s been slow enough and small enough I don’t know if it qualifies as a movement … in truth, yes, we are becoming a nation in which there is a small[er] portion of religious people, but … I’m even hesitant to say we’re secularizing. I think it’s relevant for us to see where we are, not just where we’re going, because where we are is so definite that where we’re going is unlikely to have much of an effect, at least in the short term,” Kohen said. “There have been historical fluctuations … you could say we were more secular before the 50s than after, when we adopted things like ‘In God We Trust’ as our national motto, and ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance.” Karl Wenzel ’14, leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at West High, agrees that religion’s influence in society is shifting. “I think we’re seeing society moving away from religion and loss of principles - people [are] becoming involved in other things in communities,” Wenzel said. “I would say we’re seeing declines [in people going to church], in part because of misconceptions.” While fewer people appear to be publicly expressing or practicing their religious beliefs, Kohen says that doesn’t mean those beliefs are nonexistent. “I don’t think people’s devoutness has decreased, I just think we’ve become more aware of those of us who are not devout. There’s an increasing seg-
“
-Hilah Kohen ’14
“very much” becoming too much about expensive gift-giving, aside from the question of religion. “[Christmas] went from a family oriented holiday to [one] in which a ‘bad Christmas’ is one where you don’t get what you want,” he said. Kohen said Hanukkah was undergoing a similarly presents-based transformation. “The trend going on now, in parallel with what’s happening with Christmas, is the commercialization of [Hanukkah] … there’s always been a gift, but it’s something like a dreidel, not an iPad. Even for me, that’s shifted … [my family] use[s] Hanukkah as an opportunity to get something we’ve wanted ... I think the general trend is [Hanukkah is becoming more commercial] but a lot less than Christmas.” If it were up to her, Kohen would avoid the commercial aspects of the holidays. “I’m not as fond of the commercialization of holidays, because I feel like, especially with Hanukkah, the presents are meant to satisfy our jealousy, almost, of our Christian friends or kids we’re seeing getting a large number of presents around the same time of year. And that doesn’t seem to me like something that should be the bedrock of a tradition,” Kohen said. Alex Grady ’14 agrees. “I think Christmas is becoming about the gifts that you receive. It should be about spirit, not gifts. You should think less about what you’re getting and more about what you’re giving through your faith,” she said. Wenzel doesn’t necessarily think these changes are detracting from Christmas. “I don’t think it’s all bad if there’s commercialism, it’s a great opportunity for Christians to come together and celebrate Christ’s birth … as well as reconnect with their faith,” Wenzel said. INSERT DECEMBER 2012 7
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Why I believe...
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COMPILED BY FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK farmstrongpavlik@wsspaper.com
My faith is my foundation ... it influences every decision I make.” -Cameron Braverman ’15
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“Religion is my moral compass, but I try to keep it out of things not related to ethics ... I consult my religion when I have to decide what the right thing to -Jeremiah Anthony ’14 do is.”
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I believe in God, but I don’t think you have to go to church to believe in God ... it’s your spirituality and your relationship with whatever higher power you believe in, if you believe in one.” -Anna Mondanaro ’14
PHOTOS BY//FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK