Religion has become an increasingly complex and touchy subject to talk about. In 2016 there have been bombings, hate speeches and even riots in the name of religious beliefs. It is not just one group either. Between organizations such as ISIS and Westboro Baptist Church, it seems as though there is no end to the hate and anger that we continue to see.
People all over the country, state and city are being bullied and harassed for their individual beliefs.
This is never an acceptable thing, no matter what age, religion or lack thereo. No one should be made fun of or hurt based on what they do or do not believe. Many religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam, preach to love your neighbor and to be kind to one another.
Yet here we are, and the news is almost always reporting on the latest act of hate. People need to stop being afraid of things that they do not know or understand. From an outside perspective it looks as though the people preaching hate are just afraid to learn about what others believe or what might happen when they do.
There is a difference between learning about a religion to understand it’s people and learning about it to practice it. By closing ourselves off to the very idea of hearing about someone else’s beliefs we are closing ourselves off to the people who practice it.
The United States is built on the idea of acceptance and targeting one an entire religious population for the actions or one section of it is not an acceptable thing to do. So no matter what or who you believe in just be nice to people. Even if it is something small just be open to what others have to say.