CHECK YOUR CHRISTIAN PRIVILEGE WE MUST EQUALLY RESPECT the rights of all religious groups a staff editorial

The choice to wear the clothing of your it is also a touchy subject for believers. the same rights you enjoy. religion, ignore the language and customs However, until all Americans can worship of other religions, and not worry about as freely and easily as one another, it is our This isn’t to say that Christians are bad people persecution by hate groups for your beliefs duty to address the diffcult issues. It’s time for having and using these advantages. In the is a privilege. The fact that you can act in a to empower one another, remembering the same way that not all Christians are the same way that doesn’t defne every single person advancement of some does not mean the nor defned by the actions of a single person who identifes with the same belief system downfall of others. wearing a cross on their neck, not all Muslims as you is a privilege. The ability to seek out are terrorists because of the hijab covering clubs, events, schools, and communities The spectrum of privilege extends from their head. people assuming you’re a national security dedicated to what is considered the When our congress is 91% Christian, how most safe, normal, and right religion is can the 30% of non-Christian American a privilege many of us cannot begin to THE FIRST STEP IS citizens have hope that someone is fghting understand. for them? In a Christian nation, in a Christian ACKNOWLEDGING Christian dominance is so pervasive world, the treatment adherents of and unquestioned that it’s become Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, THAT AN ISSUE EXISTS. unrecognizable as we pledge allegiance to a Bahá’í, Hinduism, and Taoism receive nation under God, buy groceries with bills is that of second-class citizens. touting “In God We Trust”, and accept that threat in an airport to being unable to study In a country that prides itself on equality there will never be a religious study session for the holy texts of your religion in school. non-Christians in our schools. and religious tolerance, why is there only a This deep-rooted problem encompasses Bible study session for Christians available every church, mosque, and temple in our When you are told every day of your life to students in our school? Why do we not country, but the solution starts in our own that your beliefs are inferior to those of the cherish Koran and Tripitaka discussions, community. classmate, teacher, American beside you, it Muslim and Jainism support groups, or takes a toll. even atheist socratic seminars in the same The frst step is acknowledging that an way we open our welcoming arms to issue exists. We must stop claiming there’s When we, as a country, as a community, and Christians? a “war” on your religion and attacking as a school, refuse to start the discussion on other people’s beliefs because they demand religion and privilege, how can we realize the Religion is important, and because of that, ideals we believe we’ve already achieved? 23