Religion- is it an asset to school life?

America has always prided itself in being the “Land of the free, and the home of the brave.”- A famous line once said by Francis Scott Key- in our own national anthem. Yet, are we really free with the new force on religion? I remember growing up at one of my elementary schools, where my friend did not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance for her religion beliefs- and was neither ridiculed nor overruled. Now that I have gotten older either I realize it more, there is so much more pressure in my daily life on my religious preference- even though most classrooms it is a taboo topic not meant to get into, the topic still is crossed, and those not Christian considered damned, not believing in “the God” so therefore not acceptable. In all honesty, about half of Americans today consider themselves not Christian- mostly atheist to be exact. Now, there is so much pressure to be able to have religion in school, but in all scrupulousness, is such pressure absolutely necessary? Religious groups should be banned from schools for its provocation of other religions, controversial beliefs in a God, and separation and segregation from peers.

There are several reasons to expunge the religious groups in schools; one very good point is its offense towards other religions. Three very religions I can think that would be offended in a club like that in the scholastic atmosphere would be atheists, Wiccan or and religions dealing with the influence of Paganism, or Muslims. That is not
their morals, and would be highly in total deviation of their new school environs if this really was to be allowed. It may have good intentions and roots, but is not what they want amidst in their world. Also, there are many other clubs, sports and extracurricular activities within the educational life, why add this to the mix, if one already goes to a church or place of worship?
Clubs that deal with the stimulus of religion, in the end, are not of beneficial value, for the ever-changing and evolving beliefs in a “God.” For numerous amounts of people, gods vary from person to person, religion to religion. Whilst Wiccan generally believe in nature or their mother earth, and such diverse aspects to the form of Wicca; Muslims believe in the Five Pillars, including a pilgrimage to Mecca, their homeland, and praying five times a day, facing east. Who is to say who’s right? Is a wiccans or Muslims going to be damned to be horrible, corrupt people, or does it really matter as long as they are a humane, moralistic person? All the religions differ in one aspect or another, why should there be one club for one Christian club alone. Rooting a religion debauched can cause ire and contention within student body, even a shooting or a fight within a school sanctuary. Again, half of Americans belief is not Christianity, and that’s saying the other half is totally a dissimilar schizoid of beliefs- as mentioned- Pagan, Muslim, and then atheist. Why certain groups honored and other are not, what’s the equality in that- a principle in the United States of America?
The culmination of my statement would be the social issues of the students. In all bluntness, social life at school is an emotional torment. We have enough issues with drama, homework, colleges and teachers to even touch upon the issue of such affairs of clubs in dealing with religion. School needs, even though it often does not, should function in a unity. In a way it is, a very fraudulent, dysfunctional group of people marked together in one environment for at least six hours and a half, at the bare minimum, why disrupt the fragile peace within bounds? There could be apartheid and quarantine in the school grounds that can easily be avoided, like shootings or fights, for those who join or do not join. For example, a Pagan and Christian acquaintances no longer even associate for the grounds of a club? One can be weird or popular for joining, and the roles can be switched if he or she doesn’t join. Why there is such issues within the walls now, if it could have easily be averted?
For those reasons, there really is not a reason to add religion in the rumble and tumble of an academic surrounding? School is difficult enough to deal with without the big club on campus in the mix. So, should we do the club for the sake of staying ‘holy’, or can we be the land of free we once wanted to be?