Standing Out In The Crowd: A Little Bit On Religion

I must say that one of the things I like best about Adams's book is his lists of different experiences. I recently read his "A Beginning List of Christian Privileges," which really got my wheels turning. The more I read about privileges of different groups in this class, the more it just hits me what a significant impact social categorizations have on our daily lives. Earlier on this book, I remember reading a similar list titled "50 Experiences of Racially Mixed People." These lists do a thorough job of putting a face on abstract concepts like race, religion, class, etc.

After reading Adams's list of Christian privileges, I realized how true it is that Christians do have certain advantages. I don't usually sit around thinking "Hmm...I wonder what privileges Christians have?" but after perusing through the different statements it began to hit me how our society is essentially constructed around the religion. From Protestant prayer napkins at Chuy's to the abudance of churches around the country, there are multiple examples of Christianity as a hegemon.

Some of the statements that really stuck out to me included "I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify the existence and importance of the Christian religion," "I am never asked to speak for all the people of my religious group," and " I can remain oblivious to the language and customs of other religious groups without feeling any penalty for such a lack of interest/knowledge." It really just dawned on my how, as a Hindu-American, I've subconsciously molded my life to fit in accordance with the dominant religion. For one, I was never given curricular material in school that taught me about my religion. Aside from one amazing philosophy class at my humanities magnet middle school, no class every taught me anything significant about my religion. Thankfully, I didn't lose touch with my culture or religion due to my parents' insistence on teaching me about my roots. However, had I grown up in a household where the parents didn't enforce this, I would have ended up knowing nothing about my religion. How sad, huh?

Looking at the other two statements I've highlighted, I've definitely felt like I'm expected to "represent" Hindus. I've also noticed that it's almost socially acceptable for members of dominant religions to not know anything about my religion while I'm expected to know all about theirs. First of all, why should I be the spokesperson for Hinduism? Yes, I'm happy to answer questions about Hindu history, beliefs, and practices but we must keep in mind that we are all individuals. While I'm more laid-back in my practice, there are Hindus that are extremely devout. Second, I have no problem with learning about other religions; in fact, I truly enjoy classes and readings pertaining to world religions. However, I feel that it is equally important for members of dominant faiths to learn about minority religions. I remember once in high school a friend and I were talking about a young man both of us found attractive. We somehow ended up talking about what religion he was and I mentioned that he was Muslim. The girl, who was a Catholic, proceeded to say, "Well, maybe it might be better for you to go out with him, since your religions are closer anyway."

This statement left me dumbfounded; I'm no Catholic scholar but I can tell you that Catholicism and Islam are actually closer together in their beliefs because they fall under the monotheistic family (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Also, Hinduism and Islam are extremely different religions with no common basis. Yes, people who practice these two religions may often be of the same ethnicity, but the religions themselves are completely and utterly different. The irony of this is that the girl was among the top few people in our class of 700. This situation is truly demonstrative of society's lack of emphasis on learning about minority groups.

From a historical standpoint, oppression 0f minority religions has existed for centuries. Whether it is the Native Americans, Jews in Nazi Germany or Muslims in post 9/11 America, minority groups have faced countless struggles when it comes to social equality. These struggles range from not having a holiday acknowledged to harassment and even violence. As I looked through Adams's maps of the history of anti-semitism, my stomach churned. It always boggles my mind to think that six million unarmed and innocent Jewish civillians were murdered. It is unbelievable how something as simple as religious differences led Nazis to murder, beat, starve, and gas Jews. On a similar note, I remember my mom telling me about Hindu-Sikh riots in India in the 1980s after Indra Gandhi's assasination. There were rumors that her Sikh bodyguards were behind her murder, and as result, many Sikhs were attacked and burned alive in the streets of Delhi. The sad truth is that people often resort to oppressive measures when they feel threatened by those different from themselves.

In the field of social work, a sense of worldliness and awareness of different backgrounds are vital tools. We come in contact with so many different populations that are multiethnic, multireligious, and of different genders and sexual orientations. It is important to be aware of the needs, desires, and struggles of these groups of people as we help them find effective solutions. In the context of religion, it is crucial that we are sensitive to various religious practices, beliefs, and traditions. It is my goal to gain a thorough understanding of world religions before I practice social work. I also hope to raise awareness about the diversity of religions and encourage society to place an emphasis on the importance of learning about them.