Religion: the one thing almost no one wants to talk about.

It’s a sensitive subject for most and is usually avoided in conversations. Because of the diverse opinions people have with this topic, religion is being pushed away from the public–so far that it’s almost completely hidden from view.

Most people don’t want to voice their opinions about faith for fear of causing conflict. Some people, however, think it’s an important subject to talk about. For instance, one of the Pentucket English teachers, who thinks that religion is one of the most important things in her life.

In her opinion, we need religion to know the difference between right and wrong. “Without religion to give us guidance, everyone would only be out for themselves, and go around doing whatever they wanted.”

She also believes that religion should be included in the school system more. She thinks the students need to learn things like the Ten Commandments and prayer in school to help teach morals, lessons, and so on.

However, not all teachers feel the same way. Mr.Bixby, one of the art teachers thinks religion isn’t totally necessary to learn morals. He thinks that “In today’s society, we can get those anyway.”

While he does think that it’s important as a teacher to know about other religions so that he doesn’t accidentally call someone out in class, he believes that it’s better to keep religion and school separate.

Some teachers seem to be pretty neutral on the subject, like Mrs. Lynch, another English teacher. When it comes to religion in school, she isn’t opposed to it, but she thinks that in order for it to happen, it would have to come from the students; “It has to be something they really want in order for it to happen.”

In some classes however, it would be best if we did discuss religion more. For instance, Genocide and Humanitarianism. Mr.Honer, who teaches Genocide, said that he thinks it’s good when students talk about their views on religion in class. “I think in Genocide it is one of those fascinating pieces to talk about as these people have faced the worst that life has to throw at them.”

When talking about putting more religion into the school system, he said that it would be very interesting conversations to have–as long as it was in a safe environment to prevent it from being offensive.

Mr. Seymour said that he thinks religion is important for giving people a “foundation to daily life.” In regards to putting religion in the school system, he thinks it’s fine if students discuss it, but he doesn’t want people to feel like just because you go to school here you need to believe in whatever certain religion people are talking about.

Students seem to have slightly mixed views on the subject. David Green, a junior, believes that while you might not need religion for spiritual purposes, it does offer a good moral code to live by. He also thinks that it has the ability to bring people both together, and apart.

When asked about putting it into the school system, he thinks that it would be good to study and learn about different kinds of religion, but not in the sense of students being told by teachers which one is the “right” one to believe in.

A couple kids said they believe in religion strongly and think that is a very important thing to have in life and in school, such as junior Justin Peavey. When interviewed, he said that he felt it’s important to have a spiritual link to something because it “gives you something to believe in,” and that religion should “…definitely be acknowledged in the school system equally. Not exactly advertised, but still recognized.”

Some students however, do not believe that religion is a necessary thing to have in life. According to junior Bethany Weinberg, the information religion gives is inaccurate, and that people shouldn’t need religion.

“People say they need something to believe in, but I don’t understand why they just can’t believe in themselves.”

Junior Jen Hauss shares Bethany’s opinion, and said that while her parents were religious, she was more of a science based person.

She also said that since religion is important to some people, maybe some religion classes could be offered; as long as they were optional.

Although these and some other students don’t believe in it, like senior Lucien Gray and junior Gabrielle Bilodeau, they have nothing against others being religious.

The only problems they really have with it are when people of religion are very judgmental, or unaccepting towards others.

In Lucien’s opinion, religion should be kept out of the public school systems, and instead have it remain in private and religious based schools.

Even though the views on religion are diverse, there isn’t much conflict seen on the topic by these teachers and students