Positive Pluralism

Although we live in a pluralistic society, hate-crimes and racism still prevail. In his writing, A New Religious America, the chapter on Bridge Building, by Eck, he claims that relational bridges must be built between religions in order to maintain a “positive pluralism” in America. America should be a place of religious freedom, creating an atmosphere in which adherents of all religions feel comfortable being American, and religious at the same time. Immigrants often come to this country, only to be outcast or victimized because of their religious practices, or to be included due to their removal from these religious practices. Eck points out that second generation immigrants, especially, tend to shed their traditional religious and cultural heritage, and replace it with an American identity, so they fit in. This change in identity is not caused by laws restricting certain religious practices, yet by an intolerant, community with a lack of understanding. Swami Chidan Saraswati, the spiritual leader of a Hindu Temple that was vandalized in the 90's, points out that “there are bad people everywhere, in every religion. It is really just fear based upon lack of understanding.” This lack of understanding among perpetrators of hate crimes is one of the issues instigating violence. In addition, violence stems from suffering. When children are abused at home, bullied at school, or are forced to join gangs for protection, they often become violent themselves. The common thread between these two causes of violent hate-crimes is that changes can be made, resulting in positive pluralism.

In order to produce understanding and tolerance among people in America, we must start in the schools. In fact, “the Dallas interfaith group demonstrates, in no place are the challenges of a new religious America felt more immediately than in the schools.” Because of the religious diversity among students in Dallas, Texas, the Religious Communities Task Force set forth a reference guide for teachers, explaining religious traditions, dietary and medical restrictions, clothing requirements, and cultural differences for every religion represented in the school district. As a future teacher, I see that this would help tremendously, by giving teachers a guide by which to gauge whether a particular students behavior is appropriate or not. Also, it provides an opportunity in the classroom to discuss students religious ideals and practices with other students who are unaware. By demonstrating a climate of tolerance and calm communication in the classroom, children are given a framework from which they can reference when faced with a similar situation in life outside of school. In Teaching Religion in America’s Public schools: A Necessary Disruption, Passe and Willox point out that “although it may be disruptive, it is necessary, even crucial, to follow the route of teaching about religion if we wish to maintain the principle of religious tolerance that undergirds the democratic republic that has evolved for more than two hundred years.”

Another important place to begin striving towards positive pluralism is on the streets, with children. After school-programs, family planning clinics, summer-school programs, and drug-rehabilitation groups should be secular, yet stress religious tolerance. They should inform children and adolescents of the dangers associated with discrimination, as well as exemplify how to interact with people of differing religious backgrounds, how to control anger, and how to debate among each other in a constructive way. By the time children reach 18 years old, morals, ideals, beliefs, practices, and attitudes are often already in place. If we focus the work of building bridges of positive pluralism among children and adolescents in America, we will produce a generation of citizens and immigrants alike, who exhibit extreme levels of tolerance and understanding in a pluralistic society, my definition of positive pluralism.


Works Cited

Eck, Diane L. A New Religious America. San Francisco: Harper, 1997.

Passe, Jeff, and Lara Willox "Teaching Religion in America's Public Schools: A Necessary Disruption." Social Studies 100.3 (2009): 102-106. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 23 Nov. 2009.