In America, religion shapes the morals and values that people have. God is mentioned nearly 200 times in the United States constitution. The government relies heavily on religion for social control.

Many people are becoming spiritual in spite of religion because some of the religious ideas are now considered outdated. Spirituality is stated to be the being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. According to Pew Research Center, about a quarter of Americans say they’re spiritual and not religious.

I believe that religion has zero influence on our behaviors. Regardless of whether you believe in God or not, nobody is perfect. Everyone has made mistakes, and it isn’t a big deal.

Individuals who belong to organized religions respond to the world in different ways. The nature of good and evil, the use of drugs, homosexuality, and even women’s roles are all addressed differently.

According to CNN, “In the 1950s and 1960s, religious voices also helped debates in the 1970s over the role of the church on women’s rights.”

Being a part of a church allows for a community to be established. However, I do not believe that the use of religion and God within our constitution has been effective. People’s rights are still being violated, regardless of what the constitution states. Sinful acts are still being committed by people all over the world. Who are we to judge?

Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe. What we see in society, sometimes, is the conflict arising between groups of people who follow different religions and believe in different gods. The strong points of views and beliefs are varied because people come from many countries, backgrounds and cultures, especially at Augustana.

We have people who identify as Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and other religions. Some students may feel unfamiliar with the different ways of worship of their Augie friends’ religions, but they pay respect to them. This is also a good chance for students to learn more about various cultures as well as hear directly from their friends’ experiences.

The common belief should be to treat others the way you’d want to be treated. As cliché as it sounds, I live by that. Do what works best for you. If that includes going to church, or practicing meditation, it’s your choice at the end of the day. I don’t believe you will, “go to hell,” for being yourself.

I believe that, in a lot of ways, religious individuals thought that COVID-19 was the end of the world, and as the bible alludes in Revelations, one of the first signs of the end is death happening worldwide. COVID-19 has impacted everyone’s lives differently, and I feel that some may have even developed the need to have God in their lives to give them hope for the future.

It’s the way we react to others’ opinions that is concerning. Whether a person is religious or spiritual, you are allowed to have an opinion. Overall, regardless of whether you’re religious or spiritual, we all can change. We all have the power to be better.