Submitted by Kari Lombard

Pluralism is defined as “the existence of different groups within one society.” However, existence is not enough with each group merely tolerating the others. In order for true pluralism to be achieved, people must seek to understand, to live and exist among, between, inside each other, interacting and contrasting. Religious pluralism is no different. In a society with religious pluralism, different religious groups are actively discussing and learning from each other in order to progress toward better understanding.

A great gift has been given to me and to 1,700 of my peers at Garfield High School. We have been given the gift of an extremely diverse population. Garfield students represent nearly every race, religion, and background imaginable. Walking down the hallways, a devout Christian, her cross hanging from her neck, smiles at a Muslim wearing her headscarf, while a conservative Jew and an atheist-agnostic review Chemistry outside their first period door. I am Jewish and have a number of Jewish friends, but some of my close friends also hold Catholic prayer circles at lunch while others go home on Friday nights and practice their own versions of Paganism. Garfield creates a pool of diversity where each of these practices can be accepted. We have a strong foundation on which to build religious pluralism. The next step leading to true understanding is to grow our informal engagement into more intentional dialogue.

The seeds of Garfield’s religious pluralism are based in the tolerance students in general have for one another. This often appears in its strongest form when two, or even three, groups collide in disagreement. These situations leave progress up to the students. It is their responsibility to state their beliefs and at the same time listen to the other group’s standpoint.

Each year, Garfield’s Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Alliance (GLBT) holds a ‘Day of Silence,’ a day when any student who believes in equal rights for homosexuals can empathize with the silence gay students must endure by not speaking for an entire day. My sophomore year, I was involved in Garfield’s Concert Choir, a group that consisted of about ten white students and five Christian African-American students. On the ‘Day of Silence,’ most of the white students (ranging from Catholic to Jewish to atheist-agnostic) came in not speaking. The African-American students were insulted, and said so.

“My Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, and I can’t accept it as good if the Bible rejects it. I just don’t believe in what you all are doing.”

Obviously, the other students said nothing, being under an oath of silence, but their looks were enough to show their scorn. How could this disagreement end? I winced at the idea of the spat I was sure would ensue. But then, the same Christian girl spoke again.

“But that’s my belief. I’m not going to get in your way.”

I was pleasantly shocked. There had been no battle of words, no raised voices. This was a debate that has continued for decades. It could not have been resolved in that classroom—neither body was prepared to bend. The side that could speak realized this, and put an end to the fight before it began. The girl made her beliefs known. Without berating the silent students, she made sure that these students knew her side of the story. This is the attitude that keeps Garfield’s diverse population living at peace, with each group aware of the others but not hateful towards them.

Now, if only the nations of our world were as mature as this high school student. Imagine if the Europeans could have co-existed with the Native Americans, if they could have shared their beliefs without feeling the need to condescend. Imagine if the Catholics and Protestants in Ireland could tolerate one another. Imagine the Hindus and Muslims in India learning to live side-by-side.

Although Garfield students may be ahead of these groups in terms of tolerance, we are still missing the discussion. Just like on the ‘Day of Silence,’ our intentions are good but our methods could be improved. Taking an oath of silence may bring attention to a problem, but it does not further understanding or truly educate anyone. Since participating in the silent oath my sophomore year, I have decided instead to speak through the day. I realized that silence looks very similar to the way we deal with all our differences at Garfield. The positions are stated—we wear our crosses, we wear our head scarves, we miss school on Yom Kippur—but they are never explored. Do the cross-wearers understand what Yom Kippur is? Do the students who wear their kippot (Jewish head coverings) to school understand the meaning of the scarf? And on the ‘Day of Silence,’ do we teach true empathy or educate about stereotypes? No. We achieve passive tolerance, not understanding.

If I were to restructure the ‘Day of Silence’ at Garfield, or any of our protests or forums, I would look to those who have succeeded in their discussions about diversity and religion. My aunt, who lives in Missouri, works with high school students through the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). Her job is to bring together students from different religious backgrounds to engage in dialogue about how they practice their religion and what it means to them. She focuses on educating students in schools that have little or no Jewish presence, establishing forums so small groups of Jewish students who represent a broad range of beliefs and practices can discuss their views on being a Jewish teenager. Stereotypes are destroyed through personal stories, helping students realize that Judaism is different for each Jew, just as Christianity is different for each Christian and Islam is different for each Muslim. Creating a forum where it’s safe to ask questions is a powerful way to learn about a different culture or religion. By giving students a chance to ask questions and share experiences, JCRC bridges the gaps in knowledge and understanding between students and between religions. Through the power of discussion, mere tolerance is turned into true religious pluralism.

These same discussions happen on a larger, even national level. Mel Gibson’s film, Passion of the Christ, frightened many Jews and brought hope to many Christians. Jews believed it would undoubtedly set off a new wave of anti-Semitism, while Christians were hopeful that the film would increase church affiliation. However, both groups were surprised to find that neither of these changes happened, and even more surprised at what did happen. Sparked by the film’s controversial messages was a wave of conversation—not of hate and not of devotion. Jews and Christians of every background were motivated to discuss. They were curious about how the other side felt, and wondered how many others were scared like they were, hopeful like they were, confused like they were. Though religious tolerance is obviously nowhere near perfect in our world, many individuals educated themselves and others during the Passion discussions, and the world moved a little closer to religious pluralism.

If Garfield’s student body could take the time and energy necessary to engage in these conversations, with open minds and respect for themselves and each other, we could turn our diversity into religious pluralism, in the truest sense of the phrase. But if even adults have a difficult time bringing themselves to have these discussions, how can high school students be asked to make these leaps?

Surprisingly enough, we are asked to do so almost every day, and often, Garfield students step up to the plate. Though none of our efforts are perfect, many are far more successful than the ‘Day of Silence,’ and Garfield’s community is enriched by the students who succeed. A group of students, including myself, organizes two assemblies each year to educate our peers about the history of genocides. By bringing speakers to our school we encourage discussion and debate. Students find themselves engaged in fascinating discussions in history, language arts, and health classes, when they are put face to face with someone much different than themselves, motivated to learn from and respect their fellow student. Most students are eager and willing to interact, if given the chance. Some students even find themselves participating in thought-provoking religious discussions with their friends, whom they may never have considered different in the least. My Catholic friends often ask me how I feel about God, my culture, and my traditions and we are able to learn from each other because we are fortunate to have been given an environment that encourages interaction. Garfield’s diversity and energy give my fellow students and me the platform we need to advance toward religious pluralism. Someday, when every student can recognize how significantly interaction enriches the lives of everyone at Garfield, when we can engage in constructive conversation on a day-to-day basis, and when we can reach beyond tolerance to true understanding—then we will have achieved religious pluralism. And someday, when we can interact in the same way on an international level—the world will be a tremendously different place.