Religion is a diverse, organized set of beliefs that correlate with the definition of humanity and sometimes the existence of a higher power. Years ago, wars and rivalries were fought over the “dominant” religion, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and so on. In the 21st century, such practices are much more tolerated, as many people can believe in what they want to; yet the traces of the past linger and seep into modern society.
Since religion has played such a large part in the development of the modern world, it can have a large influence on education. This can take effect in the form of religious charter schools, religious education, or religious bias in education. Though they have similar names, each of these can differ heavily.
Religious charter schools are public schools that are government-funded, yet have more autonomy than public schools. Often, they have faith-based education. Religious education is the study of diverse religions, beliefs, and practices, often to understand more worldviews. Religious bias in education is the promotion or discrimination of specific faiths. This can include curriculum bias, discrimination, bullying, or failure to accommodate certain religions in educational settings.
The Political Aspect
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States establishes the separation of church and state, writing “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This means that the United States cannot create an official religion or illegalize a religion.
House Bill 71
Religion and education can still be frequently intertwined. In June of 2024, House Bill 71 was passed in Louisiana. This bill requires all elementary, middle, and high school classrooms to have a poster of the Ten Commandments, along with several American historical documents. In November of 2024, House Bill 71 was declared unconstitutional.
However, on February 20, 2026, the Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift the injunction. The appeals court held that they “cannot yet know… how the text will be used.” Supporters of the bill claim that the Ten Commandments are important historical documents, with religious texts heavily affecting past and current governments. They also claim that the Ten Commandments can contextualize past events. Some critics of House Bill 71 claim that it is intended “to further blur the line between education and religion.”
Religious Makeup of Congress
In the United States, 63% of adults identify as Christian. However, over 88% of Congress identifies as Christian. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center observed that, “Just three of the 261 Republicans who were sworn in on Jan. 3 (1%) do not identify as Christian.”
In 2022, religious beliefs were used to justify the overturning of Roe v Wade. Some Christian Supreme Court Justices used religious doctrines to justify the change to the abortion laws. This pattern has been repeated at different levels. The Mississippi legislature said, “Life begins at conception. Psalms 119 says ‘Your hands made me, and formed me.”
Religion can shape a person’s perspective and moral views. However, it is important for politicians not to intertwine their religious and political views. When Congress has heavy religious biases, it fails to achieve its intended purpose: to represent Americans. Furthermore, when Congress members use their religion to justify their political actions towards legislation, they enforce some aspects of their religion on others.
When politicians use religion to justify their decisions, it can not only force religious values and laws onto Americans, but also violate the First Amendment: the separation of church and state.
The Social Aspect
Similarly, socially, religion plays a huge role within society. It teaches moral values and allows a similar set of beliefs amongst a demographic. However, along with the promotion of faith in political rule, everyday interactions can also be motivated by belief.
Religious Discrimination in Schools
For example, some students in school get bullied for historical instances relating to their religion. Jewish kids are often picked on for the Holocaust, and are targeted with Nazi jokes, whilst Muslims are mistreated due to the events of 9/11 and so on.
Even culturally, religions are picked on. For instance, Hindu women wearing a bindi on their forehead and being mocked as “recording” due to the similar red circle shape, or Christians being seen as overly modest and conservative in their clothing choices. In a survey done by Sameer Hinduja, an author and professor known for his renowned work on (cyber)bullying in youth, displayed data showcasing that over 50% teens ages 12-17 identifying as Muslims, Christians, Hindus, etc. were bullied for their beliefs or culture in the past 30 days.
Even at LVA, Bella Matrai, a sophomore Theater major, stated, “They definitely have tried to start a JSU here, which I thought was a very good thing, because it would drag more Jewish people here at our school together, until I walked into the first meeting and heard very anti-semitic comments,” said Matrai, instating the prolonged reputation the past inflicts on the present.
Religious Activities
On the other hand, religion can help bring people together and diversify. Some religions are also adapted to be celebrated worldwide, without the religious aspect. For instance, Easter, a holiday originally signaling the resurrection of Jesus Christ, has become a holiday centered on a big, magical bunny leaving colorful eggs for kids.
Mila Kim, a sophomore Theater major who identifies as an atheist, stated, “I think it’s nice to have the representation of other religions, and I don’t really mind it. I actually enjoy it, because it’s something that I get to participate in,” said Kim.
Federal Holidays
In schools, common breaks across the country include Winter Break, Thanksgiving break, etc. However, these “holidays” primarily center around Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. In upcoming years, districts have tried to bring more diversity into the curriculum and observe holidays pertaining to other religious holidays. For instance, in California, on October 6, 2025, California made it an “official” day off to celebrate Diwali. This is heavily significant to those following Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, opening up a door for children to feel less excluded in their beliefs.
Still, such things have a long way to go. “There are very important days, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, which are very holy days for Judaism, but everyone else still has to go to school, and we technically need to go to pray,” said Matrai.
“But Christianity, there are holidays like Christmas, Easter, and everyone gets the whole day off, and I don’t see that being fair, because there are still other sorts of communities out there,” said Matrai.
All in all, for hundreds of years, religion as a topic has changed and evolved in terms of what it means in society. Still today, problematic tendencies of favoring one religion over the other are an issue. Moving forward, people can use positive instances such as those in California to hope for a more equal society in the future.
