While there has been much recent attention in promoting racial tolerance and diversity on Grounds, seemingly very little light has been shed regarding the different religious backgrounds of University students.
Various religious groups in the University have become increasingly active in promoting their ideas, correcting misconceptions and raising awareness of the differences in faith.
Religious Diversity and Tolerance
University Law Prof. Robert O'Neal, who also serves as director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, explained that public universities have to be careful when dealing with matters of religion.
"There is a wide range of religious views to be found in the student body, but on the other hand, a public university has no business promoting or inhibiting religious diversity," O'Neal said.
Because the University does not factor religious preference in its admission process, there is no way of determining the distribution of different faiths within the student body.
O'Neal said he has never seen a lack of tolerance towards any particular religious groups on Grounds.
University History Prof. Maya Jasanoff said the University should strive to encourage tolerance in all forms. Regarding the recent acts of racism, she said while they should have no part in society, placing too much focus on these events may detract attention from prejudices coming in other directions.
Jasanoff said although she is of Hindu and Jewish ancestry, she holds firm secular beliefs.
"I feel we need to have a society where we recognize that we have to be in it together, but we should all be able to say what we want to say, within limits, recognizing there are people with different backgrounds," Jasanoff said.
Jasanoff and O'Neil both agreed the University should not actively promote certain religious activities because doing so would violate the doctrine of the separation between church and state.
"We should make it a climate where all kinds of beliefs are okay, and people shouldn't be shoving their beliefs to other people and shouldn't be insulting them either," Jasanoff said.
Muslim Students Association President Umair Javed said because there are many religious CIOs, anyone with a religious identity can find a community that can make it easier to express his or her own ideas.
Christy Elliot, student campus minister of the Catholic Student Ministry, echoed Javed's sentiments and said she is impressed by how strong and active religious organizations at the University are today.
"From my perspective, it seems that whatever your religious persuasion is, there is a group here for you," Elliot said.
Organizations such as United Campus Ministries bring together religious leaders of various faiths into a coalition attempting to further promote religious diversity.
Charlotte Sturgill, president of the Virginia Atheist and Agnostic Association, said she feels differently about the various groups on Grounds.
Sturgill said she feels religious diversity on Grounds is not very visible and added that she is confused as to why there are so many different Christian groups.
"There is a high concentration of Christians who are highlighting the differences within their particular faith rather than their similarities," she said. "I feel like in having a bunch of smaller groups, they are missing the point because they are too concerned with accepting the fact that there are different viewpoints and looking too closely at what the small differences are."
Although the University attempts to retain a racially diverse faculty, it is impossible to do so with religious backgrounds. Therefore, a vast majority of faculty and staff are either Christian or Jewish.
Along with racial and ethnic diversity, there should be faculty of different religious backgrounds as well, Jasanoff said.
One notable feature about the University is its prestigious religious studies department, which is composed of scholars who are experts in all the major religious traditions of the world.
"The courses it offers provide students with opportunities to become well-acquainted with any or all of those [religious] traditions from an academic point of view that aims to understand those religious traditions, not to make judgments about them," Religious Studies Department Chair Harry Gamble said.
Discrimination and Ignorance
While there have not been many reported acts of religious discrimination over the past several months, some said subtle hints of prejudice do persist on Grounds.
Elliot said although there are many misconceptions about the church and Catholic teachings, most people are willing to root out ignorance through discussion of controversial topics.
"[Although] sometimes people do make offensive comments, there is nothing I would consider violent or harshly discriminatory," she said.
The MSA similarly has seen few acts of discrimination over the years, Javed said.
"In the MSA, we try to create a support structure so that if it does happen we can address it immediately and contact the appropriate administration," he said.
Hillel Executive Director Brian Cohen said most acts of discrimination have been ignorant comments made from one student to another.
"They don't necessarily intend it to be hateful, but they don't realize what they say could be hurtful," Cohen said.
According to Sturgill, however, atheists and agnostics are hesitant in expressing their beliefs.
She said, for example, the organization distributed T-shirts to its members, but many expressed hesitation about wearing them out of fear they would be judged negatively for their beliefs.
"We've had discussions about the stigma of atheism and about the general mistrust about atheists, because they don't fit into a particular segment as to what is [commonly] recognized," Sturgill said.
Inter-Religious Activities
While most religious groups at the University have their own unique agendas, many still take the extra effort to educate other religious organizations about their faiths and practices.
Recently, the CSM and MSA had their annual Ramadan breakfast in which Catholic students spent a night at their church and made breakfast for MSA members at dawn. Hillel, MSA and CSM also routinely invite each other during certain times of the semester to observe their religions' prayer services.
The MSA also is sponsoring a fast-a-thon, beginning today, where non-Muslim University students can pledge to fast for a day. Then, depending on the number of pledges received, local businesses will contribute a proportional amount of money to various charities.
The objective, Javed said, is to encourage students to look beyond different beliefs and bring all students together to discuss problems in society, such as hunger.
Last year's Darfur Prayer Vigil also had representatives from many religious groups participating.
"I thought [the vigil] was amazing because it was one of the few instances on campus when many faiths and viewpoints were represented," Sturgill said.
She said she was glad to see students from so many different faiths come together at this event to concentrate on what they had in common.
"Many people were glad and showed appreciation for the presence of the atheism community," Sturgill said.
Going Above and Beyond
While many organizations try to promote their faith and presence through flyers and brochures, some take additional measures to educate the public.
Javed said because Islam is often incorrectly portrayed in the media, the MSA tries to host speakers and hold discussions open to the public in order to correct many misconceptions.
In a similar vein, the CSM has a priest who spends many days during the week on Grounds talking to students who have questions about the Catholic faith.
Around Thanksgiving, Hillel will coordinate with the University Programs Council to host a symposium about Jews from Spain in which a speaker will discuss the history of Sephardic Judaism and a band will play traditional Sephardic music.
Most of the student religious organizations also make an effort to assist the greater Charlottesville community.
MSA students, for example, have a tradition of working with Habitat for Humanity to aid low-income families in Charlottesville in need of homes.
Students from Hillel volunteer every week at a preschool, in addition to assisting soup kitchens, nursing homes, and different types of charities within the community.
Sturgill said the Virginia Atheists and Agnostics Association has recently participated in the American Heart Association walk to raise money and promote awareness of heart disease.
Religious Identities
While many students aren't very active in their religious organizations, most associate themselves with a particular faith or belief structure.
Sturgill said she has noticed an increase in the membership of her organization. Students from other faiths frequently show their curiosity by attending her organization's meetings and discussions, she said.
"I think that overall people are becoming more vocal about their religious identity," Javed said.
He also said he has noticed an increase in the amount of events sponsored by religious organizations this year.
Elliot said religion and participation in faith-based organizations appear to be increasingly attractive to students.
"There are many wonderful organizations at the University, but I do think religious organizations are one of the main sources of moral principles in student life," she said.
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