From left to right, these symbols represent Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Photo collage courtesy of junior Joseph Bernardo.
Religion has often played an important role throughout society, and this has remained the case to the present day. At San Luis Obispo High School, many people adhere to some form of religion and belief, which usually plays an incredible role in their lives.
Easily one of the most prevalent religions in the world is Christianity, with there being around 2.5 billion members worldwide. There are around 210 million Christians in the United States, with the religion playing a major role in the country’s history and culture.
“A lot of American history has revolved around Christianity. I think the religion [Christianity] played a key role in the settling, and overall culture and values of the country,” said SLOHS alumni Jeremy Schwab.
Because of the amount of believers and different cultures that believe in it, there are many versions of Christianity, which are called denominations. As an example, Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination of the religion, followed by Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. These different branches of Christianity have key differences that make people pick one over the others.
“[When asked his religious preference], Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the same religion practiced by the early Christians, that was taught by Christ and his apostles,” said junior Jack Edwards.
Of course, there are many other religious groups throughout SLOHS, as the school boasts a very diverse community of various ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Besides Christianity, some of the most popular religions in America include: Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. This is because immigrants from countries, such as India and Saudi Arabia, often keep their religious traditions with them as they start a new life here in the U.S.
Lastly, a majority of SLOHS students don’t believe in any particular religion, which is referred to as atheism. Although the religious background of students may be very diverse, everyone, regardless of beliefs, can get along and respect each other.
“Although I don’t believe in any religion, there’s definitely value in every single one of them,” said junior Brandon Espinosa-Lopez.
Whether you believe in a religion or not, for many people at SLOHS and the world, religion plays a critical role in their lives. It’s important to learn to respect and accept that others believe in different things.
Sources: sciocommunity.org, pewresearch.org, arizonachristian.edu
