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Natalie Aparicio
English 115
John Kubler
9 December 2014
What Type of Conflict Does Religion Bring Upon Our World?
Todays society is filled with all kinds of problems. All types of conflicts. There are so many
conflicts going on as we speak, all triggered by different issues. Some conflicts as hasty as
fighting for a parking spot, to conflicts as serious as war. Religion conflicts with our day-to-day
lives in significant ways. There are so many different stories on the news about businesses being
sued, such as Elane Photography, Arlenes Floral Shop, and Masterpiece Cakeshop, these are
just to name a few. Each of these cases dealt with religious businesses that discriminated against
same-sex marriage because it was against the business owners religious beliefs. I strongly
believe that businesses discriminating against same-sex couples that decide to get married are
very unjustified because they are human beings too. According to the 2014 Websters
Dictionary, the definition of marriage is the legally or formally recognized union of a man and a
woman (or, in some jurisdictions, two people of the same sex) as partners in a relationship (1) if
the definition includes same-sex marriage, then why are there still people who are against it? An
article from pbs.org, This Emotional Life states, And aside from facing more discrimination and
less access to legal recognition and marriage in most of the country, lesbian and gay couples
generally have the same relationship goals and face the same relationship challenges as people
who are straight do (This Emotional Life Article. 1). All same-sex couples have the same goals
and aspirations as everyone else when it comes to relationships and marriage. They are not trying
to harm anyone. They are simply happy and in-love, as are many people all over the world.

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Everyone should be able to respect that; especially business owners who discriminate against
them, ruining their beautiful wedding experiences. What kind of world would this be where other
peoples religious beliefs interfere and not even allow happiness and excitement to ones special
wedding day, or walking through a school hallway without being offended, or having a
memorable graduation ceremony just because youre gay, bisexual, or transgender. The positive
impacts that religion has on our society would be that all religious people believe in someone or
something. It unites people to go to church and such things. Morals can come out of some
religions; people make the right choices because of their religious beliefs. I believe that religion
has both positive and negative impacts in our society because it can cause conflict between
individuals and/or groups of people, but it can also bring unity and understanding to the world,
which is what everyone should be aiming for. The people that are against same-sex marriage
need to get rid of that opinion because its 2014 and things have definitely changed.
Following this further, Madeleine Albright a woman of many positions including U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations and serving as the first woman to be the U.S. Secretary of
State, has a similar position to her opinion on religion. She affirms Religion at its best can
reinforce the core values necessary for people from different cultures to live in harmony; we
should make the most of that possibility (Faith and Diplomacy 42). She believes that if we
understand religion and all the different types, we will be able to understand one another and be
able to live in peace, which is what I have referred to above. Being religious and having certain
beliefs doesnt give people the immunity to discriminate against others simply because they are
being their true selves, which everyone has the right to be. In fact, anti-gays are infringing
others rights by discriminating them just because they have a different sexual orientation than
the norm. People that are against homosexuals marrying one another shouldnt judge someone

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else because of the way they live their lives. They are happy with the choices they decide to
make and no one is in a position to rain on their parade.
Of course there is the group of people that still disagree and are 100% against same-sex
marriage, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders, imagine being in the shoes of a person who
is gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transgender. Imagine being in their shoes and going into someones
business asking for wedding rings and the business owner refuses service because of the color on
your skin. How would that make one feel? Wouldnt one feel discriminated? I think one would
go even farther in proving that they are discriminating against you. I believe that it shouldnt
matter what ones sexual orientation is, if they are happy and want to get married, they should be
allowed to be happy and get married. Someone elses beliefs probably dont even matter to
certain same-sex couples because they are not going let anyone stop them from getting married.
Additionally, in the Elane photography case, a lesbian couple was getting married and
needed a photographer for their wedding. They chose this particular place and left quite
disappointed. The photographer made claims that she was for everything same-sex couples do,
except marriage (Elane Photography vs. Willock). I suggest that businesses and religious beliefs
do not belong together. The reason people start businesses is to do what they love and make a
living out of it. Why would a business turn down money and doing what they enjoy so easily?
An article written by Patrick Hobin, states The Justice Department told a family . . . that they
have a stark choice: Give up their Catholic beliefs or go out of business (Justice Dept. to
Company Owners: Give up Catholic Beliefs or Get Out of Business 1). There are certain things
you give up when opening a business and religion should be the first one. Each of these same-sex
couples went to these businesses for a special occasion: their wedding. They left the businesses
with denial of their services because it was against their beliefs. How upsetting must it be to walk

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in to a business being very excited about your wedding and being turned down just because you
are marrying someone that you truly love? They are happy and in love the same way a
heterosexual couple may be, and they want to move their relationships to the next step. Same-sex
couples should have the right to do so without any hesitation from anyone.
Assuredly, there is also controversy within schools and their activities involving religious
participation. The question many seem to be asking is if it is allowed to say prayers at graduation
or at school sport games. Its amazing how one person [the minority] can cause such a frenzy and
change school activities significantly. There has been a case, Mark Ahlquist v. City of Cranston,
where a high school was sued due to ONE young lady was an atheist and took a prayer banner,
which had been hung on a school wall for decades and decades, to offense. She took it to court
where it ended up in her favor. The case ended in removal of the banner. The school, outstanded
by the outcomes, now had to watch their every move and make sure that nothing is offending any
of their students.
This shows how religion causes conflicts just about anywhere. The hot topic about the
combination of school and religious affairs is very controversial. On one hand, there are
situations where the majority of the people are in favor of prayers and religion and will move
mountains to make sure everyone knows what they stand for. On the other hand, you have people
that just go about their lives and dont stand up for certain things until it is a major issue. Instead
of this topic being so controversial and conflicting, we should strive for understanding of one
another and find a common ground where everyone can be happy because public schools are a
difficult place to come to a compromise due to so many students and staff with various beliefs.
I have a close friend, who is a very intelligent person. She was in the Academic

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Decathlon at my high school, she was in a various amount of AP classes, top 10 rank of our
class, and she is also very religious. She is Christian and is against same-sex couples and samesex marriage because it is against her beliefs. We have had multiple conversations about this
topic since it had been brought up in our class discussions more than once. She always took the
side to be against it. I asked her again a couple of days ago why she is against same-sex
marriage. She replied Marriage is only for a man and a woman. Thats what is written in the
Bible. It is against the Bible to believe in same-sex couples getting married. It is taking away our
beliefs that we have had for many, many years. It is a big controversial issue today, but I still
strongly believe that it is not right. I understand where she is coming from, and many may agree
with what she has to say, but there are other sayings in the Bible that talk about equality and
accepting one another. This verse says: For by him all things were created, in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things
were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. (Leviticus 19:33-34). This is stating that God has created everyone the way he wanted
to. In other words, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders are all created by God himself.
Why would you believe otherwise? You are discriminating human beings created by your
Creator himself.
All of these religious conflicts I mentioned above are all situations that occur in our
everyday lives. Someone that can relate to this concept is Marji Satrapi, a character from the
graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Marji is a young girl who grows up while religion
was evolving in her country. It shows us all the obstacles she and her family go through. She was
10 years old when the veil started becoming big in their culture. No one really took it seriously in
the beginning, in the book, Marji says We didnt really like to wear the veil, especially since we

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didnt understand why we had to (3). The veil was new to the young girls and thought it was
weird to start wearing it. Religion was very important to the Middle-East. The whole Satrapi
family and their close friends all went through many challenges. Once the veil was forced, it
started changing everyones everyday lives, the way religion conflicts our everyday lives. They
werent allowed to live as comfortably anymore. There were rules and laws made from religion
that restricted them from going about their routines. In our society, people that are religious dont
allow people from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community to go about their
routines without being judged and refused service.
Marji was very close with God in this novel. She said he was her friend. Whenever she
had questions or had some trouble, she would always turn to him. She conveys . . . The only
place I felt safe was in the arms of my friend under that caption is a picture of her in Gods
arms. This shows how close she is to her friend (53) and how shes able to go to him for
anything. She continues being close with Him until terrible events started occurring. Her Uncle
Anoosh had been staying with them. It was the first time she was going to meet him because he
had been in prison for 30 years and now the whole family was reunited. Marji was very excited
to meet him. She thought he was a hero because he had been to prison the longest out of all of
her friends family members. She got really close to her Uncle Anoosh; she was very
appreciative of his presence. While he was staying at her house, she would hear her father and
her Uncle talking about political discussions in the highest order (62). Then another day she
came home from school and found out her Uncle Anoosh was back in jail. She went to visit him
and that very day, he was executed. Once she went home she was very upset and God came into
her room. He asked what was wrong. She yelled back Shut up, you! Get out of my life!!! I
never want to see you again! (70). She didnt understand how God, being such good friends

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with her was able let that happen. This shows how one day you can be very religious and
strongly believe in God and once tragic things start happening, people start to believe that God
doesnt exist because they know he wouldnt let those events occur.
Sometime later, their country started to get bombed. Everything was going wrong.
Marjis mother had gone out and her car broke down. Marji and her father went to pick her up.
She looked frightened and terrified. She explained what had happened to her: . . . Two bearded
guys! Two fundamentalist bastards They insulted me. They said that women like me should be
pushed and shoved up against the wall. . . And then thrown in the garbage. . . And if I didnt
want that to happen I should wear the veil. . . (74). This is how serious things started to get
about the veil and how women were perceived. This is affecting the familys everyday lives.
They cant even go outside without being harassed. Religion takes a toll on everyone that isnt
used to it, not only in this biographical novel, but in our lives also. People start getting treated
differently, and its not always in a positive way. People start discriminating against others and
legal situations commence. These situations should be easily avoidable, but with the type of
people we have in our society today, they are not.
Although some might believe that I am wrong and are still going to believe otherwise, I
believe that you can begin seeing things from a different perspective. Start realizing how you
make other people feel when you treat them a certain way. Everyone should live by these words I
always remember hearing since I was a child: treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Its amazing how often I have heard that saying from adults, but it hardly seems those adults live
up to their own words. I understand beliefs are sacred to the person that holds them, but the same
people need to understand what effects they have on others. Everyone should see each other
equally. Everyone has the same rights which are stated in our United States Constitution. It is the

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first amendment that states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances (Amendment I). The first amendment explains what humans have the right to do.
We should all treat each other the way we would want to be treated. We all need to come to a
sort of understanding of one another so that all the unnecessary conflict can cease. We must all
comprehend one another to make peace, as Albright endorses in her essay, Faith and Diplomacy.
Religious conflict is a big issue today and I see no reason for such hatred to be taking place. All
of us are human beings who deserve to be happy and treated equally. I know of so many people
who only dream of coming to the United States to be free and be who they truly are. No one
should ruin that dream for anyone.

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Works Cited
14 Bible Verses about Equality. What Does the Bible Say About Equality? N.p., n.d. Web. 21
Sept. 2014.
Albright, Michelle Korbel. Faith and Diplomacy. Washington, DC: Council on Faith &
International Affairs, 2006. Print.
First Amendment U.S. Constitution FindLaw. Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Hobin, Patrick. "Justice Dept. to Company Owners: Give Up Catholic Beliefs or Get Out of
Business." Newsmax. America's News Page. 27 July 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
Mark Ahlquist v. City of Cranston. United States District Court For the District Of Rhode
Island. C.A. No. 11-138L.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon, 2003. Print.
This Emotional Life. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.