Juliette Rishty

Due: 10/17/16

In my opinion as a Christian and being part of the Methodist denomination I can say that in
agreement schools especially in community colleges and universities may need to consider
having accommodations for those who request for them. I would believe anyone who has a
religious faith should have equal opportunity to pray in a secure environment it doesnt have to
be just having a room for Christians. From what I have seen, there hasnt been a room that
people can go to especially at Montgomery College. I did however saw a club at one point when
I was leaving one of my classes and the group consisted of Christians together praying. Though
lately to my surprise from what I can tell there isnt clubs or groups whom have a place to
embrace their faith and be comfortable to share it with other students. My main focus is with this
debate is prove that people have the right to have accommodations whether they are in school or
whether at a workplace they can express their desire to have a place to go to when they want to
pray in. They would have an equal opportunity to have that time and place to talk and express
their faith without making people feel uncomfortable and that wouldnt infringe on them as well.
In an article called, Zone of oppression: why the unpredictable application of a federal law
threatens religious liberty, by Carolyn Ann Warner explains how the government itself is trying
to eradicate religious freedoms of those who believe in something whether it being God, Allah,
etc. She pointed out that Muslims and other religious groups combated the discrimination by
forming the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). Warner
then explained that the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights
Division, Thomas Perez released a statement regarding the anniversary of the act, The freedom

to practice one's faith in peace is among our most cherished rights. RLUIPA has proven to be a
powerful tool in combating religious discrimination and ensuring religious freedom for all
individuals"(Warner, 2013). Further into the reading Warner then explains that the act itself
prevents local and state from ever denying building permits to religious organizations simply
because the boards do not agree with the organization's religious beliefs. In addition, Warner
explained that back in the 1960s way before was enacted; the United States Supreme Court
permitted the government to pass general laws that promoted public health and safety, even if it
had violated an individual's religious beliefs. That included when they didnt view the religious
exemptions from the laws as a constitutional right (Warner, 2013). The Supreme Court did
however placed a test to see if would balance the effort to broadly protect individual religious
rights in any institution. On this positive note the government tried to help those who were being
religiously discriminated then and now with the RLUIPA. However, being now 2016 its not
quite as equal and having the ability to achieve the accommodations that we would like there to
be. Its difficult because now in most places its on rare occasion to see people actively show and
embrace their faith.
On USA Today there was an article that gave a very big view on how religious groups have
accommodations and that it wouldnt infringe on anyone from learning in school. Its called,
Schools make room for religion by Bob Smietana who is a writer for the Tennessean
newspaper in Tennessee. Smietana explained that, Fifty years after the U.S. Supreme Court
banned official prayers in public schools, religion remains alive and well on school campuses
(Smietana, 2012). And then he stated that it was because the U.S. First Amendment prevents any
institution denying anyone from practicing their faith. He added that students can pray, talk about
their faith, pass out literature and miss school on religious holidays. But in understanding the

students wouldnt disrupt the school day or infringe on the rights of other students. In that
retrospect it perfectly fine because both parties would find a way to work together. This was in
accordance for the Bernstein family who were Orthodox Jews. The mother would send notes in
advance notifying the school and the teachers that her children would be missing school during
the Jewish holidays. Thus then creating the accommodation that the teachers would allow them
to make up the work and then taking tests after school so then they wouldnt be far behind in
their studies. Hence most of the accommodations would be arranged between the teachers and
with the parents of the students and/or the students themselves if they are old enough to do it on
their own.
In the New York Times webpage there was a article in similar aspects as the article on the USA
Today website. Its titled, Universal Faith and was written by Noah Feldman; he explained that
the accommodations are rarely noticed because they both serve religious and secular spectrums.
There can be dual usage in having accommodation for religious groups can be a prime example
of dual use, since the ideas would be considered without embracing them (Feldman, 2007). A
small school district in Wiscasset, Maine that opened up a room called the wellness room that
its usage would utilize the students and the faculty members can go to reduce stress. In a way
people who are religious would have a place they can go to and pray if they needed that time to
do so. It wouldnt disrupt anyone else and it wouldnt inflict on the students from learning and it
wouldnt stop the teachers from teaching. Feldman stated that the wellness room, prayer can
reduce stress, and then there are the quasi-meditative practices like yoga and reiki, often of
religious origin, which many Americans use for relaxation and recreation (Feldman, 2007).
Having something like a classroom or any room that is not being used would be helpful because
then people of different religious beliefs can go and pray without disturbing other students from

learning. Further in the article the school superintendent, Jay McIntire, framed a sensible
solution; the solution would allow religious practices would take place in school spaces outside
of class time when no one leads or coordinates by any of the students or the teachers, which
means that no practice of stress reduction would be excluded on religious grounds (Feldman,
2007). This from what can be seen that this is only in the public schools but theres always a
possibility for the community colleges and the universities across the United States could in
some way accommodate to students and the staff by having a room that is not being used or in
some cases can be used for a dual usage. It ought to be also opened to any person regardless of
what they believe in.
This possibility of having a place to go to would be great because then anyone follows a belief
system then they would have the ability and the freedom to express it without disrupting anyone.
Montgomery College could benefit from this because they could accommodate to those who
have a religious belief. It wouldnt inflict any distractions on any of the students from learning
nor would prevent the professors instruction during the class hours. It would benefit the
diversity among everyone because then they have an equal right to express their faith and
embrace it in the way they want to. Plus it may even give a brand new perspective on people
even myself to be more open-minded on fellow students cultural beliefs and then could
possibility allow others to then participate with one another as a community despite the
differences in religious belief systems.
.

Reference Page
Feldman, Noah. Universal Faith, the New York Times. The Way We Live Now. Aug. 26, 2007.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/magazine/26
Smietana, Bob. Schools make room for religion. The Tennessean. USA Today. Aug.18, 2012.
Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story
Warner, C. A. (2013, Spring). Zone of oppression: why the unpredictable application of a
federal law threatens religious liberty. Journal of Gender, Race and Justice, 16(2) Retrieved
from https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org