But I’ve got a few problems, starting from the top… I wouldn’t call BSM anything near “a vast pallet of different religious beliefs and cultural influences.” I don’t have any statistics in hand, but my four years of observation certainly wouldn’t lead anything near such a conclusion.

“[Non-religious students] openly deface these religions at every point simply to flaunt their self-indulgent thoughts over religion.” I know what you’re getting at here, but you need to take into account that self-indulgent thoughts on religion is very much a two sided street — the secular and the nonsecular. I’ve seen some pretty disrespectful takes on certain religions in my world religions class from believers of another religion.

“Oftentimes when I have watched non-religoius students in religion classes take a stab at a religion, they say it not to foster a discussion that everyone else can engage in, but simply to throw in their opinion and let everyone in the class know that they are different. Unfortunately, they aren’t.” Being the one (or few) dissenting voice(s) in a class will likely be interpreted as “taking a stab” at religion. It’s hard for some to find the right words that will not alienate themselves from others, yet still firmly give their honest opinion. Your headline alone, “Dont flaunt your views against religion” reflects that tightrope idea. If you have religious beliefs in a religion class, you’re at some level encouraged to flaunt them. It’s the same two-way street, and certainly more difficult to deal with when in the minority.

Maybe some do revel in that solitude, and that’s a behavior I can only attempt to understand. I know how to straw-man the various forms of Christianity with relative ease, but I don’t get anything out of it short of time wasted.

The best word I’ve found at describing my own philosophical viewpoint is “freethought” — essentially that one’s beliefs should be formed on science, logic, and reasoning — not on traditions, dogmas, creeds, authority and the like. The only religion I truly have no respect for is Scientology, but that’s neither here or there.

As a last thought, I really don’t think your train of thought on the word “costume” being applied to ritual clothing is sound. The word can simply mean what someone is wearing, like “garb,” which if intended that way would make perfect sense (I don’t know if the tone was condescending or the like, but as written, it doesn’t work.) To attach the immature, better-than-you attitude, than go on to describe the one who said it as “looking shallow,” really only does the reverse for you, bud.

We’ve spoken a few times on religion and philosophy, and I hope I didn’t give off the kind of arrogance that you describe here.

-Connor Gerdes