“Do you believe in science or religion?” is a question often asked of those who express their spirituality publicly. For many, the answer is both. However, science and religion are so often pitted against each other that this is not the default expectation. Religion and science are regularly seen in opposition, and coexistence is deemed improbable.

Science offers observation-based explanations of the world, while religion provides spiritual interpretations of life. In a 2020 study regarding the global religious landscape, Pew Research Center study found that 8 out of 10 people globally identify with a religion, and similarly, roughly 80% of the population believes in science.

Religion and education most notably clashed when the Catholic Church forbade the works of notable scientists like Copernicus and Galileo and deemed them heretics. This effectively stereotyped religion as anti-science and science as anti-theist. However, the history of conflict between the two predates this moment in history. The House of Wisdom in Baghdad in the 8th century was one of the first places where scientific discoveries were commonly influenced by religious doctrine.

In the U.S., these two sides of belief have remained relatively separate until more recent times. The beginning of these divisions was first mentioned in 1802 when Thomas Jefferson pointed out the necessity of the separation of church and state. The debate of religion in education took off from there. More recently, the rise of secular religion boosted the popularity of coinciding religion and science, promoting the belief in both theism and science.

In recent years, efforts to include religion in public education have strengthened with states like such as Louisiana passing laws mandating the Ten Commandments to be present in public school classrooms.

SPA teaches an objective and humanitarian approach to religion, finding the similarities between different ideologies. Ninth-grader Ruby Fenton-Rutzick thinks that the school culture has had a positive effect on her views of different religions. “I think that being in a setting with a lot of different people from different religions also grows your knowledge,” she said.

Some students think learning about the world’s religions is valuable. Head of the history department, Ben Bollinger Danielson shares a different perspective on the topic of teaching religion, as the teacher of the World Religions course. “I think you have to understand that religion is such an important part of how people experience the world, and I think there is a curiosity about that,” Bollinger Danielson said.

Ninth-grader Solomon Rutzick Bailey agreed.”It’s good to know, because it’s important information and a lot of people have ties to it, so you can better relate or understand,” he said.

Head of the English department Anne Boemler has a unique perspective on religion in education, as many English classes teach religious texts outside of the context of religion. “I think it’s important to teach these texts because they have been such an important text throughout time and throughout the world, and a lot of different people who point back to those texts as they way they view the world, so I think they’re important to learn about,” she said.

Sophomore Charlie Zakaib shares a similar opinion as Boemler, but from the perspective of a student. “Since this school doesn’t belong to a religion, I think that those [values] can be taught well outside of a religious view,” he said. “But I think a religious view or a religious take on them describes them very well, and I think they can be more understandable that way.”

Some students who have past experiences in religious schools prefer a secular environment. In many religions, there’s no correct way to practice or observe their faith, leading to a more complex dialogue and understanding. This method of teaching may work for some, but can also be increasingly confusing.

Rutzick Bailey previously attended King Solomon School, a Jewish school. “It was just a lot to keep track of, and there was no correct viewpoint. I’d learn a lot of different ideas of what one thing would be, it’s just really nuanced,” he said.

The coexistence of religion and science remains prevalent even though SPA is a STEM-centered school. Many are able to cohesively incorporate both religion and science into their lives. “I think people confuse them because they think God is on one side and science is on the other, and that they’re not overlapping at all,” sophomore Saif Mujahid said.

Religion and science complement each other in so many ways, but the paths individuals take to navigate them are unique. Whether the role played is simply in learning about religious beliefs or following one, religion’s impact on people and the world is undeniably vast and equally as rewarding to learn about.

Additional reporting from Peter Ostrem

As debates over freedom of expression continue across the country, students are navigating what it means to express their faith, or lack thereof, within the walls of a private, non-religious high school. While the First Amendment protects religious expression, how it plays out in classrooms, clubs and campus culture raises important questions about inclusion, identity and school policy, especially for students in a secular school like SPA.

While ninth-grader Oakley Schonwald, who identifies as Jewish, and also uses shay/shem pronouns, believes that there is still room for improvement in acceptance of religious expression, shay is impressed with the level of accommodations shay has seen for certain religious events. “Taking off [school for] Yom Kippur, that’s really important to me. And I was really happy to hear that we did have the Passover-friendly options during Passover at lunch,” Schonwald said. “I think that the school is doing very well in supporting their Jewish students.”

The school does not have a specific policy on religious expression in the student handbook, although its policies on DEI state that “SPA is committed to the principles of diversity, and strictly prohibits discrimination on the basis of … religion,” among other aspects of students’ identities.

While there aren’t many policies specific to religion, there are still accommodations for students’ needs during religious holiday observations and other practices, as well as different celebrations to bring awareness about religious expression to the student body.

Students who share the same faith can find a sense of community by attending religious affinity groups. The Muslim Student Affinity is one of them. One of the new leaders of MSA, junior Zain Kizilbash, finds that affinity groups serve not only to provide a safe space for their members, but also to help the student body foster a greater understanding of Islam.

“The purpose [of MSA], I suppose, is just to provide a community space for the Muslim students at SPA to decompress and have fun, while also making it an avenue to share more about the culture and about the religion to the wider school,” Kizilbash said. “A [big part of MSA is] providing a glimpse into the faith for the wider school community as a whole.”

Students’ experiences with religion can be greatly impacted by their social climate. For freshman Mariya Chaudhary, who identifies as Muslim, her religion can sometimes set her apart from her peers.

“There’s some things as a Muslim that I can’t do that other kids can do freely,” Chaudhary said. However, she feels comfortable sharing her religious identity at school. “Everybody is pretty open-minded when it comes to religion because we’re not forcing predominantly Christian beliefs,” Chaudhary said.

Counselor Jake Turnbloom believes that everyone’s experience is different, so it is important to learn about individuals and their experiences in addition to cultures and beliefs. “It’s good to have a background knowledge of [diverse cultures] … But, I think what we really need to practice is cultural humility and … lean into [learning about others] with excitement and curiosity for everybody, because everybody’s going to have a different experience,” Turnbloom said.

Supporting religious expression for all is necessary to foster an inclusive environment, as it allows students from both religious and non-religious backgrounds to feel safe. Making room for everyone in the community through simple things like holiday accommodations or affinity groups makes a big difference in the level of safety and comfort that is felt in school.

WHAT IS AN AFFINITY GROUP?
Affinity groups can be a place for people in a community to come together to learn more about their identities and to feel more connected based on those identities.

WHO CAN BE PART OF AN AFFINITY GROUP?
Only people who can speak from the “I” or “we” perspective with that particular group can be a part of it.

AREN’T RELIGIOUS GROUPS JUST EXCLUSIVE AND DIVISIVE?
We all benefit from interactions with people who share common identities or experiences.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT AFFINITY GROUPS I DON’T BELONG TO?
Affinity groups are only one aspect of creating a diverse and socially just world by creating a brave space for people to build strength and pride.