When I signed up for World Religions last semester, my intentions weren’t entirely honorable.

Of the many classes that would have fulfilled my philosophy requirement, PHIL 110, World Religions, had the reputation of being the easiest. I’d heard rave reviews describing it as one of the best classes on campus — the kind with online lecture slides and no homework.  

And though I know I should approach registering for classes with the mindset of challenging myself and seeking useful information, that’s not why I registered for World Religions. I just wanted an easy A. 

It’s not that I was uninterested by the class’s description, but as a Christian, I was unsure of what the class could offer me. I wasn’t looking for a new faith, and I thought I understood the foundational concepts of others. 

Having developed my knowledge of each major religion from Nick at Nite reruns and Disney movies, I was convinced that the class wouldn’t teach me anything I didn’t know. I’d already learned the importance of ancestry in Chinese religions from “Mulan,” and I’d familiarized myself with the Jewish holidays by watching Nanny Fine celebrate them on “The Nanny.” 

Sure, I planned to attend and participate, but I didn’t think I’d learn anything worthwhile in PHIL 110. 

But I was wrong. 

Since class began in August, I’ve learned only valuable things in my study of the world’s religions. Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam — we’ve covered them all.

And while they’re all different, they all have a similar goal: to provide a way for humans to cope with life and handle death. They dictate how people should live to reach something better later on. At their base, they all advocate kindness, generosity, honesty and peace; they all attempt to create good people.  

I’ve come to find out that much of what I “knew” about these religions was wrong. 

Call me oblivious, but I had no idea that the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an all contain different accounts of some of the same stories. Or that Muslims Jews and Christians trace their religions back to a common person: Abraham.

Nor did I realize that the ultimate goal in Hinduism and Buddhism is to escape a cycle of reincarnation. Though they’re different, Buddhism stems from Hinduism. 

In all honesty, I didn’t even know Confucianism and Daoism existed, let alone the beliefs associated with them.

Overall, I’ve learned that the core concepts associated with most world religions aren’t that different — something I’d never considered before.  

Maybe my background has something to do with that. 

I grew up in a place dominated by the Christian faith. My public elementary school held Christmas pageants every year, and everyone I knew had views similar to my own or none at all. It wasn’t until college that I knowingly met people of the Hindu, Jewish or Islamic faith, and I have still yet to encounter anyone who embraces Daoism, Confucianism or Buddhism. 

And I guess that’s partially to blame for the stereotypical misconceptions I’d previously held about these religions, but it’s not an excuse.  

PHIL 110 has opened my eyes to the reality of religion. Be it our own or those of others, religion affects everything around us. It causes wars but also paves the way for international peace. It defines groups and dictates culture.  

In better understanding different religions, we can hope to better understand different groups of people. We can free our minds of stereotypes and live tolerantly. 

Unlike in my hometown, I’m not going to go through life exclusively encountering people who share my views; few individuals have that luxury. 

And because that’s the case, I wouldn’t want to let my ignorance or misinformation alienate those who I do and will encounter. Who would?  

It’s important for people to realize that by understanding other religions, we’re not just understanding other people, but a lot about ourselves, too.

Bailey is a junior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].