OPINION: The uncomfortable reality of religious acceptance at Catlin Gabel

By Vishaka Priyan ‘26

Photo by Helena Gougeon

Catlin Gabel is a school committed to cultivating a culture of tolerance and acceptance for all…well, mostly.

Religion doesn’t occupy a prominent place in daily discourse at Catlin Gabel School (CGS) and this may be attributed to our geographical setting. Located in Portland Ore., renowned for its liberal and generally non-religious atmosphere, our school mirrors this character. Yet this minimal emphasis on religion at Catlin Gabel might inadvertently contribute to an atmosphere of intolerance towards it, particularly among the student body.

Catlin Gabel lacks religious data from its students and staff. The school relies on voluntary information provided by a predominantly non-religious population. However, individuals in our community still identify with many different religious beliefs.

In my opinion, the lack of awareness of religion in our community is due to the attitude we have fostered towards religion. Senior Joshua Widdows, who identifies as Protestant, echoed this sentiment. “Many people I know, including myself, who are religious don’t feel comfortable expressing those beliefs,” Widdows said. This shows the effects of the atmosphere we are creating, a hesitancy among individuals to openly express their faith.

So is there genuine acceptance and tolerance for religious students at Catlin Gabel? “The short answer—no,” said Widdows. However, the reality is much more nuanced.

It's not that Catlin Gabel students are intolerant people, they aren’t. This much is clear. But they reflect the way religion has been handled by our school and the constant messaging we get via social media. Religion is quite harshly analyzed, often without acknowledgment of any positive role it might have had in history and without recognition that it is something many people still deeply identify with.

An anonymous sophomore I interviewed, confessed that when approaching religion with an analytical eye, “sometimes I forget that religion is something people actually believe.” This represents the larger debate that we grapple with being a liberal school in a liberal city, Religion vs. Liberal Intellectualism.

Beyond this, many religions are easily stereotyped due to religious figureheads in the media or decades of intolerance. Sophomore Azalea Colburn, who identifies as an atheist, said, “They are stereotyped as being intolerant of queer people.” But she said that she knew this wasn’t true because she has a godparent who is both religious and very supportive of LGBTQIA+ rights.

This theme was especially common when speaking to members of our community who identified with the Christian faith. Christianity historically hasn’t been tied to a marginalized group of people in America as it was first brought over by the Spanish and Portuguese when they began colonizing the Americas. As a result, Alexis Doling, who was raised Evangelical, points out, “It gives people a free pass to be much harsher of the religion.”

Religion is often misunderstood and misrepresented which can affect our willingness to learn more about it. Yet, an anonymous Hindu sophomore I interviewed expressed, “The more I learn about my religion the more I learn that religions are so much more than how they are portrayed in the media and they are so much more than what they seem like on the surface.”

It's important to note that Catlin does still accommodate some students with religious beliefs. We have a religious workload policy that states that teachers aren’t allowed to assign homework on the nights of three Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and Passover. The only problem with this policy is that it only applies to students who are Jewish.

This bias extends to Christmas, a significant Christian holiday that happens to coincide with winter break. Aline Garcia-Rubio, Head of the Upper School, suggests that this arrangement tends to "heavily favor two religions over others." It’s a sentiment shared by Andrew Uan-Zo-li, a sophomore who identifies as Jewish and uses the workload policy for Yom Kippur, “I think either everyone can have it, or nobody can.”

Clearly, something needs to change. Beyond the religious workload policy that is now up for review by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) board, we must acknowledge religion’s prominence in the identities of some and its prominence in the history of many places. As Garcia-Rubio points out, “Without religious context, so much of history gets lost.”

As someone who has been exposed to many different religions most of my life– attending a Christian school for 10 years, being raised Hindu, and being educated on Buddhism–despite being an atheist, religion has played a significant role in shaping my understanding of the world. It has allowed me to appreciate the diverse tapestry of human experiences.

Our attitude towards religion exposes a chasm in our very understanding of it. While the majority of community members may be non-religious, the silent presence of varied beliefs persists.

There is value in looking at religion and seeing more than just its faults, recognizing it as something not to be feared, but to be understood. When it is studied through a curious lens rather than a purely critical one, our understanding of history and the world around us could be that much deeper.