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Celebrating religious freedom and diversity in America

November and December mark the beginning of many religious holidays for different faith communities in the U.S. As we head into the holiday season, it is a perfect time to reflect on the rich and messy history of religious freedom and diversity that is found in our country.

History

The story goes that the Pilgrims and the Puritans left their homes seeking religious freedom. Since then, millions have come to America for the same reason. The reality is that religious freedom does not equal “religious tolerance” and that religion was used as a tool for discrimination. By the Revolutionary War, there was an increasing number of state laws dictating religious requirements for people to hold public office.

During his tenure as Governor of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson advocated for a state law that would protect religious freedom. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom — a precursor to the constitution’s first amendment protecting religious freedom—was passed by the Virginia General Assembly in January 1786. Jefferson went on to help write the U.S. Constitution.

The framers of the Constitution understood the original document was imperfect and incomplete. A series of amendments were passed to improve on it shortly after the initial passage. The first ten amendments make up the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment was deemed by Thomas Jefferson as the most important.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Yet, the first amendment did not protect indigenous people who had been religiously persecuted for centuries since settlers arrived. The U.S. federal government continued these practices in the 1800s through policies that sought to displace and forcefully assimilate Native Americans. It wasn’t until 1978 that the U.S. congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, followed by the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments, which extended first amendment protections to Indigenous people.

Religious diversity in Indiana

The population of Indiana, like most of the U.S., is mostly Christian. The Pew Research Center found 72% of Hoosiers identified as Christian. Most in that category identified as Evangelical Protestants (31%), followed by Catholics (18%), and Mainline Protestants (16%). Approximately 2% of Hoosiers belonged to non-Christian faiths (e.g., Jewish, Muslim, etc.) while 26% did not affiliate with a religion.

An increase in refugee and resettlement populations has also contributed to the religious and demographic diversity in Indiana over the past decade. Much of that diversity exists among those we serve at FSSA. Currently, there are about 28,000 refugees living in Indiana. The Burmese refugee community—who fled Myanmar because of violent religious persecution—accounts for about 80% of those who have resettled in Indiana. In fact, the Burmese population in Indiana is the largest in all of the U.S. Most Burmese Hoosiers who have settled in Indiana from the Chin state in western Burma identify as Christian.

The growing Haitian communities in Indianapolis have a mix of different religions but primarily identify as Catholic with spiritual voodoo influences. Others like Syrian and Afghan refugees have vast diversity of ethnic and religious groups among Islamic sects and other communities.

Call to action

As a state entity, FSSA should respect and provide effective service to constituents of all religious backgrounds. It can be helpful for FSSA to understand the ethnic, racial, and religious diversity in Indiana to better tailor programs to our constituents.

Numerous FSSA requests for interpreter and language services suggest that Haitian Creole, Burmese and related Burmese dialects have increased among our constituents in both urban and rural parts of the state. Understanding that most refugees from numerous ethnic and religious backgrounds tend to resettle in Allen or Marion counties can help FSSA staff connect constituents to targeted language-based, religious-based, and mental health supports in those regions, as well as rural communities that have experienced influxes of clients from different religious backgrounds.

Finally, it is important for FSSA leadership, staff, and direct providers to seek out and participate in trainings that inform how to engage clients or staff who are from different religions or are unaffiliated with any religion.

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