There are two issues that people are reluctant to discuss, and religion is one of them.

Religion is such a vast topic, and it would be a shame not to elaborate on it. We live in a pluralistic world with at least five major religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. In Africa, of course, there is also the dominant African Religion.

Considering the wide spectrum of accepted beliefs, why then do people suddenly go mute when someone mentions the word 'religion'? The answer to this question is anything but simple. One can start by arguing that, as South Africans, we have freedom of speech, as well as freedom of beliefs. It is highly unlikely to see a practising Buddhist getting locked up for meditating in a public park, or an atheist being hanged for refusing to visit a church. However, on a smaller scale, there will always be some form of religious discrimination. After all, religion has led to wars between nations, divorces, and even homicides.

Devout people stand firm in their beliefs and often blatantly refuse to learn more about the beliefs of others. According to such people, their religion is the only right one, and all those belonging to other religions should be condemned. For example: a Christian could decide not to read notes on Hinduism, out of fear that it might convince him/her to become a Hindu. A practitioner of the Jewish religion might believe that it is a sin to read a page from the Q'uran. Either way, religious separartion will never cease to exist.

As a result of this separation, modern society has become more secular than ever. This means that there has been a decline in the influence religion has on society. Nowadays, religion is seen as a convenient option; something you adopt when you need it, and discard when you don't.

It does not matter how you view God, or whether you even acknowledge a god. What matters is that you should have respect for all religions. That is the key to harmony in society.