Naunihal Singh (right), a member of Sikh Mediawatch and the Resource Task Force, makes a point at the ÒConsultation on Religious Discrimination and AccommodationÓ as Phyllis Curott, representing the Religious Liberties Lawyers Network and the Temple of the Sacred Earth in New York City, looks on at the Barker Center meeting. Photo by Jon Chase.

Religious America is a complex place.

Nowhere is that complexity as apparent as in the schools, where battles are fought over who prays what words at what time and place, and whether those words should be spoken at all.

Even the idea of religion-neutral schools is seen as flawed by some, who question whether it's possible to teach about issues such as life, death, and reproduction without the moral guidance religion seeks to provide.

A microcosm of the nation's religious diversity visited the Barker Center on Monday, May 17, to wrestle with these and other issues of religious tolerance, discrimination, and accommodation.

The discussion of religion and schools was the liveliest, capping a daylong meeting of about two dozen social and religious leaders from around the country.

"Schools ricochet from one crisis to another," said Marcia Beauchamp, religious freedoms program coordinator of the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center in San Francisco.

Beauchamp said a lack of policies on how to handle religious diversity, a reluctance to deal with religious issues proactively, and the rapid turnover of school superintendents nationwide all contribute to problems handling religion in the schools.

In addition, the federal guidelines on religion in the public schools often land in the superintendent's office and rarely reach the teachers on the front lines in a multi-religious classroom.

The meeting, a "Consultation on Religious Discrimination and Accommodation," was sponsored by the Pluralism Project, an effort spearheaded by Professor of Comparative Religions and Indian Studies Diana Eck. The Pluralism Project studies America's growing religious diversity, particularly that due to its new immigrant communities.

In addition to religion and education, the Consultation touched on several other topics, such as hate crimes; discrimination in zoning; and issues relating to religion in the workplace, in the military, in prisons, and in health care.

The meeting included representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Jainism, Santeria, Wicca, Baha'i, and Native American religions.

Groups representing several viewpoints within Christianity attended, including Catholics, Christian Scientists, the National Council of Churches, and the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian advocacy group.

Members of several religious freedom watchdog organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the People for the American Way, and the National Conference for Community and Justice, also joined the discussion.

Though the debate about religion in America rages continuously, it is rare for members of so many different groups to come together to discuss these issues, said Eck, who acted as moderator.

"I think in many ways it was a historic meeting of people motivated to find ways to build religious accommodation," Eck said after the event. "It was a tremendous opportunity for learning for all of us."

Though problems varied depending on the issue and the religious group, all of the participants returned to the same central question: How does a nation whose traditions and practices have been largely formed by its Christian majority fulfill its promise of religious freedom to all?

Education and communication, in some cases, are the answer. In several zoning cases involving the creation of mosques and temples around the country, problems and potential difficulties were defused by approaching neighbors, explaining religious practices, and offering a tour of the facility. Once the religious community becomes a known entity, resistance often fades, participants said.

Similarly, education helps promote understanding in settings as diverse as hospitals and the military, which are facing increasingly urgent issues stemming from religious diversity. Guidebooks for hospital staff outlining beliefs as they pertain to medical care and the handling of bodies after death have proved helpful, and the military has also shown a new interest in accommodating the practices of Muslims during Ramadan.

Though education can go a long way to dispel anxiety about new groups moving into an area, it cannot cure all conflicts. Intolerance seems particularly prevalent when outward appearances differ from the majority of the population.

Sikh men, for example, have run into problems in the workplace and the military because their beards and turbans do not conform to dress codes and uniform policies. In another instance, a supervisor wiped the ashes off the forehead of a Catholic woman on Ash Wednesday, and in still another, a Muslim woman was fired for refusing to remove her head scarf so she could wear the baseball cap that was part of her fast food job's uniform. That incident was resolved by allowing her to wear the baseball cap over the scarf.

"These are the things we're seeing every day. Partly, it stems from ignorance," said Aly Abuzaakouk, executive director of the American Muslim Council.

Ignorance is not the sole driving factor behind instances of discrimination, however. Despite efforts to educate, xenophobia and prejudice are still parts of the American landscape.

"There are still bigots out there, there are still anti-Semites out there," said Mark Pelavin, associate director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. "I hope there are fewer out there now than there were 100 years ago and more today than 100 years from now."

The daylong conversation illuminated many different aspects of religious life in America, as well as the struggles of different groups. At the end of the day, some participants suggested getting together to revisit the same issues with a mind not just to air the problems, but to try to figure out solutions.

Either way, participants said they left with a better understanding that they're not alone facing problems of religious discrimination.

"One of the things I take back with me is a renewed and deep appreciation of the religious diversity of this country," Pelavin said.