THE ISSUE: There seems to be a perceived correlation between one being religious and having morals.

    OUR STANCE: In light of our recent stories profiling students on campus with different religions, we want to emphasize to the WKU community that faiths that adhere to different belief systems are not any less moral than yours.

We understand religion can be a touchy and uncomfortable subject for some. It is also something that is inescapable, as it is all around us in media and our daily lives at WKU. Many of the religions we know of today have existed for thousands of years, and we have no doubt of their impact on today’s modern society.     There are multiple places to worship on WKU’s campus and in Bowling Green — some connected to Christianity, some not.

But it seems that lately there’s an idea that if one doesn’t worship in one of these religious institutions, that individual has no sense of morality.

And in the words of Vice President Joe Biden, we cry “malarky!”

If we’ve learned anything through the stories we’ve covered, it’s that not everyone practices the same faith or, if they do practice faith, it’s not necessarily in the same way as others.

It seems that in this day and age we are quick to judge people based on what they do or don’t believe as opposed to getting to know the person on a deeper level.

History has shown us that some of the biggest wars with the most casualties were fought in the name of religion (The Crusades), and that some of the gentlest souls with grand beliefs didn’t necessarily believe in a god (Carl Sagan is one recent example).  

History has also shown us that some atheists can have the coldest hearts (Kim Jong-Il, Joseph Stalin), and those of faith can work wonders (Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi) and bring about great change.

It’s not black and white anymore. And that’s what we’re here to say: that while religion, or lack thereof, may be a part of who someone is, it is not the only part. We are multifaceted beings, all capable of good and bad, and in the end it is our own sense of a moral compass that will guide us along our paths, not just the belief (or lack thereof) in the hereafter.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Herald’s 9-member editorial board.