Why It's Important
According to the Pew Research Center,1 a majority of college graduates in the U.S. identify as Christian (66%). Of the 34% of college graduates who do not identify as Christian, 3% identify as Jewish and 1% as Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. Twenty-five percent identify as "unaffiliated" — atheism and agnosticism fall under this category.
According to the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA,2 although the vast majority of higher education students indicate that they are Christian, college first-years are less religious than ever, and university campuses are becoming more and more religiously diverse each year.
It's essential to use precise, informed language when discussing religion and spirituality on college and university campuses.
Your Language Matters
Some students follow a religion (e.g., Islam, Buddhism), and others hold a belief (e.g., atheism, secularism).3 However, the two are not always mutually exclusive — some people may identify with a religion as well as a belief system (e.g., a Jewish person may also identify as agnostic).
Keep these general guidelines in mind when speaking or writing about religion, regardless of a person's specific faith or spiritual practice:
- Do not assume that because someone is from a certain country or of a certain race or ethnicity, they practice a certain religion.
- Do not reference a person's religion unless it's pertinent information.
- Do not assume someone is religious or believes in a singular god or polytheistic gods. Ask a person how they would like to be identified when you do need to discuss their beliefs.
- While the U.S. is a majority Christian country, avoid Christian-centric language when possible (e.g., say "Happy Holidays" in multi-faith group settings rather than "Merry Christmas.").
- Do not make broad generalizations about a specific religious group. Avoid stereotyping.
- Do not assume that the actions of an individual or small group of people of one religion represent the beliefs and actions of all people who follow that faith.
Below, find specific guidance on some of the most practiced minority religions in the U.S., in alphabetical order:
Buddhism and Hinduism
Not everyone follows an Abrahamic religion, and not every non-Abrahamic religion focuses on a creator god. Also, not believing in a creator god does not mean that someone is not spiritual or religious. As with other faith traditions, Buddhism and Hinduism encompass a wide variety of philosophies and practices — Hinduism, in particular, is often considered a family of beliefs rather than one religion.4
Do not assume someone follows a particular religion because they come from a place where that religion is commonly practiced. For example, not all Indians are Hindu, and not all Thai people are Buddhist.
Don't Use
- Hindi when referring to a person who follows Hinduism5
- Idolatry or idol worshipping to refer to devotional practices involving images or statues
Do Use
- Hindu when referring to a follower of Hinduism; Hindi refers to the language most commonly spoken in India
- In Hinduism, spiritual practices involving images, statues, and symbolism are called murti puja. Similar practices may go by different names in other religions.
Islam
Islam is a religion, while a Muslim is an adherent of Islam. Muslims can come from any cultural background, so do not assume that all Muslims look, dress, or act in certain ways. Also, Muslim is not a synonym for Arab or Middle Eastern; many Arabs and Middle Eastern people are not Muslim, and many Muslims come from places outside of the Middle East and Arabic-speaking countries.
Islamophobia is the prejudice against Islam or Muslims. However, due to stereotypes about how Muslims look or dress, certain non-Muslims (such as Sikhs) have been victims of Islamophobia as well. Avoid Islamophobic tropes about terrorism, violence, or the oppression of women.6
Don't Use
- "Islamic" when referring to people
- "Islamist" to refer to anyone who is Muslim
- "Moslem"
Do Use
- "Muslim" when referring to people and "Islamic" when referring to things (e.g. "Islamic architecture")
- "Muslim" as the general term; "Islamists" are only those who believe in Islamic fundamentalism. The vast majority of Muslims are not Islamists.
- "Muslim"
Judaism
Judaism can be both a religion and an ethnic identity. For example, Ashkenazi Jews descend from Eastern Europe, Mizrahi Jews can trace their ancestry to the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, and Sephardic Jews come from the Iberian Peninsula. However, there is no one way to look, sound, or act "Jewish."
Antisemitism is prejudice against or discrimination of Jewish people. Like when speaking about any religion, avoid sweeping generalizations when talking about Jews. In particular, do not play into antisemitic tropes about Jewish people and money or power.7
Don't Use
- "The Jews" disparagingly
- "Judaism" as a synonym for "Zionism" or vice versa
- "Antisemitism" as a synonym for "anti-Zionism" or vice versa
Do Use
- Jewish people
- "Zionism" to refer to the nationalist movement, "Judaism" to refer to the religion
- "Antisemitism" to refer to discrimination against Jewish people, "anti-Zionism" to refer to the movement against Zionism
Sources
- Pew Research Center. (Retrieved on 2024, April 12). Religious landscape study — college graduates.
- Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. (Retrieved on 2024, April 12). CIRP freshman survey.
- Pratt Institute Libraries. (2023, October 27). Inclusive language — religion.
- History.com Editors. (2023, November 16). Hinduism. History.
- Shukla, Suhag, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation. (2024, January 31). Personal communication.
- Said, Edward. (1998, January 2). Islam through Western eyes. The Nation.
- Facing History and Ourselves. (2022, April 8). Antisemitism and its impacts.
