Earl,

I was hoping you can help me with something. With all the talk about respecting differences why do I feel like if I expressed myself – relating to faith – I would be treated differently. My views and opinions do not match a lot of my classmates and I want to know how this is going to work. If this is my school too, how can I express my opinions, beliefs, and be who I am publicly without being ridiculed?

Thx..

Anon

Hello Anon,

You should obviously be able to express whatever views you possess (as long as they are expressed in a respectful way and don’t target a specific group). But I am struggling to come up with advice for you, probably because my views tend to be similar to others’ so I haven’t walked in your shoes. Now I will try my hardest to widen my perspective.

The first thing that comes to mind is to not provoke battles. Even though you have full freedom to express your views, if you are only voicing them to start a debate, it might be best to keep silent. It is more appropriate to share your beliefs but not challenge others’. School is not really the place to try to convert an atheist or try to make someone pro-choice. If at first you are nervous to express your views in this manner, try to share your views with friends or other people you trust, like a teacher before bringing them up to other who might not listen with as much of an open mind. This may help you strengthen your views and build your confidence before bringing it up to a larger group.

If you do express your views in a non-judgmental and constructive way and you are still ridiculed for your opinion, you should probably bring it to the attention of an adult or talk to your peer directly. The first one is obviously for times when you feel targeted, bullied or a victim of hate speech. But if someone only initially reacts badly to your different  beliefs, it might be useful to try to find common ground and talk through it. Again, don’t try to change any deep rooted beliefs, but if you can, bring to light your side of the story and acknowledge theirs. Hopefully you will both to come away more open minded.

Thank you so much for your letter, and good luck. I’m rooting for you!

Respectfully yours,

Earl Grey