In my photo essay, my main goal was to portray my perspective on religion and its popular connotations in society, specifically pertaining to middle eastern religions that are lesser known and notoriously discriminated against, as well as those who believe in no religion. My concentration throughout these paintings was to show how Christianity and the larger, more common religions have overtaken society and resulted in prejudice against those such as Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. My message was for people to open their minds and let go of popular opinion and unnecessary suspicion of people and faiths they do not understand.  

The progression through the pictures indicates first, the overshadowing of “mainstream” religion, that is Christianity, over less practiced religions. Hidden within the wave overtaking the Buddhist figure is the cross signifying Christianity, the wave comes across tall and powerful, with a lot of depth. In the second image, the aggressive, overpowering nature of popular religion is shown. The significance of the angel with the gun in the second image is that some Christians feel as though they need to protect themselves against anyone or anything that would question the teachings or traditions of their faith. In this observation, there are no accusations of all Christians of acting this way, only those on the extreme ends of the spectrum are the ones I have portrayed in my image. 

The next two images are meant to characterize agnostics, atheists, or those who are completely detached from religion and feelings or experiences associated with those beliefs or lack of. For example, the third image is supposed to be a visual representation of having religion forced down your throat, something that I feel very strongly about. It is not fair for someone to feel like following a religion is something one has to do and have this influence forced upon he/she by family or friends. The alternative meaning for this piece could be viewed as having to take religion like a pill, perhaps for those who are influenced into a faith by family or peers. The fourth image was also a feeling experienced in observing religion, specifically Christianity, which seems to be poisoned because the teachings come from a book written hundreds of years ago. While the lessons that come from the Bible may be useful, we cannot use them word for word in direct context to judge or justify things in the modern age because things are always changing and some things now are more acceptable than they used to be and vice versa. People’s beliefs and values are so skewed because of their narrow-mindedness to only focus on the words of a book, and not actual people and their feelings or wellbeing. 

The meaning of the fifth image can vary depending on the viewer, for some it can be from the viewpoint of someone who practices a more unfamiliar religion and their feelings of seclusion from others. On the other hand, and in my eyes, it could be taken as seeing an unfamiliar religion as something so different it is almost other-worldly. For those who objectively view religion, seeing iconography and practices can feel like one is one another planet, but respect must always be held for those choosing to follow his/her beliefs. The last image is supposed to represent the hopeful future of peace and acceptance of all, no matter the beliefs or traditions, the symbol of the unalome depicting enlightenment and tranquility. The order of the pictures in this photo essay is my take on the dominance of Christianity in the modern age, as well as the casting out of religions, particularly those in the middle east, that people are afraid of and discriminate against just because they do not understand them. My own perspective regarding my own agnostic beliefs and my own experiences observing the ways religion can affect people is portrayed throughout my images. Finally, my hope for a future of open-mindedness and actual religious tolerance, as well as peace for all people.

The meaning of the pictures each being formatted on a single page in a word document was purely to have each image as the center of attention. This is also the reasoning for them being on a plain white background and formatted to almost fill the page. Having them each on their own page allows the reader to scroll through and see them in the progression in which I wanted them to be seen, so that the meanings could be interpreted in almost a story-like way. 

Even though I have my own specific meanings for each image and in turn, a message for all the pieces together as a photo essay, I want the reader to interpret them in a way that relates to their own life and their own beliefs. I think that since the pieces can be seen in many ways depending on the religion, age, background, etc. of the viewer, the story that the pieces tell together could mean so many different things. For some, it could genuinely relate to their perspective on popular religion or their lack of religious beliefs and those readers could extract the exact interpretations I meant to portray. But also, it can be very controversial, and could even be offensive to some people, which was not my intention at all. Even though it may seem that I am saying all of these things about all Christians, I recognize that it is only a small sect who carry such extreme prejudice and I am not trying to categorize all members of the faith as the same. Hopefully the reader would be able to keep an open mind, especially since the last image is that of enlightenment and acceptance. 

Overall, my photo essay promotes open-mindedness and the ability to think beyond what is familiar, as well as to reject the fear of religions that are lesser known and the discrimination and prejudice that accompanies it toward the people who follow those faiths. Unfortunately, Christianity and some of the teachings and values it instills can be harmful and create unjust bias in some people towards people and religions they do not even try to understand. My message is not that I think the dominance of Christianity is a bad thing, but we can do a better job about being tolerant and accepting of all people, unless given a reason not to. 