Student navigates religious conference despite personal doubts

Student navigates religious conference despite personal doubts

Guest Column by Elise Buxton | University of Idaho

Students from the University of Idaho’s Martin Institute recently participated in the Student Conference on Religion in the Public Sphere (SCRIPS) at BYU. Organized by the Wheatley Institute, SCRIPS brings together diverse religious mentors and students to develop projects addressing pluralism in local democratic institutions. The Martin Institute focuses on studying war causes, peace conditions and international engagement.

When I was asked to attend the Student Conference on Religion in the Public Sphere (SCRIPS) conference, I said no. If I remember right, the exact words I emailed back were “I’m not sure it’s quite my cup of tea.” To me, it didn’t feel like I would belong anywhere near a religious-themed conference. Afterall, I haven’t been a part of a church community in years. 

SCRIPS is a yearly event organised by the BYU Wheatley Institute, whose mission includes religion as a core institution and describes people as disciples of Jesus Christ. The theme for the 2025 conference was “Religious Pluralism and Democratic Institutions.” As an explicitly religious event, the prospect of attending was daunting to me.

I was baptised and raised Roman Catholic in a little village in the French Alps. On Sundays, the local church was always packed, but religion was always a private affair. I went to catechism and got communion, while learning about the strict separation of church and state in the French constitution called laïcité.

When we moved to the United States in 2014, we stopped going to church as frequently. For the occasional holiday we would go, but within a few years we stopped going entirely. Now, as a sophomore studying International Studies and Spanish at the University of Idaho, I consider myself agnostic. 

Thinking again about the conference

My “no” was met with an email back from my professor insisting that the conference would open me to different perspectives and an opportunity to work and problem solve with people of different backgrounds. Being religious was not a requirement for attending. They were the right words I needed to hear to accept the offer; it made me realize that if I felt this opposed to the idea of a conference hosted by a religious institution, then maybe I could benefit from a lesson about religious pluralism myself. 

So I went to Utah in late February of 2025 with three of my fellow classmates, and I am grateful that I did. 

When we arrived at the Wheatley Institute on the BYU campus, we were warmly welcomed. During the opening statements, we were specifically told that though there would be prayers for the meals done by students of varying denominations, our attendance was completely voluntary. Should we feel any discomfort, we were welcome to skip them by showing up a few minutes late. I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodation, and found myself showing up early to mealtimes out of curiosity; it felt like my choice to participate rather than a forced religious practice. 

Once we got assigned our working groups to start tackling the conference’s prompt, religion was not included in our introductions. We discussed our majors and our home universities, as well as a few brainstormed ideas for the topic, but no one was put on the spot to share their religious views. I was relieved in a way; I’ve felt judged in the past by religious communities for having left the church. In the SCRIPS conference, however, there was none of that judgement because none of us were forced to share. It came up naturally in conversation with genuine curiosity.

Our meal times especially made me feel welcomed rather than alienated in a space I had originally thought I would be the odd one out. It was spectacular watching students from across the country, who had only just met, talk openly about a variety of subjects. Again, I thought I would be avoiding religious discussions like the plague, but they came naturally. I shared my story, others shared theirs, some testimonies, questions. The whole exchange sitting around a round table sharing a meal was a worthwhile experience in and of itself.

On the last day of the conference for our presentations, I spoke again with the professor who had sent me to SCRIPS. The gist of the exchange was a question: Was it worth it? I agreed vehemently. 

Not only was I around people with different perspectives as my own, but we also learned how to collaborate under a time crunch to answer the conference prompt. I was never made to feel uncomfortable for my personal beliefs, nor was I forced to be in any position of discomfort.

As a parting note, the concept of the French laïcité still lingers in my head as a note of caution in the implementation of religious pluralism in democratic institutions, but the conference has made me more open to the idea, and the benefits of bringing religious pluralism into the discussion.

Elise Buxton is a sophomore at the University of Idaho, majoring in international studies and Spanish with the goal of going to law school. She speaks French and Spanish and is learning Italian. Outside of class, she enjoys skiing and playing tennis.