Students, faculty and staff have shared their disapproval of religion for the past week outside Faner and Lawson Hall.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has taken the initiative to openly discuss religion with students at the university by setting up display boards for the campus community to write what they dislike about specific religions in the Faner Breezeway and outside Lawson Hall from Monday to Thursday.

The organization is an interdenominational campus group whose goal is to help students find God and a Christian community during their stay in Carbondale, said Josh Gaither, a student leader of the organization.

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He said the group did the project two years ago and decided to try it again this year.

Gaither, a junior from Woodlawn studying biological sciences, said the group may have the display boards again this week.

He said members of the organization wanted to see where people disconnect from religion, and then hopefully show participants the things they dislike about religion are actually what people have created, he said.

“We’re trying to break down the false perspectives people have about religion, specifically Christianity and Jesus Christ,” he said.

Zach Marvel, a junior from Johnston City studying zoology and administrative justice, said a positive to discussing religion is the possibility it may open your mind to other beliefs.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that the religion they believe in could simply be because they grew up in a certain culture and they’ve been directed toward one religion,” he said.

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Gaither said every person looks at religion in a different light. He said an environment where students can have a basic conversation is a good way to get people to come to an understanding of other religions’ concepts.

“I think it’s good for people to be able to open their eyes and think in a way they’re not used to thinking because they might have been surrounded by people who’ve mirrored their religious views,” he said.

Benjamin Dean, a senior from Leroy studying psychology, said the religious discussion with other students helps by informing them about religion they may already have an opinion of.

“If someone was raised in one religion, they may have been told about others, but they haven’t really researched or studied other religious groups,” he said.

Marvel said there will always be people who become upset when exchanging religious views.

“It’s a very touchy topic, and people have problems openly discussing it because people try to impose their faith on other people as to where they’re not able to simply explain what the religion might have to offer them compared to what they already believe in,” he said.

Dean said people can take ideas the wrong way and try to call other religions crazy. He said he thinks Christian organizations assert their views on people.

“I don’t consider myself Catholic, but I was raised Catholic and in church they really try to push it on you,” he said.

Gaither said Christianity can receive a negative reputation about having zero tolerance for other religions.

“The disbelief is that you’re wrong, we’re right and a lot of people have that idea,” he said. “For us, we do believe Christianity is the only way, but we also believe we should be talking with people and understanding of their views.”

Marvel, a follower of Buddhism, said other religious groups have to realize everyone comes from different cultures and different parts of the world.

“People are going to have different beliefs but all religions share the concept of love and compassion, therefore they all kind of overlap,” he said.