The word “religion” can mean different things to different people.

One registered student organization wants to discuss these differences.

Members of Scholars Exploring Cultures Religious Experiences and Traditions, or SECRET, dedicate themselves to furthering the knowledge of religious traditions.

“We all need to accept and love each other and that’s what this group does,” said Harbor Springs sophomore Caleb Ross, the group’s publicist.

The group meets at 5:45 p.m. every other Tuesday in Pearce Hall Room 108.

Adviser and assistant professor of philosophy and religion Talat Halman said the group discusses religious topics such as festivals and holidays, watches movies on religion and has visited the Buddhist temple, the Dhammasala Forest Monastery, near Perry.

Group members are planning on co-hosting a screening of the movie “Religulous,” starring Bill Maher with another RSO, the Non-Religious, Atheist, Free Thinker and Agnostic Alliance.

Midland senior Ashley Taylor has been the group’s president for three semesters and is majoring in religion and philosophy.

Taylor was raised Catholic, but said she now agrees with the way Buddhists view the world, although she does not consider herself Buddhist.

A range of religion

The group has around 10 members, many of whom are religion majors.

“I’m a religion major, so it’s nice to be among fellow religion scholars,” Ross said.

Ross does not follow a specific religion, but considers himself Rastafarian above others.

Harbor Springs sophomore Forrest Worthington is not a religion major, but goes because he loves studying religion.

“You can’t go through history without looking at religion,” Worthington said. “Religion has played the biggest part in history.”

Algonac freshman Kelly Mytinger joined this semester out of an interest in studying other cultures.

“I like the openness of this group and how they aren’t judgemental,” she said. “The town I come from people are very judgemental toward other foreign cultures and religions.”

The group also plans on hosting a forum titled “Sex, drugs and rock and roll” on Oct. 27 at a to-be-announced location.

“For me, God is like music,” said Halman, a Sufi Muslim. “Maybe you can hear the music, maybe you can’t. If you can hear the music you can dance.”

E-mail the author: Joe Borlik