2026 college essay contest: 6th place (tie) — Aaron Love

America’s strength doesn’t come from religion

FFRF awarded Aaron $1,000.

By Aaron Love

When I first heard President Trump say that you just cannot have a great country if you do not have religion, it did not sit right with me. Not because I am against religion. I grew up in church, and my faith community shaped a lot of who I am. But the idea that a country cannot be great without religion feels too small for a world as big and diverse as ours. It leaves out too many people who contribute to our society every day, whether they are religious, spiritual, questioning or not religious at all.

As a 19-year-old college student, I am surrounded by people from every background. Some of my closest friends are Muslim, Christian, atheist, agnostic or still figuring out what they believe. What I have learned is that greatness does not come from everyone believing the same thing. It comes from people respecting each other enough to live together, work together and build something bigger than themselves. You do not need religion to care about people. You do not need religion to want justice, fairness or equality. Those values come from humanity, not faith.

When Trump said that line, it felt like he was saying that people who are not religious do not matter as much or cannot contribute to the country’s success. But that is not true. Some of the most influential scientists and thinkers in history were not religious, including Albert Einstein, who openly described himself as nonreligious, and Marie Curie, who was agnostic. Their work changed the world because of curiosity and compassion, not because of religion.

Studies also show that nonreligious Americans volunteer and donate at similar rates as religious Americans. Honestly, when I look at the problems we face today, like health disparities, climate change, poverty and discrimination, these issues do not get solved by religion. They get solved by people working together, using knowledge, empathy and creativity. You do not have to pray to care about someone’s health. You do not have to go to church to want clean water for every community. You do not have to follow a religion to believe that every person deserves dignity.

Research from the Pew Research Center shows that the United States is becoming more religiously diverse and more religiously unaffiliated, yet still remains one of the most charitable and civically engaged countries in the world.

I also think about the people who feel pushed out when leaders say things like that. What about the kid who is questioning their beliefs? What about the student who grew up without religion but still wants to serve their community? What about the immigrant who practices a faith most Americans do not understand? Are they less American? Less capable of helping build a great country? Of course not.

Greatness comes from diversity of thought, belief and experience. It comes from people being free to believe or not believe without being judged for it. That freedom is one of the founding principles of this country. The First Amendment protects both freedom of religion and freedom from religion, which means the government cannot favor one belief system over another. If anything, forcing religion into the definition of greatness goes against what America is supposed to stand for.

For me, faith is personal. It guides me, but I do not expect it to guide everyone else. I do not think a country needs one belief system to be strong. What it needs is people who care about each other, who are willing to listen, and who want to make life better for the next generation. So, when Trump says you cannot have a great country without religion, I think he is missing the bigger picture. A great country is not built on one belief. It is built on the freedom for all beliefs.

Aaron, 19, attends the University of Kentucky and plans to major in Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology.

“I grew up in Georgia in a close family that taught me the importance of giving back, which is why I volunteer at a food bank and mentor younger fencers at my local club,” Aaron writes. “I also served as a page at the Georgia State Capitol, where I learned how policy affects real people and why young voices matter.”