I remember the day that I realized my religious beliefs were different from others. It was quite enlightening really. I was about thirteen years old and in a World Religions class at school. We talked about all sorts of religions. We discussed how they came to be and how they differed. Then we went around the room and stated our personal faith. I heard people saying, “I’m Christian” or “I’m Jewish”. One person even said they were agnostic. Then it came to me and I had to say something. Finally I simply said, “ I haven’t made up my mind yet. I was raised in a Methodist family but have much respect and curiosity concerning other religions as well.” That being said people soon turned their heads and started asking
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Whether it was approval based on my belief structure or that I had found the gumption to speak my mind on something as sensitive as religion was unknown to me. With that I found that very few people have the mental capacity to draw similarities together concerning their beliefs. They are set on believing that their religion is the only way and it does not vary into other religions. So really me saying everything was nothing at all. However, there I was explaining everything I had ever held close to me to a bunch of people who seemingly did not have the foggiest idea how I could think those thoughts.
When the discussion and the class was dismissed and everyone was thoroughly bewildered, the teacher dismissed the class and asked me to stay behind.
One person asked, “ how can you be Christian and also believe in other religions?” Another person asked if there was a religion I didn’t believe in or if I just ran the gamete? Realizing I might have just given the wrong answer, I soon had to explain my belief system to basic strangers. More a vocal confirmation to myself of what I had already thought so many times before. I had to explain why it was possible for each one to have a place with each other.
Of course when I started explaining how Christianity derived some of its holidays from the Wiccan faith and how Evolution surely had a place in Christianity, they all started shaking their heads just a little more. “How did you find the ability to bare all to your class mates?” she asked me. With that I thought briefly and simply explained even though it is the truth to me and I knew deep down they had already forgotten it all as soon as they left the door. The odd part was, while the students were shaking their heads, the teacher was watching me and giving some sort of smile indicating approval.
Approximate Word count =
481
Approximate Pages =
2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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