For are first Action Project in are who am I class was to talk about truth and how you see it. We made a podcast that talks about what we believe in and I chose to write about religion. What I found most challenging was recording the whole thing. What I am most proud of is how my podcast turned out. Enjoy!!
People say we live in a Christian nation, but when it comes to religious belief, I consider myself an atheist. According to Wikipedia, atheism is the rejection of the belief that any deities exist. Usually, when someone has a religious belief, it is something they grew up with, but for me, I did not grow up in an atheist family. My mother took me to church and even put me in a Christian school as a child. As I got older, though, I found it hard to believe in something that I do not see as real; people telling me about a God without evidence was too abstract. My truth is that I do not believe in a God and that religion is used for control.
When I was in the 1st grade, my mother put me in a religious school affiliated with the church that my great-aunt attended. The teachers would sometimes tell us that if we weren't obedient that the devil was using us or teach us that the Bible was the only religious text we should read. I know my mother did not like the guilt tactics they used to get us behave, and she took it upon herself to explain to me that there were many religions, not just Christianity. I think subconsciously the guilt and the dogma didn’t sit well with me because I found no matter where my mom took me to church, I was not interested and didn’t feel like I belonged. In fact, my mom says that I never sat still and I didn’t pay attention to church when I was younger. The music was often too loud, and the adults never explained why we worshiped the way we did when I went to children's classes.
My grandfather is a very religious person, and he believes that there is a God. He said that as he got older, his faith grew stronger. You can probably already guess that my dad is not really into organized religion but has a spiritual understanding. My mom no longer practices the religion she grew up with and dealt with some backlash from my grandfather. Because of her experience, she gave me the freedom to make choices that felt right to me as it pertained to religion. As I get older, I may become more spiritual. I may find a mentor or sage who can give me a better explanation of God and the faith behind it. This person may help me to form a spiritual belief system, but for now, I agree with my dad, and I see religion as a way to control people through guilt. Telling me that “God is going to get me” as a way to make me do something is not an honest way to get action or respect from someone. The abstract nature of individual belief systems is not something I understand. It is not my truth as I do not have facts nor does it fit into my reality.
Overall religion is how you see it. It can differ from family and friends. My parent's religious views differ from my grandparents. In return, they have allowed me to have my experience and opinions as it relates to religion. I believe religion should be a personal belief that works for the individual, even if it may not agree with those around you. That may be hard for some families because their religion is tied to their identity, but I have been fortunate enough to have parents who are willing to understand my views and allowed me to form my own beliefs.
