Reflection Assignment #1

When reviewing Allison and Schneider’s diversity wheel the first identity that caught my eye was the religion identity. Though they do not place religion on the inner wheel, I know that my religious beliefs have not only shaped the person I am today, but they are a part of me that I am unable to change.
The first time I felt “out of place” or “different” was when I was seven years old. I was at recess waiting to be picked for a basketball team. I found myself in the middle of a conversation I did not understand. The other kids were talking about what they had done in their Sunday school classes. Before I could ask what Sunday school was, I was bombarded with questions, “What do you do in your Sunday school class?” “What church do you go to?” “What religion are you?” Luckily, I was picked for a team before I was forced to answer. That night I went home and asked me mother, “What are we?” She tried to hold back a laugh while she replied, “What do you mean, honey?” Having had little exposure to different religions, I assumed that all people were either “Christian” or “Catholic.” Still not knowing really what those words meant, I said to her, “Are we Christian or Catholic?”
I was not raised with any defined religion. Though both of my parents had attended a religious service on a weekly basis while growing up, they had agreed upon marrying that they were not interested in joining a formal church. While my mom gracefully attempted to explain to me why we did not go to church like the other children in my class, I remember thinking to myself that I was missing out on something. I am not sure if it was a sense of jealousy, as to suggest that the other kids had something I did not, or if it was simply so that I would not feel different, but at that moment all I wanted to do was to go to church. I begged with my mother to take me to church on Sunday morning. She agreed, warning me that we would have to get up early. The night before I was so excited, I laid out the clothes I had planned to wear and tried to imagine what it would be like. When morning came my mom came to wake me up and I quickly replied, “It’s too early, I don’t want to go anymore.”
That was the last moment I felt out of place having not attended church. When I began high school I was introduced to a diverse group of people and rapidly became more interested in different cultures. I began asking people to tell me about their religious beliefs and traditions. This is often a touchy subject for some people, as I quickly found out. I then asked if I could attend a few of their services. I attended everything I was invited to: youth groups, Sunday services, missionary discussions, festivals, marriage ceremonies. I had questions about everything. Sadly, I was not always greeted with answers. When I reached college, I decided to take a few religion courses, to learn more about the historical aspects of each major religion.
Today, I have a very strong sense of my own beliefs and morals. Now, I no longer feel different because I did not go to church, I feel different because I know that the things that I believe are things that I have taken the time to discover for myself. Unfortunately, many people are born into religious backgrounds that they are expected to follow merely because of their family’s beliefs. This can often cause conflict between cultures because people are either not willing to take the time to learn about other religions, or they may have a difficult time sharing their own religious beliefs with others because they do not know why they believe the things that they do. I am very fortunate to have no been brought up without a defined religion because it allowed me the freedom I needed to develop my own thoughts and understandings of spirituality and humanity.
I consider myself to be an open-minded person and I know that this is because I have been able to explore many cultures. My sense of understanding and willingness to learn is what has led me to the non-profit field. I know that I am the person I am today because I was not raised with a religion and that I will choose to raise my children with a similar approach.