“What’s your religion?”
When asked straight out, most people would promptly reply in answer. What would the acceptable responses be? Surely Christian or Born Again or even Muslim.
As for me, if asked before the late years of high school, I would definitely declare I’m Christian. That was what’s written in my birth certificate, after all. I’ve been taught to pray and live by the teachings of the bible. I may not have noticed it back then, with me still being too immature to understand, but I slowly came to realize that all this religion stuff doesn’t really reach me inside. I haven’t been a religious one, but I didn’t close my mind as I struggle to grasp what I really believe in, not what others would like me to.
In college, I was asked again. I knew answering Catholic would get me the hell out of there faster but I decided to reply honestly and said I don’t know. The counselor looked at me incredulously. How could I not know, she asked. I merely shrugged in response.
And now, a few years after, my answer didn’t change much.
Well, it did actually, after a certain incident at work. You see, there’s this devotion period every Monday for some self reflection. I thought, sure, this could be a chance to settle my spiritual struggle once and for all. And surprise, it did! I mean, when you’re told by a supposed hard core religious old lady that you’re going to hell after singling you out for demoralization in front of your company, what’s left to contemplate about?
If condemning people who don’t share the same beliefs is what people of faith do in their past time, then damn, I think I’d rather stay faithless all my life. I was hoping for closure or even just advices, but I got all of that and more. So, to the old lady I so love, I sincerely thank you. Without the soul penetrating kind words which you thrust into my fragile well-being, I would still be the poor lost soul that I’ve been for the past few years.
Ask me now, and my comeback would be a definite “I don’t have one”. People often inquire with Is there such a thing? When lucky, you would even receive some contemptuous stares. That’s not entirely new, but I would prefer that over being cursed to the deepest pit of hell any day, seriously. I don’t get those people, I don’t have faith wherein you do, so what? You won’t see me mouthing off theists because I accept that they do have faith(Except for the case mentioned above, which doesn’t count because she started it! I’m harmless, I tell you). And I hope that those people would also respect mine, or lack thereof.
have a great laugh!
