One of my favorite aspects of writing this column is the responses I receive via email from readers. Surprisingly, I’ve only ever received one email that was vulgar and inappropriate, while the rest were well thought out and educated responses. Those are the ones I enjoy because I like to reply, as time permits, and have actual discussions with the readers about the topics I write about.
This topic is one I’m not sure how many people will respond, especially since there are roughly 150 churches in Marion County, but I welcome all thoughts on the matter.
How I practice my faith isn’t something that was planned or thought out by any means. It really just kind of happened.
I grew up going to a Catholic church and as most kids are, I was bored the majority of the time. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized why I was so bored at church. And it wasn’t just in the Catholic church — I’ve been to nondenominational churches and have gone to other churches with friends. I was still pretty bored.
And it wasn’t because I find any aspect of religion to be boring. No. It was because I was being told about religion through someone else’s perspective, not my own.
Maybe it’s because I think differently than most people — I know I do — but I really dislike learning about things through other people. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy story telling. I wouldn’t be a reporter if I didn’t. But while I accept other people’s interpretations of things, I prefer to make my own when presented with information. That doesn’t make my interpretation better than anyone else’s. It just makes it my own.
A couple days ago, I was asked by somebody in town what church I went to. I told them I don’t go to church. The look I received in that instant … just wow. Then they asked if I was a Christian. I replied yes. “Why don’t you go to church then?”
In that moment, I didn’t have the right words to say my answer thoughtfully and have it be understood, and that bothered me. This person judged me because of my decision not to attend church and was dumbfounded that I was Christian with no interest in finding the right church for me.
What I have come to learn from attending various churches is that they will all read passages from the Bible then tell you what that Scripture means. But I think differently from every other person in that church as they do with everybody else.
To me, I don’t need anybody to tell me what any Scripture means. I’m an educated individual with critical thinking skills and am perfectly capable of coming up with my own interpretations when reading the Bible.
Every last person that reads the Bible and tries to decipher the meaning of the Scriptures they’re reading on their own is going to have their own, unique interpretation of it. We’re all different and think differently; it’s only natural.
With that being the case, what is so wrong with my decision to practice my faith on my own? I’m no less Christian than anybody else just because I prefer not to go to church. My relationship with God is no different than when I did go to church. I still identify as Catholic. I read the Bible. I pray. I accept the Lord as my savior.
That exchange a few days ago really bothered me because I felt I was being judged and belittled for not practicing my faith the way that person thought I should. My faith didn’t feel belittled and neither did I, but in that person’s mind I was.
As Christians, aren’t we supposed to be accepting of each other? My way of practicing my faith should not be viewed as lesser than anybody else’s. It’s not a contest after all. n
