Religious Field Trips

Don't fret...this isn't a religious "I'm-going-to-convert-you" type of post.

Having grown up in the middle of the Bible belt, my faith and love of God has always played a major role in my life. Thankfully, I was blessed with parents that taught me the importance of God and took me to church and actively lived their faith as an example for me. Regardless of what your faith is, I'm sure you can agree that having parents that practice what the preach is always an asset. Anyway, while my parents took me to church and lived Christian lives in front of me they didn't raise a religious nut either.

Please don't misunderstand, my faith is strong and important to me. I believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God, was born of a virgin, and died and was resurrected to save me from eternity in Hell, but I also don't try to push that on to other people. Christians have gotten a bad rap for being a bunch of religious nuts who are judgemental and hypocritical. And some are, but most of us aren't.

Anyway, religion as a whole has become a fasination for me over the last several years. Some people might see that as my faith is wavering, but I assure you that it isn't. I know this interest began when I met my friend Becky. She was raised Catholic (and I hope she doesn't mind me saying that on here) and I was raised Baptist. When we were roommates in college she would sometimes take me to Mass with her on Saturday night and she'd occassionally come to Sunday school and service with me on Sunday morning. She never pushed her religion onto me and hopefully she feels the same way about me. It was neat to get to see and experience something totally different from the way I was raised. And she was always patient with all my questions about her faith. I'm curious by nature so I asked everything and anything. I really enjoyed picking her brain about the Catholic faith.

Here lately, I have another friend that allows me to indulge that curiousity in regards to the Jewish faith. Sometimes I worry that I'm offensive in my lack of knowledge of the faith, but he's always patient with helping me understand certain traditions. I honestly find it fasinating! Anyway, something was said today (and now I can't even remember what it was) but I discovered that one of our new teachers is Jewish too. She was impressed I knew that today was Yom Kippur. I really should have said it was because it was written on my calendar but nonetheless she was impressed. Of course I didn't know what it meant (evidenced in the fact that I wished her a Happy Yom Kippur to which she replied that it's not exactly a happy holiday) but she appreciated it all the same. Hey sometimes it really is the thought that counts! She's not a religous nut either (her words) because she's rather relaxed on certain things in her faith.

I mentioned to her my enjoyment of learning about other faiths and she said I'd have to come with her to a service sometime. That's when I told her about how Becky and I would visit each other's church. She loved the idea of a religious field trip to explore another faith. We spent about twenty minutes talking about the differences in our faiths and comparing notes on the parts that were similar. She even jokingly gave me homework (find out three facts and bring her an article of Jewish clothing...silly girl!) but I think I'm going to take her up on the offer to visit her church. I mean synagogue. Anyway, I think it'll be neat to go and add this to my religous experiences.

Now, I feel like I should add that while I do enjoy learning about other faiths this only strengthens my own faith. I feel that I bring an open mind to the table (though not so open my brains might fall out) and can experience it without worry that I'm converting or losing my own faith along the way. I still feel strongly that my faith is right and true, but it never hurts to say that you've got some knowledge about other religions under your belt. And that is how I look at it...learning about something new while not forgetting what is most important at the center of my life and faith.

I think that makes me a well-rounded person right?!