Madison Ford
Entertainment Editor
The south is loud and proud when it comes to religion.
Growing up in the Bible Belt has been an interesting experience for me. I was raised Catholic by two parents both from the Northeast.
I was raised to view my religion as something personal and private. As I grew older, however, I began to see that my subdued faith greatly differed from that of my peers. They wore their Christianity boldly on their sleeves. Literally. Being Christian was a fashion statement, an after-school activity, and, most important, a message they needed to share. With everyone.
This is not to say this was wrong. Just different — for me. I was not used to churches with movie theater seats and paddleboats and coffee shops. I knew The Apostles’ Creed, and the meaning behind the Eucharist, but ask me to quote from the bible, and you would be met with a blank stare.
When I became a teenager, I was faced with an interesting culture shock. I began to realize that a more Bible-based and vocal Christianity surrounded me. Not just in my town, but everywhere. People used the word Christian as a synonym for a good person.
“Yes, I love our dentist. He is such a good Christian.”
“Jimmy has such good friends. They’re just such good Christian boys.”
This sort of talk struck me. How did they know what religion these people were? What if the dentist was Jewish or Hindu? Would that have altered the value of his dentistry? Or even more his character?
Growing up here, it is hard not to be swept up in the current of the Bible Belt. Even the summer camps are tied in with non denominational Christian messages. I must tell you, having attended one of these camps as a Catholic, they are not non-denominational. It is a troubling experience having your Christian faith (yes, Catholicism is a Christian religion) questioned by your counselor at a Christian camp.
As a Catholic, I had always been taught that actions speak louder than words. But in the Bible Belt, words mean a lot. In some Protestant faiths, “accepting Jesus as your personal savior” is essentially the key to salvation. I had always thought the key was treating others with the kindness.
But who am I to judge? My Protestant friends maintain a kind of relationship that, while difficult for me to comprehend, is meaningful and strong.
We live in a time where it takes a lot of courage to believe in something. There was once a time when the disregard of a higher power was unheard of, and even punishable by law. But now those who feel strongly about their religion, whatever it may be, are perceived as unreasonable. So there is certainly something respectable about those in the South who are so unafraid and uninhibited with their religion.
As I have gotten older I have questioned many things, as young people tend to do. Now, as I am about to embark into the realm of adulthood, I have come to a conclusion: Religion can be something beautiful. We simply need to cast aside the judgments of one another, because it seems the heart of every religion wants something very similar. We are all searching for something, whether it is religious enlightenment or scientific discovery. So at the end of the day we must look inside ourselves and find the light within that will guide us there.
I am glad I grew up in the Bible Belt, and I am thankful for the way I was raised in my own religion. My religious journey has taken me out of my comfort zone and on to a place where I know what I want from the world, and my God, and myself. And at this point in my life, what else is there to ask for?
