As a Global Girl Media reporter there are many things that are still unclear to me. As a journalist, I make sure all my reports are well researched and can be understood. But unfortunately not all things can be searched for on the Web - some things have to be looked for inside of oneself.
As a growing teen and in my rebel years, I question my religion. In fact, I just question what the heck religion is? Whatever it is, it plays a vital role in our lives and that's why I decided to write about it and how it shapes us.
My mother emphasized the importance of our attending Sunday Mass at the local Roman Catholic Church in my community. She enrolled me in Catechism class and this coming September, I'll be in my Confirmation class. What is the point of these religious classes? What the instructors say goes in one ear and out the other. They tell us to praise Jesus or God because they presumably help us. They force us to go to church so we can be "GOOD CATHOLICS." But what is a good Catholic? I curse and yet God doesn't strike me down with lightning... at least not yet.
The elders in my family are fervent believers in God. Mother prays. Grandmother used to pray as well (she recently passed away). I never really understood my grandmother. Born and raised in the poverty of Puebla, Mexico, she was raised to be a good Catholic. Yet some of her traditions caught me offguard. I remember she used to talk to the dead, claiming they were still here. Yet, the Bible states that after death, humans either go to heaven or hell, but never stay with us. That's when I began to question this Catholic religion...
I remember learning in my Advanced Placement World History class that religion was a way for the oppressed to feel the hope of salvation. During Medieval times, Christianity rose in prominence because, with the Black Plague, it gave people hope of surviving or entering heaven. I also learned that during the Roman Empire, a common religion served as a way to maintain order. The Crusades were holy wars waged to spread Christianity and conquer new lands, especially the holy land of Israel. What's more is that, during the era of Nationalism, religion was a way to identify yourself (it sure worked for identifying Jews during the Nazi era).
I think I believe in a mixture of religions. I believe in Buddhism and entering Nirvana after death. I believe in the teaching of Confucius because the family relationship should be respected in society. I believe in Hinduism and knowing your place in the world and working hard so your next life will be better. I believe in Catholicism because I know I pray to God and Jesus for help. I especially believe in the indigenous religion of the Aztecs. I am of Aztec descent and so I follow their path by speaking to my "dead" grandparents. I know they're still here.
So what is religion's purpose? To society? To family? To our country? To the world? To me? I think it serves as a way to indentify where you are from, to give you hope and the strength to be yourself. At the moment I can't really stick to one religion because there are so many things I believe in. I guess I'm still on my journey to finding myself - somewhere along the way I think I'll find my religion too.
Written by Rocio Ortega
Become a Global Girl
