Something to Stand For

This is an essay written in an hour and half for my English Class as a timed write. The topic was to choose something that you would stand for, what consequences could be expected, and how you would react to any regulations. I chose religion.

         There is always a need for restrictions on human behavior, to protect the natural rights of everything living. With great power comes great responsibility, and people have forgotten the responsibility to care for and respect all living creatures in the same manner they care for themselves. In small children, it is very common to observe the attitude that “I want what I want when I want it…and I want it NOW!” There are many faults in that line of thinking, and most people, fortunately, grow out of it. Some, however, do not. These people are the ones who care about the rest of the world only in regard to themselves. It is these people who infringe on the rights of others, who fight for laws to oppress others to make themselves feel more important because in their minds they are the center of the universe, not the sun. It was these people who caused much of the horrors in the history of the world. It is these people that I would stand against, should they ever attempt to take my freedom, my land, my religion, or even my right to call myself Cherokee as my family has done for so long. I would not stand for it, for it is those people who think themselves above the rest of humanity who would push through such oppression.

If the United States of America were to declare a national religion, it would most likely be Christianity, though in what form or denomination, I have not a clue. If Congress passed a bill declaring the national religion to be Christianity, and all other religions were illegal to practice, I would shout to the world that I am not a Christian.

In all honesty, I don’t know what I am. I have beliefs that come from many established religions, but I do not follow any one in full. I practice Tarot for guidance in my life when all seems lost, I pray to the Great Creator that my ancestors did, I ask for help from the Cherokee Little People when it seems talking to anyone is out of the question. I believe the universe to be made up of many planes of existence, with each plane containing multiple dimensions, and each dimension containing many worlds. I believe Christ was a prophet with wonderful teachings, but I do not believe him to be the only son of God. I believe that God and Allah and the Creator and the Wiccan God and Goddess are all sides and faces of the same entity. I believe in karma and the power of natural energy to heal common ailments. I believe that magic exists neutrally, neither black nor white, and is only corrupted by the intentions of the practitioner. I believe in the Wiccan Reid which states “and it harm none, ye do what ye will.” I believe in the existence of magical creatures such as fairies, nymphs, dragons, mermaids, and others. So what religion classifies me?

If the United States of America declared the national religion to be Christianity, with prison or probation or registration on some offenders list, I would be ready to accept the consequences. I would do just as I do now. Meditate, pray, talk to Mother Nature when no one else will listen…and I would not hide it. I don’t hide it now, yet I don’t broadcast it. I would make it known, when asked, what it is exactly that I believe in. I would rather practice my own religion in a jail cell than be forced to falsely claim that I am a Christian follower. One of the Christian teachings is to always be honest. If someone would rather see me lie than be honest and behind bars, they must not truly be Christian.

I am who I am, plain and simple. My beliefs may be difficult to comprehend, but I would rather be honest with the world than forced to claim to be someone I am not. With thanks to the First Amendment, I can be who I am; and if it weren’t in place, I would still have those same beliefs.

Author's Note

Just thought I'd throw this out there. I'm interested in seeing some responses, but please, do not try to convert me.

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

This is an outstanding "airing" of your thoughts, and hopefuly, you were given an "A". As many have come to be, myself included, you are far more spiritual than religious, and I think that's good.

[Kaitlin W. Blaylock]

thank you! I'd forgotten about this piece, I wrote it so long ago