by Latrevia Chatman

Created on: March 06, 2009

What I have realized throughout my life is that nothing stays the same. With all the religions in the world, who is to say which one is the right one? Is there even such a thing as the right religion? Spirituality in a sense speaks to your inner being, and it can sway between religious aspects. Who we are individually and culturally, speaks volumes on how we view the world and interact with one another. As we move about this world on our own personal journey, it is imperative to realize that one life path does not fit all.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

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Growing up, my mom took us to church with her. During services, it was hard for me to comprehend things like heaven and hell. I could not grasp the fact, that if you did not become saved and did not accept the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you would burn in hell. I would hyperventilate at the thought of death and I constantly thought about all my wrongdoings, hoping I have done enough good to outweigh them. I feared death just as much as each uneventful day, at the age of 9. Church was another way to get out of the house, but it tortured my curious mind.

In my teen years, our family had claimed a church and began to proactively take part in activities. We cleaned the church every weekend, prepared and created props for Christmas services, and my mom had sewn choir uniforms as well as the pastor's robes. As active as we were, I only enjoyed the singing. I did not appreciate being yelled at for the sins of the world. I ushered in guests and then was made to wear a uniform due to inappropriate attire (a dress that covered me well, but was perfectly fitted). After leaving home and returning to visit, I happened to attend a service where they made sure to inform us that, no matter where we are, we should send our tithes and offerings. To me, that was it. I felt that giving was not only meant for the church, but to people who need it or helping out when I was able to do so.

Throughout my journey through life and meeting all types of people, I realize that there is more to life than heaven and hell. In fact, I did not and do not believe those places exist outside of earth. In fact, some people are living in either heaven or hell as I write. I believe that my familiarity in unknown places lies in my past lives existence there. I believe that when I meet new people, my soul alerts me of their intentions. And yet, when I am down and out, I revert back to old gospel hymns that I grew up with. When I drive past a parked car on the side of the road, I say a blessing for the individual or family. When I read news of criminals, I wonder what drove them to their breaking point. I believe that we have a spiritual purpose here on earth to also help us in the spiritual world. I believe that we are ultimately here to see whether or not we can put away our perceptions and live peacefully.

My journey through life has taught me that I can only happily be me. My belief system is a mixture of Buddhism and Christianity, and I respect them both as well as other religions. Though I favor and have an inner relation with Buddhism, small aspects of Christianity that I grew up with will always be there to comfort me. If we were to fully delve into religion, we would see their similarities and understand that there is no right or wrong. What matters is what gets you through the day, or help you overcome hardships.

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