Personal Narrative: Nontraditional Religious Views

Nontraditional religious views, which were quite scandalous in Dickinson’s day, are not quite as uncommon now. Thank God. The South is known for its staunch religious views. Nicknamed “The Bible Belt,” our devoted Christianity is no secret; which is why I have no clue why my family lives here. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here. I love living just a couple of hours away from the beach, I love Southern cooking, and I adore the heat and humidity, just to name a few things. My parents both grew up here; my Mom in Winston-Salem and my dad in Charlotte. I’ve lived in the Carolinas my whole life. But we’re the outsiders when it comes to religion. The force that brings so many people together- the power to believe in something greater than yourself- is something we lack. I don’t know any differently, as I grew up in our atheistic household. My parents chose to not involve me in religion until I was old enough to pick my own path, and we never discussed it while I was growing up. To be quite frank, I have no idea what my religion is. Because I wasn’t raised …show more content…
Being able to believe in something unconditionally is truly admirable. Finding inner peace and harmony through God is something I wish I could do. Even Dickinson had some sort of faith. What is my faith? What can I believe in at the end of the day, when I have nothing left? What will I turn to if everything collapses and things get bad? Science and reason can only comfort you so much. A textbook does not invoke peace and sanctity in the way a Bible can. But I am also grateful for my unique perspective as well. Sure, I was raised differently than my friends. I won’t get a communion or a baptism. But, oddly enough, I’m okay with it, even if it is hard sometimes. Because I may not have religion, but I do know what I do have. I have my friends- my true friends. I have my family. I have myself, my passion, my hobbies, my health. And those are all things to count my blessings