Confusion
/Facebook. If anyone wants to be a part of society, they’d have to create a Facebook account. I remember describing it to my mom as the “modern day Social Insurance Number – you don’t exist until you have one!” She now exists in modern society, which has since proven to be a nuisance as she goes “like” crazy over all of my photos. But other than creating an existence, Facebook allows us to broadcast who we are. This includes religious affiliation (I never noticed that Facebook links religions, but it’s true! check it). I remember the debate that went on in my head when I first created my profile. I had decided to show who I was by using my amazing wit and placing – what I thought were – funny things throughout my profile. I labelled my political standing Sarah’s Party of Awesome (FB link pending), but when it came time to choose my religion, I hesitated. Part of me wanted to skip it purely because I didn’t want to say I was Catholic and I didn’t want to make fun of it either. The other part said I needed to come to terms with my beliefs. If that meant I’d be judged by my peers, so be it.
I think that’s when I really started to re-evaluate my faith. I began to doubt my religion in Grade eight and didn’t go through a confirmation because of it; I didn’t want to follow the herd as all my classmates got confirmed. But did the thought of labelling myself Catholic mean I had faith? I was confused.
One major criticism of Catholicism is that we are all brainwashed. Not quite. Many of my friends raised Catholic have rejected all religions. My Catholic high school even offered a philosophy course instead of mandatory religion. Last time I checked, philosophy teaches rational, individual thinking. This is exactly how I approached my confusion. I questioned my faith and why it mattered to me. I looked at other religions and thought of converting. In the end, I found that the hope and understanding that Catholicism gave me simply made me happier. I went through with the sacrament of confirmation at 17, deciding on my own that I wanted to live as a Catholic. Not because my parents told me to, but because I wanted it.
Sarah Durocher
Sarah Durocher is currently studying the art of writing, while making delicious Pumpkin Spice Lattes on the side (how cliché of her). With a passion for all things fantastic, Sarah first fell in love with writing through Harry Potter and aspires to write children’s stories that will whisk away a new generation to fantastic places. She enjoys watching anything by Tim Burton or starring Johnny Depp and will never pass up a Disney movie. Ever.
Creep Others: Todd Clayton | Dan Pearce
