To provide some background, I was raised Catholic and I now attend a Catholic college. Growing up, I went to church with my mom and she was actually my CCD teacher from first grade until the CCD show ended at Confirmation. Shout out to all the CCD survivors out there. She is quite an entertaining woman, but even she will tell you that doing worksheets about the Old Testament will get you good on a Monday night.
I became stronger in my faith during my junior year of high school and I have continued to grow in my faith through college. My faith has led me to some of the most significant friendships I have in college.
Being Catholic in college -even at a Catholic school- comes with its own challenges. There are many misconceptions people have about those who are religious. Here are ten of the most common misconceptions and just simply entertaining things that I come across:
1. Your friends ask you really vague questions.
One of my friends once asked me where I was earlier that day and I told her I was at church. She looked at me and asked “what do you do there?”. Keep in mind, this girl made her confirmation and probably hadn’t been to church in a couple of years, but somehow forgot everything that goes down once you walk through the door. I tried my best to answer the question with some kind of thought, but all I could think was “Girl, church hasn’t really changed all that much since you were last there and I don’t see it really changing anytime soon.”
2. When you say you’re religious people basically assume you’re Amish.
I do not wear denim skirts with hems that land at my ankles and renounce anything related to contemporary culture. I’m a normal human being, I just go to church too.
3. People think you are an angel.
It may surprise you, but I do bad things. I cuss… I’ll be the first to admit it is not a good habit. I would keep a swear jar, but I’m studying to become a teacher so I don’t think I’ll have a lot of extra cash to be putting in the jar. I’ll just reveal just this one bad thing to you in order to refrain from this being like a moment in the confessional.
4. People guess that your faith is strong 100% of the time.
Faith comes in waves. Certain days here and there I do not feel super connected to my faith. I either find it difficult to figure out what I am being called to do in a certain situation or I just cannot get out of my “Polly Planner” mode flying at 100 miles per hour, sit down and relax to have a moment of quiet time. I used to feel a little discouraged that I felt this way, but I’ve realized that every other person who is trying to live a life of faith feels the same exact way.
5. People assume you believe everything the church teaches to a “T”.
One of the most controversial topics regarding Catholicism is the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s my take: I think everyone deserves to find fulfilling relationships. It is taught that God carefully created each one of us with a unique identity. I believe that God calls us to find the beauty in ourselves that He gave to us when we were created. I think that rejecting your authentic self and the beauty you have been given is not what God intends for us to do.
6. People assume that you judge others.
I understand the vibe put out there that Christians are judging everybody. I’ve met them and I can’t say I enjoy it myself. I think they might benefit from revisiting the story about the woman caught in adultery who everyone wanted to throw stones at. Jesus told them that they could only throw stones at her if they had never sinned. I’ll give you a spoiler since we’re close… they all put down the stones and walked away because it turned out they weren’t perfect either. Here is the gospel truth: we’re all out here just trying our best.
7. You compare yourself to other “church people”.
I have looked at other people who I’ve met at church and I’ve wondered if I am as good of a Christian as them. What I’ve had to realize is that we are all walking a different journey. My walk of faith is not going to be the same as theirs and vice versa. I’m just trying to become the best version of myself and that’s all that matters.
8. Everyone at church thinks you went to private school.
This is one of my personal favorites. I grew up in a little Massachusetts suburb, so I went to public school just like 98% of the other children in my town. Chelmsford Public Schools slap. I may be biased because my dad works in local government, so the vibe was always about hyping up Ole Chelmsvegas. However, I do find it mildly entertaining when everyone assumes that I went to private school. I’m guessing I give off a preppy vibe like I’d be in a whole lot of plaid all the time. Honestly, my fam just isn’t wealthy enough for that lifestyle.
9. Everyone asks you for help with their religion homework.
Just because I’m Christian does not mean I can help you with a worksheet that has “Unpacking the Quran” as the heading.
10. People believe trying to live a life of faith is restrictive.
I used to think that attempting to follow the “rules” would feel like I was either missing out or that I wouldn’t have a happy life. However, my faith has truly helped me to have a positive college experience. The most important thing that faith has taught me is to not risk regretting something later on for my own gratification in the moment. This is not to say I don’t enjoy myself on a Friday night (if you see what I’m getting at here blink twice), but I definitely try to exercise a healthy dose of self-control in order to feel good about my life choices the next day. It is all about having a balance, which can mean something different for everyone. After some trial and error, I feel that I have been able to discover what having a balance means for me. This may sound strange to some people, but having a “track” to follow has allowed me to feel a sense of freedom in knowing that I can proceed through my life without feeling deep regret about my decisions.