my belief system – part 3
When I was fifteen, my parents gave me an option to study abroad. I took the chance and it became a pivotal point in my life. It broadened my horizaons on so many levels, one of them being my belief system.
In this country S, religion is not a required life aspect. Faith in God is commonly believed. While most families do raise their children in religions they are accustomed to, many families are non-committal to a specific religion. Religion is not a required aspect of life here.
In my birth country, public schools integrate the most common religion in the country, Islam, in their curriculums. In this country S, public schools offer religion classes but they are electives, conducted after normal school hours. Most students observe their faith in their own personal time: after schools, in the weekends. Public schools become neutral: no religious rituals are observed in these schools. You could still enroll to Catholic schools, of course, but most students go to neutral public schools here.
It felt rather weird not having prayers and religion lessons during normal school hours. It was as if one common thread between students was gone. However, I found the experience liberating.
I learned that religion is indeed a very personal choice. It should not have been forced upon you. Your religion does not define your life, rather, it is a tool that you could use to help figure your life. Here, a person is not judged badly for becoming a free thinker. You are given an opportunity and time to figure out your beliefs and choose the faith you feel most suited to. As a result, people are more open-minded.
Unlike in my birth country, the subject of religious preference does usually not come up in casual conversations here. Even if it does come up in conversation, it is perfectly okay to say you are a free thinker, you have not decided on a specific religion. Nobody will judge. Going to school became a truly neutral academic pursuit. It was an amazing experience.
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