Just like one in five Americans, according to the pew research center, I was raised in a religious household. I was born into Catholicism, and my family converted to Christianity when I was seven years old. I don’t consider myself very religious today, but more spiritual, and a firm believer in science. 

According to my mother, God created everything around me, and everything has a purpose. I grew up in a faith where the answers to your prayers only came or existed based on how you followed God’s Path. If nothing positive came out of prayer, it was your fault, or simply just not God’s timing. God was never at fault because he was perfect. 

My family has always been pretty involved in all sorts of activities, such as attending church on Sundays, prayer on Tuesdays, and then Bible study. My youth bible study was on Fridays. It took me a while to realize that at church, every single day there was a type of meeting, gathering, or study, seven days a week. It never seemed to stop. Just like the rules. 

With religion, there always seems to be a new rule that you’d never heard of, a rule that makes exceptions, a rule that has no excuses, or a rule that simply does not make sense at all. With having different types of rules to follow at home, then at church, then ones by the Bible, and ones set by myself, I felt like I was living my life cautiously, walking on eggshells everywhere I went. 

I mentally left religion when I was thirteen. However, almost a year ago, I left the church for good. My parents are yet to realize. 

     To me, religion has always been about the relationship between you and what you worship, not what you do or what you look like, but what you decide to follow in your own path to be a good human being. An imperfect soul that has a connection with their savior who lives their life in the best way their conscience can. Someone who fights to keep those natural rights, and for others.

      I’ve noticed a pattern when it comes to religion, especially Christianity — the odd competitiveness that comes with it. It’s not about who can convert more people, who follows the most rules, or who attends the most. You are supposed to grow as a person, bring that positivity to the people you love, and set an example. 

People get too comfortable. My family expected me to be Christian forever and pass it on to my family. While religion isn’t forced, the hurt and anger I expect from my family keeps my beliefs to myself. I believe in science, in the power of experimenting, and in proving the facts. Faith is just something I don’t have anymore, and that’s okay. 

We don’t need a religious belief system to be good humans. Let’s normalize stepping away from your family’s belief and still being close to your family. In fact, let’s praise the people who step away from traditional and expected beliefs, who educate themselves on new things that allow them to grow into their own person.