I was never a religious person. I never went to church and I never considered myself Catholic. Or anything else. I never went to religious classes in school. I even took it a step further. I was quite passionately opposed to everything organized faith stands for. My family wasn't atheist, not even close. My grandparents were all, still are, very much religious, Catholic, as is most of Croatia anyway. My parents are both, what one would call,''born-again Christians'', different denominations though.
I was never spiritual. Oriental spiritual teachings linked to yoga, or other philosophies like it, never made sense to me. I was not into witchcraft. I was not into mystical. I still dream of my Hogwarts letter though, if that counts. But I was also never atheistic. I could not make sense of it. I thought and still think there is a God. I can see how that could be viewed illogical and I have many atheistic friends with great arguments in favor of atheism that I had many wonderful and quite fiery discussions with, like 
10 years ago I met this guy. I nice fella. Not particularly religious. So we fell madly in love and he popped the question. I said yes, of course, and we got married. That's how I met his parents. His mother to be more precise. Many of the few people that read my posts know her and if anything is well known about this woman it is that she is a religious person. And she is the most wonderfully religious person I have ever met.
There are many types of people who claim to be religious, to claim to be persons of faith. But few actually are. And those who truly are, don't run their mouth about it, they live it. And my mother in law, well she is the closest thing to an angel I have ever met. Sometimes she might seem quite cold and reserved to somebody who is not in her inner circle, as are everybody in my husbands family, including him. Especially when I compare them to my family that is so loud and outgoing and passionate and at times highly annoying. She is so loving. So kind. She is quite calm and quiet. She is very rational. She makes so many sacrifices for her kids and grandkids daily it's astonishing. Takes my kids to the kindergarten every single day. Often prepares meals for my family too. She sometimes makes a few meals just so everybody would eat what they like. She was hardworking all of her life. She takes care of a huge garden and even grows stuff for my rabbits. She always tries to help neighbors out.She talks nice about folks. Doesn't gossip around and tries to always look at situations and reactions from the perspective of those folks. She became like a second mother to me. And her love and nurturing ware a true profession of faith in my eyes.
So she truly, fully lives what she preaches. And she finds the anchor and the strength in her religion. And she invited me the Catholic faith with her. She was hoping I would baptize our kids and I was opposed initially but seeing her faith, seeing how much it would mean to her I said ok.
And so, little by little, I started going to church. Catholic. And I found this odd peace there that I liked. I started declaring as something basically the first time in my life. The faith and the ways of that woman have touched my heart in so many ways and opened it up to new experiences. I still don't understand it totally though. I still find many things I don't necessarily agree with and I don't know if I should and in what way teach the faith to my kids, but I am opened to learning, and I am really in love with the odd peace I find on Sundays. That I found in praying to God, imaginary or not. And the way she leads, the path she showed me. The light I found, for myself. I don't want to go around convincing anybody. Opening myself to faith has opened my eyes and heart to wonderful new friends of other religions. I found two wonderful new friends, one Muslim from Sarajevo and one Orthodox Catholic from Novi Sad. Both living their faith truly and honestly. Such kind hearts. Helping and touching lives around them with love and kindness. Living their faith and being witnesses by virtues of their lives. Of merely living. Practising what they preach.
I find it unbearably sad, the way atheist, agnostics and other folks that are not religious bash and stomp on religious folks, not only the organization and leaders, which I can't really criticise, but shunning Catholics in general (or Muslims or Jewes or whatever) just because they don't like the politics around a particular faith, and such are the times that almost all religions are politicised which I find, quite frankly, repulsive. The personal bashing of one's faith can be hurtful to those folks. And the same goes vice versa. Believers are very prejudiced towards atheist or agnostics. They can demonstrate unbelievable amounts of hate, bitterness, and venom that is everything but Christian.
I guess the anger from both sides could come from the same place of sadness and frustration with how the world is in today, a shithole. That's the trendy word of the day. But that's another discussion. I'm finishing this off with recognizing my own need for any kind of inner peace I can get my hands on. Church on Sundays could be a nice place to start. At least it does no harm to others. So that would be my nyr #4. More peace on Sundays. Maybe not as cool and definitely not easy considering what is seen as religious in Croatia today, and what I absolutely dread, like UIO and their possy. If you don't know what that few letters stand for, well, lucky you.
And you? Are you religious? What do you think about teaching kids about faith and your and other religions?
