If you live in South Carolina, you know that there's a church on literally every corner. But how many of them are Catholic?

When I was two years old, my family moved to South Carolina from New York state, which is majority Catholic. You could imagine the transition from that to the Bible belt. Living in South Carolina, my religious choices have been questioned by others more times than I can count.

The most annoying part of being Catholic in South Carolina is that people are so uneducated on what my beliefs are. People always tell me that I am not a Christian, or that I worship Mary and/or the Pope. You'd think that since we all took the history course on the Protestant Reformation, they'd know that Catholicism was the original form of Christianity, but no. This assumption hurts me, because people will actually tell me that I don't believe in God. This isn't always the case, and many people are very open-minded and will ask me legitimate questions. The most frustrating part, however, are the people that don't care to learn the truth, and only want to argue about religious views.

Mass. Don't get me started. Please, do not complain to a Catholic about how long our mass is, especially those that are a part of weddings and funerals. It's extremely disrespectful. (When I have sat through three hour sermons in other churches.) What I love about the Catholic mass is that it follows a calendar. Meaning, the entire world reads the same bible verses each week. All of the prayers and motions we go through during mass are done for different reasons. (Yes, including the kneeling and moving up and down.) There are certain phrases and prayers that are tailored to different events within the mass.The homily each week is still prepared by the priest, just like the pastor prepares a sermon in other churches. If you're interested in the details, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (that's a book) tells you all you need to know. Many nearby parishes also offer free simplified versions.

Lent and Ash Wednesday are also topics that non-Catholics don't often seem to understand. One trending phrase I've heard comes from Lutherans and Methodists who love to tell me that they're pretty much the same religion because they also memorize prayers or practice Lenten season. This isn't the most comforting thing to hear, since they practice these things a bit differently, but at least it isn't downright disrespectful. I've seen people tell us to wash the dirt off our foreheads, and call us weirdos for fasting or not eating meat. In the modernized church, these practices are usually optional. Regardless, respecting these traditions should be common practice, but most Southerners don't tend to follow that trend.

Then there are the missionaries. You don't know awkward until the Baptist club asks you in front of everyone why you haven't joined. Mind you, it's likely one of the largest clubs at your school, and the one time you go they want you to catch the spirit. Friendly invitations are never usually the issue here, though. The issue arises when you actually go, and then when you break into small group, the group leader tries to convert you, since you "need to be saved." No lie, this happened to me. I told the lady I was raised Catholic, and she immediately said "I'm sorry. Many people deny God because the Catholic church forces them to follow so many rules. You are welcome here." I went to that church as a guest with a friend. I never returned.

I feel like I need to add that before becoming a confirmed Catholic, I visited many other churches with friends. I liked a few, detested some, and honestly really loved one with a great youth group and open service. But after some time, I found myself disagreeing with many things non-Catholic churches practiced, such as speaking in tongues and the laying of hands. I realized that I truly did believe the teachings I was raised on. I chose my religion because I like the amount of tradition and symbolism it involves. I enjoy the structure and the explanations for everything. A few years after being confirmed, I taught the kindergarten room at church and legitimately considered becoming a nun. Many people are surprised or humored by that fact, which just shows the bias in many people's point of view.

So, to all of my non-Catholic friends and acquaintances, please don't feel offended or concerned for me. I would never try to make anyone feel bad for being another denomination or religion. If you disagree firmly with someone's religion, just avoid the subject. If you're curious, ask questions. Just try to imagine being on the other end of the conversation. Use your Southern hospitality and tact. Know that as a proudly confirmed Catholic, I am respectfully uninterested in converting or being saved.

Not because I don't want to be saved, but because to me, I already am.