I had the privilege of growing up in a time and place when I rarely felt judged for my religion. When I moved to a bigger city and started at a more diverse college, I became increasingly aware of how my faith was perceived. Telling someone that I was a Christian was often met with eye rolls, cringes, or most painfully, laughs. I realized that there was such social stigma surrounding the word “Christian.” Even though Christianity is far too complex to explain in one article, I hope I can help shed some light on the truth about modern-day Christians.

I am a Christian. I believe in God. When I tell you this, I am not looking for an argument. It is a very influential aspect of my life so of course it might come up in our conversations. I am not going to hide my religion just so you feel more comfortable and I certainly will not feel guilty for being a Christian.

I am a Christian. I do not think that I am better than you. I will not look down on other religions or cultures. I know that God created all people as equals and loves us all the same. I will not judge you because I have no right to. Regardless of your beliefs, I will treat you with kindness and respect.

I am a Christian. I read the Bible. It is a source of moral guidance and comfort for me. I know that the bible has flaws but I also know that the bible was written by man so of course it is not perfect. I am not uneducated. I have researched Christianity and I know the historical context surrounding the bible and the biblical era. My beliefs are based not only on faith, but also on historical evidence.

I am a Christian. I will not attempt to impose my religion on you. I talk openly about my faith, but when I do I am not trying to force my religion upon you. I respect your right to believe or not believe in whatever you want. But please, do not tell me how “foolish” I am or that I am “brainwashed.” I will not criticize your beliefs, so please, do not criticize mine.

I am a Christian. I struggle with my faith. There are days when nothing seems to be going right and I can’t help but wonder where God is. When I see so much hate and death in the world I am confused as to why God would allow bad things to happen to good people. Although I might never know the answer to these questions, I have faith in God. I have faith in his love. Every day that the sun rises is a miracle and I am so thankful to God for simply being alive.

I am proud of my God. I am proud of my religion. I am proud to be a Christian.