When I think about it, it's kind of crazy how many times someone has told me, "that's stupid," or, "your religion is wrong," when I tell them I'm Catholic. I don't understand why someone would need to tell me that, despite your own beliefs. What are you going to gain from it?
Do you think I'm going to suddenly believe in whatever you do?
Them: "Catholics are dumb, I hate that religion."
Me: "Oh, yes. You're right. I'll just drop everything my life is founded on and become what you are. Sign me up. Seems like a really friendly group too, by the way. Since you're outting me right now. Is that what you do on Sunday's? Workshop how to make other religions feel like they're wrong? Sweet, see you next week."
NO!
It's terribly offensive to tell someone that their religion is stupid or wrong. Sometimes, religion is all a person has. Who are you to tell them that the only thing keeping them going in life is bad? It's just not necessary, and you're only picking a fight when you start that conversation.
When I was younger, I went to a religious camp with a friend who was not Catholic, therefore it wasn't a Catholic-based camp. My parents let me go because she was a friend and they thought it'd just be a fun time for me as a kid. No biggie, right?
One of the nights, everyone sat around a campfire and sang their Christian songs, but as a Catholic who celebrates Jesus in a much different way, I didn't know a single song. No one made a big deal out of it, I just would try to catch on or have fun just being a part of the group.
But the friend who brought me, the only person I knew there, turned around and yelled at me for not knowing any songs because "You're Catholic and Catholics do everything wrong and are stupid for not knowing these songs."
That was the first time I was ever self-conscious about my religion, and about myself in general. I couldn't help that I was raised differently than she, and that we don't do the same things on Sunday's, and that I don't know every song they do. But those words really stung for a 10-year-old kid who was six hours from her parents and had zero other people to confide in.
Later in life, when I was a freshman in high school, this boy was walking out of school the same time I was, caught me and said, "You're Catholic right?"
I said, "Yes."
He goes, "Oh, well that's dumb."
Um, okay... but like, why? Why did he feel compelled to tell me that? I would never, in a million years, tell someone that their religion is dumb. It doesn't serve a purpose, and they're only looking for a reaction, I know.
That's why I cannot associate with people who condescend who you are and what you believe in. Being a Catholic has enhanced my life on so many levels, and having the relationship I do with God has gotten me through hard times to spare. I would never change my upbringing, religion, and lifestyle, especially because of a couple of insecure people who "called me out" for being who I am.
Being a Catholic in this world isn't always easy, and we catch a lot of negativity for it. That doesn't make us bad people, weird people, or people you need to judge for it. Just last week I had someone start a conversation with, "I can't stand Catholicism, y'all are stupid."
Don't be that guy. If you hate someone else's religion, ok. But you can shut your mouth about it, especially when you're face to face with someone who was born and raised in that religion and can defend their faith better than you can hate me for it.
