I am a religious and very spiritual person, however I did not grow up in a strictly religious household, or with family members who all held the same beliefs. My entire family is a mixture of Judaism, Protestantism, and Catholicism, and my parents personally made the choice to raise me in a Unitarian Universalist church. The beliefs and principles of each religion were taught to me at a young age and I was allowed to decide how I felt about it and what my personal beliefs were. In my life I have learned that not all of our beliefs are going to fit perfectly into an organized religion, but they are still as valuable and beautiful as the ones that do. I love God and going to church, but I am so grateful and blessed that I was given the freedom to figure out how exactly I viewed God and which place of worship I felt most comfortable attending. These are just a few of the reasons why I feel so lucky to have grown up in an interfaith family.
1. All of the customs and traditions.
Having this upbringing meant being able to celebrate holidays, go to religious services, say prayers, eat food, and sing songs that were Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and Unitarian Universalist. Not only was it so joyful to be able to enjoy so many holidays as often as I did, but I was able to get something out of and learn from every new experience I had from each of my faith backgrounds.
2. Knowing how to accept other people.
Growing up I spent time with people who had so many different beliefs, and often beliefs that conflicted with each other. Instead of confusing me though, this taught me that we all see things differently and spiritual paths are different for each person. God does not have to be defined or worshiped in one specific way, but can be loved, prayed to, and thought about from all angles of life. This taught me from a very young age that being unique is a good thing and respecting each person and making an effort to learn from them is something valuable.
3. Being able to accept myself.
Being in communities that had individuals coexisting from such different backgrounds taught me that I always had the freedom to search for my own truth and figure out what is right for myself. Never being told I was wrong to believe a certain way and being encouraged to seek out my higher power the way I wanted to gave me the validation in who I am and allowed me to feel confidence in myself and my life.
4. The knowledge that love and kindness conquer all.
All of the religions I was raised with have in common that we should be kind to ourselves and others, love others as we love ourselves, and go out of our way to do service and help those in need. These are the most valuable lessons that I will take with me in my life and pass along to my own children. I find comfort in the fact that with such differences a common ground can be found. I know that because of the way I was raised I can remember the reasons that most people have a religion in the first place, which is to spread encouragement and positivity to those in their own and other communities.
Being a child of interfaith parents is one of those things that can be difficult to understand and might be easy to judge, but I would not have wanted to grow up any other way.
