The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects citizens’ right to uphold their own religious beliefs and practice whichever religion they see fit. Although there are some exceptions, in today’s society, most people are allowed to put their faith into the religion of their choice (or not practice one at all). So why is it that they are not allowed to practice their religion how they see fit as well?
Maybe it's partly because of the stereotypical nature that exists within our society, where each religion is only "allowed" to be followed in one specific way. However, this simply should not be the case. As long as the morals and mindset of a religion are kept intact in the devotee’s mind, how the individual chooses to practice it should not be criticized.
Let’s take myself into account as an example.
I follow Jainism, which branches off Hinduism (although this topic itself is debatable). Some of Jainism’s fundamental beliefs are nonviolence, peace and respect for all living things.
So it surprises people when I tell them that I’m not a vegetarian.
As I said before, one of the most basic rules of Jainism is nonviolence; this means that Jains are not allowed to eat meat of any kind. When I get to know a person well enough to discuss a topic as sensitive as my religion, they often pause to ask me: “How are you a Jain if you love Chick-Fil-A?”
This indeed stands true. I am an avid Chick-Fil-A enthusiast. And I believe that I should be able to enjoy eating my chicken without constantly being looked down upon by others because this doesn't make me "Jain enough."
Jain enough.
What does that even mean? I’ve pondered over this question for almost my entire life now, and I still haven’t been able to find its answer. Does this mean that I should invest my time and effort into learning about its extensive history and principles? Or does it simply mean that I should follow the religion by the books?
Regardless of the answer, the fact that I still get flustered whenever people ask me to explain my non-vegetarian habits troubles me. Today, almost 95 percent of Americans are non-vegetarian. Since the beginning of time, our ancient ancestors have survived and thrived by eating meat. With these facts in mind, I don’t think that I owe anyone an explanation as to why I’m not a vegetarian. I eat meat simply because I want to. Heed the fact that if you are Jain and a vegetarian, I completely respect your decision and admire it as well because by doing so, you are standing firm for what you believe in.
I come from a Jain family that also follows Hindu ideals. Although we believe in Jainism and adhere to its morals, we also partake in Hindu holidays and worship its gods as well. This is accountable to the fact that my family members grew up in India, where the majority of the population is Hindu. Thus, you can see me celebrating Diwali (and very passionately, I’d presume), as well as major Jain festivals like Paryushan.
I am definitely not the typical Jain. I’m non-vegetarian, I don’t go to the temple every week and I am even a little bit Hindu. But that does not mean that I’ve forgotten my religion’s morals, and I definitely try to uphold its values in any way I can. I aim to maintain some of its core values, such as forgiveness, perfect truthfulness, straightforwardness and humility. In fact, I admire Jainism for its strive to serve others before oneself and think that it allows people to transform themselves into purer individuals overall.
Which brings me back to my point that all individuals should be able to practice what they want in the way they want to, regardless of if it is by the book or not. Simply altering a few external practices of a religion will not eradicate its core beliefs or the very heart and soul of the religion. Along with the rapidly-changing world, ancient ideas of religions will not remain the same, a fact that people need to come to terms with sooner or later. In the end, celebrating and learning from our religious differences will better benefit us and force us to eradicate these differences completely.
