In his own words, Chris shares the story of his faith journey and relationship with the Catholic Church.

Transcript:

I would never discourage anyone from following a religion, if it gave them hope, you know security and peace. You know, as long as there their faith or their religion doesn’t devote them to something misguided or hurtful to other people.

I grew up in the Catholic Church, my family was very Catholic. We did regular confessions, we went to church every Sunday, holy days of obligation, individual masses, took part in Stations of the Cross. I also went on a missions trip my senior year. I am grateful to the church in part it’s teaching teaching me my best qualities, patients, reverence, respect, humility, concession, forgiveness, selflessness, a general sense of community, and togetherness and morality. And for helping create and strengthen relationships with people who are influential in my life.

I attended church every Sunday through my second-year college, when are I was about 20 years old. I think some people need religion to help them deal with or understand aspects of life that are confusing, troubling and unexplainable, but I don’t feel like I need that. Some of the nicest people I know are quite religious, but I find myself doubting whether they they truly believe what they are hearing and saying. And if they, don’t these are things that are kept under wraps, not talked about openly and it’s starts to sound like Blind Faith, which I mistrust.

Over the past few years particular, I’ve been taken more notice of science as a basis of existence and humanity as a source of our love and success. I think the teachings of the church supposed been founded upon are put behind the pageantry of the church. There are times certainly that I’ve been at church that I feel like it’s a club and because I’m I have these doubts, or are these other ideas about life and faith. I’m not part of the club, but everybody else is. People feel judgement by other members and that scares them, makes them uncomfortable and feel isolated. The church should be pulling everyone closer and showing them love, giving them hope and support through their toughest times and complicated decisions and feelings. But also still understand they can’t make those decisions for them, that love from the church has to be unconditional, the embodiment of God’s love.