Just kidding. It did get me a $500 scholarship though! I'm pretty proud of it. Besides writing this, I had to give 2 20 minute presentations. The first was in front of the selection committee, and the second was in front of a public audience (there were maybe 30 people there), where anyone who wanted to could ask questions. The scholarship dealt with religious freedom, and was open to anyone. There were several applicants, but only 2 people receieved scholarships. It's a relatively new scholarship, but I think it's a great idea. I had to provide some background, then respond to what my fundamental beliefs are, why I want to share those beliefs, and what I would do in a situation where someone disagrees with my beliefs. So. Just thought you might be interested.
To Whom It May Concern;
One thing I have loved learning about in school is the Constitution of the United States. It is a truly unique arrangement of a nation. I lived in France for a year as an exchange student. In the high schools there, students were not allowed to publicly display any sort of religious garb. This was mainly dealing with the Muslim students there. The girls were not allowed to wear their hijab into the school. I would see the girls walk up to the doors and then remove their head coverings before they entered. I thought that this was unfair. Culturally, religion is a more touchy subject there than anything I’ve witnessed in the United States. I was very happy to return home, and see students who could openly wear pentagrams, church camp shirts, CTR rings, yamakas, or whatever they wanted. Religious freedom is one of our nations founding principles. It’s something that makes life interesting; to go to school, to work with and date people who might be finding happiness in a way that’s different from you. I believe it is a natural human tendency to share with others what makes you happy. Religion, in it’s pure sparkly sense, is supposed to teach us a way that we can be happy forever. Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity, to name a few, all provide us with a way to reach heaven, paradise, or some form of eternal happiness, if we are “good”. When you really think about it, following a religion while going through life should ultimately lead you to some form of happiness. This is one reason I would like to share my beliefs with others. The standard of “good” is a point of differentiation, but ultimately, all mankind wants to be as happy as they can, for as long as they are allowed to.
My beliefs center around the principle that we are all children of a loving God. I believe that God has given all of his children the freedom to choose and act for ourselves, without forcing his will on any of us. Whatever persecution we face, or trials we go through because of someone else’s agency, I believe we can be rest assured that our Father in Heaven is watching over us, and is aware of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. There will always be blessings that follow when we try our hardest to do the things that we know he wants us to do. My personal goals and values are based upon a belief that my Heavenly Father wants me to love everyone. I believe that it isn’t our job to judge someone and tell them how they should be living their life. We should focus on our own mistakes before we try to fix someone else’s. I believe that every religion has good parts and values, and positive aspects. I chose mine because it fit in with every fundamental belief I had, and then taught me more than I could fathom. Without getting too deep into doctrine, I believe that human potential is limitless, I believe that people are created after the image of God. I believe that my God loves everyone, and wants us to do the same. He has given us religious freedom, so we should allow others the same privilege.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but I haven’t always been. One of the reasons I want to share my beliefs because there are a lot of people in the world who don’t really understand this church. I can say that because I used to struggle against the church. I didn’t know much about it except what I was taught be people without firsthand knowledge. Things that were simple misunderstandings sounded horrible, even masochistic. However, since I’ve joined the church, my life has done nothing but improve. One of my favorite things about the church are the 13 articles of faith, which are taught to every member around the world. To get a better understanding of us, reading these would help. The eleventh one states “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” I no longer struggle against any church, because I know that there are good aspects to all of them.
I believe that when discussing matters of religion, there should always be common consent. Faith is never something that should be argued about. If I share my religion with someone, it is because they have expressed a desire to learn. It should be shared with love, understanding, and an open mind. I will never force someone to listen to my beliefs, nor would I argue with someone who didn’t agree with them. I have experienced both of these situations, and neither one of them do any good to the parties involved. If someone disagrees with my beliefs, and refuses to discuss it with an open mind, then either the topic is changed, or we go our separate ways. Intolerance is a plague in this land that needs to be resolved with understanding and compassion. My ultimate goal in sharing my thoughts on religious freedom is a hope that intolerance can be banished, and we can live in a world free of bias and prejudice. Thank you for your time.
Bronwyn Wright
