Religious Outsider
Vance Cook
2-21-20
Growing up attending a public school can teach kids quite a lot regarding how they fit in related to other kids. There are many groups being formed, and kids are figuring out which groups they belong to. Some of the groups that I noticed were the athletic kids, the smart/nerdy kids, the art kids, and the farmer kids. Groups may be different based on where you grew up, and the culture in that area. Religion is another heavy influencer of group dynamics, and one that tends to encourage conformity and discourage outsiders. In this blog posting, I shall talk about my sociological experience growing up as a religious outsider in my community.
I grew up in a town outside of Grand Rapids, MI. The town is called Hudsonville, a small town in between Grand Rapids and Holland. Grand Rapids is a medium sized city with close access to Lake Michigan. Early on, Grand Rapids was settled by a lot of dutch Christians, and that influence is still prevalent in the area today. Driving around Grand Rapids, you will notice the abundance of religious influence; it seems there is a church on just about every corner. Attending church is such a heavy norm that when strangers meet they often ask what church the other person belongs to. There, religious conformity is heavily enforced in many ways.
Based on the described demographic, one could imagine how different it would be to grow up as the only Jewish kid in my town. In elementary school I remember how integrated Christianity was within the school system. Every winter our school had a Christmas Musical where the kids would learn songs and sing them to parents who attend. I was unable to participate since each song referenced Jesus, which I did not believe in. Every year, I was given an alternate task to work on such as coloring while students were practicing their songs. Because of this, it was clear to my classmates that I was different from them in some way; I never quite fit in with the rest of the kids. This resulted in a lot of teasing and criticizing questions such as, “Why did your people kill Jesus?”
Growing up as a religious outsider caused me to question the hypocrisies that exist within Christianity and I was able to see through the “bullshit” teachings such as if you don't believe in Jesus you are going to hell. I learned that much of the churches teachings related to not asking questions, blind faith, and converting others to your religion in order to make yourself “closer to god”. Being surrounded by so many negative religious people has had a life lasting effect on me; it is to the point now where I see organized religion as a hoax to control people. Religious organizations reference the term “belief” often, yet they seem to forget the meaning of the word, and treat their belief as fact.
I am fortunate to have grown up on the outside of the dominant religious groups. When you are a part of the in-group, it is harder to see the mistakes and fallacies. I was able to see through the beliefs of those around me, and the effect that had on the rest of my life. More and more I found myself critically thinking about the outcomes of certain actions and whether they achieve the intended consequences. The intent of organized religion is well meaning, yet it gets lost in the practices and enforcers within the in-group. Another thing I have grown to believe, as a consequence of growing up in an area dominated by a certain religion, is how religion should be a personal study, and not something that a pastor should be telling you how to believe. When others influence you to such a large degree, it becomes hard to question what you are being told.
Growing up attending a public school can teach kids quite a lot regarding how they fit in related to other kids. There are many groups being formed, and kids are figuring out which groups they belong to. Some of the groups that I noticed were the athletic kids, the smart/nerdy kids, the art kids, and the farmer kids. Groups may be different based on where you grew up, and the culture in that area. Religion is another heavy influencer of group dynamics, and one that tends to encourage conformity and discourage outsiders. In this blog posting, I shall talk about my sociological experience growing up as a religious outsider in my community.
I grew up in a town outside of Grand Rapids, MI. The town is called Hudsonville, a small town in between Grand Rapids and Holland. Grand Rapids is a medium sized city with close access to Lake Michigan. Early on, Grand Rapids was settled by a lot of dutch Christians, and that influence is still prevalent in the area today. Driving around Grand Rapids, you will notice the abundance of religious influence; it seems there is a church on just about every corner. Attending church is such a heavy norm that when strangers meet they often ask what church the other person belongs to. There, religious conformity is heavily enforced in many ways.
Based on the described demographic, one could imagine how different it would be to grow up as the only Jewish kid in my town. In elementary school I remember how integrated Christianity was within the school system. Every winter our school had a Christmas Musical where the kids would learn songs and sing them to parents who attend. I was unable to participate since each song referenced Jesus, which I did not believe in. Every year, I was given an alternate task to work on such as coloring while students were practicing their songs. Because of this, it was clear to my classmates that I was different from them in some way; I never quite fit in with the rest of the kids. This resulted in a lot of teasing and criticizing questions such as, “Why did your people kill Jesus?”
Growing up as a religious outsider caused me to question the hypocrisies that exist within Christianity and I was able to see through the “bullshit” teachings such as if you don't believe in Jesus you are going to hell. I learned that much of the churches teachings related to not asking questions, blind faith, and converting others to your religion in order to make yourself “closer to god”. Being surrounded by so many negative religious people has had a life lasting effect on me; it is to the point now where I see organized religion as a hoax to control people. Religious organizations reference the term “belief” often, yet they seem to forget the meaning of the word, and treat their belief as fact.
I am fortunate to have grown up on the outside of the dominant religious groups. When you are a part of the in-group, it is harder to see the mistakes and fallacies. I was able to see through the beliefs of those around me, and the effect that had on the rest of my life. More and more I found myself critically thinking about the outcomes of certain actions and whether they achieve the intended consequences. The intent of organized religion is well meaning, yet it gets lost in the practices and enforcers within the in-group. Another thing I have grown to believe, as a consequence of growing up in an area dominated by a certain religion, is how religion should be a personal study, and not something that a pastor should be telling you how to believe. When others influence you to such a large degree, it becomes hard to question what you are being told.
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