Art Source

... Difficulty can be found in every single aspect in one's life, and for some, the most difficult decision in life can be choosing a faith. It is my honest opinion that picking a faith can be similar to the choice of what elementary school you attend; it isn't your decision, it's your parents, in the beginning, at least. For this reason, I relate this photograph of an abandoned church to my first quote. I grew up in a Lutheran family, attending church nearly every week, while also attending a Catholic elementary school. Both of these decisions, though I was fine with them at the time, were not mine to make, they were what my parents thought was best for me. It wasn't until I decided to switch to a new school that I realized what my religious beliefs should be as much my choice as my education is. It was at this time that my religious beliefs became what they are today, through my thoughts, opinions and decisions alone. The above picture represents the deterioration of my faith in the religion my parents (unintentionally) forced onto me for years. My trust in the Lutheran church was built on years and years of doing something my parents wanted me to do, and the realization that I didn't truly have to continue doing these things was the second that I broke the trust and started believing what I wanted to. As previously mentioned, trusting oneself to make important decisions is vastly more important than relying on others to choose for you. Rejection can help a person grow just as much when they are the one rejecting something, as it can when they are receiving rejection. my faith in religion, or lack there of, has helped me grow as an individual and look at the world as I would like to look at it...