After seeing though the eyes of my pastor I’ve come to realize the importance of faith and committing to one’s beliefs. Returning to church after two massive losses has helped my mother in many ways and it has also taught me as a young man how small things that I could do would turn to have a big impact on someone’s life the same way my pastor impacted my life and the life of my siblings.
My religious beliefs were implanted and cultivated by my grandmother, Mrs. Dorothy Lee Gilchrist. She taught me how to be a Christian. For you to be a Christian, you must accept the Lord as your savior and repent for your sins. Repent means to ask the Lord for forgiveness for the sins that you committed both knowingly and unknowingly. I believe in God and the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I learned that to believe in God, you must have faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for but not seen. I also learned the importance of prayer and why it is needed. Praying is a personal conversation between you and God. This relationship can be created by praying, learning God’s word, and living according to God’s teachings. You have created a successful personal relationship with
Those stereotypes can only be stopped by those who spread, believe, or allow them to be considered true, so my final challenge is to all Christians. Stop the stereotypes! No matter what you believe in or how you go about showing it, be devoted. Dive into the teachings of your faith and be able to rebut the stereotypes when they come your way. Once you decide upon a denomination, devote yourself to the opposing side. Explore with passion the principles, motivations, and guidelines of a viewpoint besides your own. Every belief and way of life has merit; it is just up to us to discover it. Finally, when you have considered all sides, celebrate the similarities; do not harp on the differences. If we all serve the God who we believe that we do, isn’t that what He would want? Isn’t that what He sent His Son to do?
Growing up, I was raised by a single mother of four and I was fortunate enough to have an extraordinary mother, who always put her children before herself and sacrificed a lot for our well being. I was brought up, in a Baptist Christian household, which has strongly influenced my beliefs, values and life decisions. My mother made it her duty to help build her children’s relationships with God. By making sure, we knew the importance of having him in our lives, and that we knew the word of God. I remember as a child, my mom use to read us scriptures from the bible and explain them to us in an age appropriate manner. I greatly appreciate her efforts because she was the force behind my connection with God and it has made me into the women I am today. Some
Community. This was the overwhelming impression I received while walking down McAlister Place on the Tulane University campus. It was palpable. Somehow, in the middle of the vibrant city of New Orleans, Tulane managed to create a tight-knit student body that resembled a family. Coming from a high school that encourages team work, whether in sports, class projects, or school clubs, I learned the importance of being a part of a community. After visiting Tulane, I realized how much I would benefit from being a part of this particular “family.” not to mention how inspiring and fun it would be!
Having lived in both Berkeley, California and in a small village in the French Alps, two very different places, cultural diversity in a school is especially important to me. It provides a wide range of opinions, student organizations, and ideas for innovation. Being part of Tulane University’s diverse student population while participating in the Altman International Studies & Business program would allow me to further learn from, and work with, people from a variety of backgrounds, while pursuing my own interests in the world of International Business through studying in New Orleans and abroad. This program would combine new cultural experiences as well as international exposure. Having grown up in France, near the Geneva, I would be in my element while studying abroad. I also look forward to pursuing my interest in politics, developed while participating in the YMCA’s Youth & Government Program. The Altman
The University of Chicago, a highly respected academic institution with an illustrious history, will allow me to focus on STEM subjects while pursuing my other varied passions. I think that UChicago would be a fantastic choice for its breadth mirrors the breadth in my own interests. As I am a student who loves almost every subject (except writing), attending a college completely focused on STEM topics seems reasonable for job prospects but also rather dull, because I have adored the study of the humanities throughout my time in high school and am also extremely interested in fields such as political science and geography. Unlike many engineering-specific schools that only offer a basic selection of courses in the humanities, UChicago can educate me in all aspects of life rather than training me for a specific job in a specific industry.
In 1976 while I was 11 years old my mother passed away unexpectedly. A deeply religious woman, she had ensured that her children were raised in the Catholic Church. I was baptized attended Sunday school after church and eventually became an altar boy. I was taught and believed that god was our provider and that he watched over each of us. Her death changed all of this for two reasons.
As a child that grew up in the 1950’s, it is our family members that make us aware of our religious beliefs. We then continued our religious education when we attended Sunday school and morning church service along with our family. Many families also attended Sunday evening service as well as the middle of the week church meetings typically scheduled for adult bible study, choir practice and church business meetings. Some parents in order to insure their children receive a better education and to reinforce their religious beliefs enroll their children in parochial schools. Often these families continue their worship at home with prayer before meals and a family weeknight bible study.
Which brings me to Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development, specifically Individual-Reflective Faith which occurs in early adulthood. Growing up as a family we went to church every Sunday and sometimes even twice a week, everyone in my family was a catholic and that was expected for all of us, no questions asked. I even got baptized as a baby and did my first communion when I was about nine years old. I did not mind the expectation from my family when I was little because I loved church, especially the singing. Then came a time where both of my parents started to work on Sundays, so did my sister, and so my brother and I helped out at my parents restaurant. Ever since then we really haven’t made church a priority, I believe this is what effected my encounter with my mother when I was eighteen years old. I was currently taking a class called “religion in the modern world” and learned about all rituals and how different religions support different things than others, and it got to me to reflect on what religion I grew up leaning about. Some things I liked and somethings I was horrified with. So talking to my mother I was telling her my opinions and what I believed in and that there is not just one way to believe or think. She was furious, I was stepping out of the norm, but it had ben because of my