Of Religion and The Crucible

Kat Dart

(12/2010) December has fast approached us. During November, many days for memories (of veterans, firefighters and pilgrims) were celebrated. In December, many religious holidays are celebrated, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and others. These holidays are made to celebrate religion and its God. And I wonder, what is it that makes so many people believe whole heartedly in something intangible, untouchable? Why do they love this Supreme Being so much? How is it possible for someone to have a faith so powerful and unending that even with so much badness in their life, they still can turn to God?

I watch everyday as my friend will happily explain how excited she is, how she wants to become a Sister when she graduates, and how she wants to do nothing but serve God for her entire life. I watched while visiting my friend in the hospital, how to help regain her speech she would read out of the Bible, and discuss with her father that Jehovah helps everyone.

This force that you can't see and can't touch but makes a bigger impact on the world is incredible to even think about, much less try to understand. And perhaps in a way, I can understand why atheists don't believe in a God. Belief in something proven is so much easier than belief in the unknown. But, I would rather live my life believing there is a God, and die to find there's not, than to live life believing there isn't a God, and die to find there is one.

I hold great respect those who do believe in God, but not for the people who insist that their beliefs are the best. I have had people tell me, God wants us all to be the same. You should just believe the same ideals I do, because I hold the perfect ones.

My response has not, and will never change. If God wanted us all to be alike, then why did he make us all so different? Life moves on, society moves forward, and new ideals are being accepted every single day. You can't stay stoic and unmoving forever, lest you be run over by those who have moved on.

As our generation grows and changes, we need to be able to accept that many of the ideals held a hundred years ago don't have as big of an impact anymore. Sure, tradition is great to keep and it's really amazing to be able to keep age-old ideas, (such as, say, the constitution that gives us our freedom, or marriage, or holiday traditions), but the fact is that we need to adapt to modern society. Trying to change people won't work. If they truly hold different morals and ideals, you won't be able to change them through force.

We can’t make everyone happy through one set of ideals. Everyone believes differently- we all have our own minds to shape our own opinions. Everyone should be accepting of others and respect their opinions. Unfortunately, in today’s world, a lot of people tend to believe they are right, and will never accept someone else’s opinions. However, there are also a lot of people who are willing to hear other people out, and accept what other have to say.

I would like to congratulate a fellow writer, Robin Wivell, on being runner up as a HOBY winner. HOBY (Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference) is an organization dedicated to increasing leadership skills. Only one sophomore per participating High School goes. Robin and I actually had been going back and forth for a few days, tossing our own ideas around while hanging out at Catoctin’s Crucible play.

I would also like to thank the cast of Crucible for an incredibly powerful performance. I really enjoyed working on Crucible, and making friends offstage, and joking with Robin (Reverend Parris in Crucible) while talking to Rebecca (Mercy Lewis) and Dottie (Rebecca Nurse). Special thanks to Miss Stitley, for making Crucible come to life and for bringing everyone back to the Salem Witch trials, Beaner, with whom I hung out with before everyone arrived to the play, and Elaine, for being her normal crazy self while playing the invisible yellow bird in the wings. You all really make drama a lot of fun, and definitely a little challenging!

I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, no matter which one you celebrate, if any. I personally will be celebrating Christmas with a large part of our family – cousins I don’t see a lot, cousins I do see a lot, all of my mother’s sisters and my grandmother.

I hope everyone takes Winter Break to spend some time with their family, as we have around a week off. Hopefully, we’re not being totally overloaded with winter break homework!