My Religion // Story by Brianne Carlon

©This story is property of The CyBurr, the online version of The Burr, Kent State’s student magazine. Spring 2004.

My Religion

Four students reveal their lesser-known faiths

Story by Brianne Carlon

Photos by Amy Mitten

As of the 2002 census, the population of the United States was nearly 300 million — 800,000 of those were Santerian. That’s less than 1 percent. Hundreds of religions are practiced in the United States daily, and many of those religions are considerably obscure. In the United States, there are 500,000 Unitarian Universalists, 100,000 Jains and 55,000 Mennonites.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM

Allison Pritchard, freshman electronic media production major, grew up in North Olmsted and has practiced Unitarian Universalism her entire life.

The protestant denomination was founded in the 1960s when two religions merged: Unitarians—founded in Poland in the 1500s—and Universalists—founded in Europe in the 1700s, according to newadvent.org, a Catholic encyclopedia. The religion encourages free thinking.

“It’s really open and out there,” Pritchard says. “It’s more important to be a good person than believe in certain things.”

Unitarian Universalism welcomes beliefs from all religions. It is mostly up to individuals what their personal beliefs are. The church does not have a specific text, though both Unitarianism and Universalism are liberal Protestant sects, according to newadvent.org.

“They expose the members to other texts, such as the Bible, but they don’t tell you that you have to believe it,” Pritchard says.

Pritchard believes in a god but not so much a human form.

“I believe he is naturish, a universal force. And he is not limited,” she says.

More importantly, the church values knowledge, so Sunday school teaches a variety of other life issues beyond religion. One year is dedicated to sex education, including sexually transmitted diseases and birth control.

“They want you to have the information at your fingertips,” Pritchard says.

The church encourages pro-choice reproductive rights, and it supports gay marriages.

Unitarian Universalism is open to any religious beliefs that accept and respect all life.

Pritchard tries to remember to live her life according to a saying she once heard: It’s not the creed we preach but the life we live that is important.

JAINISM

Sophomore Riti Vora, sophomore fashion merchandise major, is part of a Hindu religion called Jain. Vora believes in 24 gods, all with different functions. For example, Ganesh is the God of Luck and Mahivir is the God of Jainism.

According to Hindu beliefs, all animals are sacred, so Vora is a vegetarian.

The Bhagavad-Gita is the text of the Hindu religion. The symbol of the Jain faith is the Ohm, which represents peace.

When it comes to praying, Vora is not completely consistent.

“I pray before tests and travel for good luck,” she says. “But if I lived in India we would go to temple every day before school.”

There are many traditional holidays celebrated through the year. Paryushan is an eight-day festival of Jain values in August or September.

“In it, we celebrate Mahivir’s birthday,” Vora says.

Diwali is the Festival of Lights and is celebrated in October. Uttarayan is the celebration of the arrival of the end of winter or the beginning of warm weather and is observed Jan. 14. Everyone flies kites in honor of upcoming warm weather. Holi, celebrated in March, is the welcoming of spring with colors.

Weddings are elaborate celebrations in Hindu religions. They are often still arranged in India.

“My parents had an arranged marriage in India,” Vora says. She is very thankful she will not have the same experience.

Vora was born in Ahmedabad Gujrat, India, and moved to Ohio when she was 5 years old.

“My parents wanted a better life for us,” Vora says.

MENNONITE

Dressed in black with no hint of make-up, Terri Good, a junior integrated language arts major, appears shy but is the exact opposite. Good is opinionated and outspoken, which might be unexpected of a young Mennonite woman.

The women of this faith are expected to remain secondary to men and wear skirts and a head covering.

“I could uncover my head, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world,” Good says, “but it would offend the people in my world.”

The Mennonite religion originated in Europe when a group of people broke away from the Catholic Church. The sect disagreed with many Catholic beliefs, including infant original sin.

Mennonites choose their own appropriate time for baptism. Good chose to be baptized into the church when she was 15.

Although Mennonites are not as strict as Amish, Mennonites are not allowed to wear buttons or zippers or use technology. They are forbidden to drink or smoke, and most remain virgins until marriage.

In Mennonite communities, men are the leaders, and women usually do not work outside the home. But Good is able to work at a Mennonite restaurant because her parents say it is a “safe place to work.”

“To work there is pretty traditional,” Good says, “but I don’t mind it.”

Good carries her prayer journal with her wherever she goes. It is filled with her personal thoughts and conversations with God.

“There is something that is meant to be reflected in our religion, and that’s what this is—letters to God from me,” Good says before her cellular phone interrupts her.

Gradually Good’s community has accepted technology. The line has almost become blurred as to how much is acceptable.

SANTERIA

“I sacrificed a calf when I was 5 years old,” freshman exploratory major Diego Gray says in a strong Spanish accent.

Sacrifices practiced in the Santeria religion, of which Gray is an active member, usually include chickens, doves and calves. The blood is offered as a gift of life to the Orishas, or guardians. Gray is from New York City but was born in Cuba.

Santeria is a combination of Yoruba, or African, beliefs from Southern Nigeria and Roman Catholicism. Santerians believe in one god, Obatala, who created all the Orishas.

This religion’s history lies in the slave trade. Yoruba natives were forced into slavery and sent to the Caribbean. Upon arrival, they often were baptized into the Catholic Church. Practicing their native religion was forbidden. To keep their Yoruban faith alive, each Orisha was identified with a corresponding Christian saint.

The religion is not based on one specific text.

“Everything is oral. Nothing has changed since the beginning,” Gray says.

Members of the religion are initiated when their personal Orisha possesses them during drum beating at Bembes, or celebrations. Each Orisha has a specific drumbeat.

“You do not remember when you are possessed, but it happens through the drums,” Gray says.

Chango possessed Gray when he was 12 years old. Chango is believed to be a great dancer, and Gray possesses this trait as well. Gray teaches Salsa lessons and is considering majoring in dance.

Gray is now a priest in the religion.

“Most priests are gay like me,” he says. “We have female spirituality in a man’s body, making us very spiritual beings.”

Two altars are set up in Gray’s dorm room; one in honor of Chango, who represents fire, and one to Obatala, the King of all the Saints.

“Altars are important not only to give spiritual guidance, but once you have a visual, faith goes much deeper,” Gray says.

Gray says he was also born with the gift of prophecy.

“I can speak the invisible present,” he says, meaning he can see into others’ future using shells. Gray is quite secretive about what he can see.

“I’ve only been wrong once,” Gray says. “You have to be very focused when dealing with people’s feelings.”