To me, anthropology is a study of humans, traditions, and beliefs in terms of religion. It varies between everyone because even individuals who claim they follow a certain religion don’t believe everything they’re taught. For example, I believe in God but I question several things about my faith. When I say I question, I don’t mean asking why God lets devastating and unfortunate things happen. I mean if God exist, is karma a different aspect of religion, is it all coincidences?
Obviously it’s normal to question your faith but I find it bothersome how people doubt their faith, especially when it comes to Lord because a majority of the time they’re praying for things that are wants and not need. These things include material objects, fame, good looks, etc. When I think of anthropology, it can be confusing. It’s hard to accept how many religions and customs are in the world and while I respect everyone’s beliefs, I also wonder how all these religions come about if God was the one who created everything. In a way it should mean everyone directly or indirectly believes in the Lord but in retrospect that’s not how it goes.
My anthropology does include believing in God. I know there is a higher power and throughout my experiences in life, the lessons I have learned, and all the close calls I have come across, I know someone is above looking over me and protecting me.
However when something unfortunate does occur whether it involves me or not, I don’t blame God or consider it karma. Instead, I just act as a rational human being and accept the fact that not everything is going to go your way in life. Bad things happen to everyone. Growing up, you don’t realize decide your religion. I look at it as your parents pick for you. Your raised and your parents take you to go worship and as you go through grammar school you receive sacraments and before you know it, you’re in high school. By this time you have a better idea of other religions and maybe an idea of what you believe in. However, even if I wasn’t raised being taught to believe and worship in God, I feel like I would still make the decision to be a Christian. If I were living in a different country this might be different.
I feel there are various things that are essential to humans being set apart from the rest of creation, behavior being a big factor. All humans act different and psychology shows clear evidence of this so you can only imagine how different humans act from the rest of creation like animals, nature, and our own creations because off of these things have feelings or portray/represent something. It is also know that humans are the most advanced animal so that plays a significant role in why we are so different compared to other creations.
Every morning when I pray in school I experience the “other”. I do my best to have them in touch with me in order to ask them to guide me through my day and my life as well as to protect my family and I and our health. I feel the “other” when I’m going through tough and happy times because I do know that the Lord is always with me. I look to the “other” when I am feeling indecisive. I feel the other when I put on a Xaverian uniform and know I am going to have the privilege to enhance my initiation in both academics and in my religion.
I share these experiences when I go to confession or when talking to a priest. I also bring up these experiences when having a serious conversation with my father or cousins. I also share them when it’s relevant to what my religion class may be discussing. Although, I’ve never had a divine encounter with the “others”, I don’t doubt that there is a possibility that it can happen. When it comes to communicating things that are vague, I try to explain them by making it relatable to who I am explaining them too whether it’s an individual or a group.
