By Kassidy Tsikitas | Photographer
Although Baylor is a Baptist university, students from around the globe attend it with many different beliefs — non-Christians, Christians who aren’t Baptists and even atheists.
Baylor has a melting pot of religious clubs on campus that anyone can join, even if you just want to broaden your horizons and learn about different religions. As a junior who is Catholic, I have been enlightened by many different ideologies and people’s experiences with various churches.
The most important thing to do is to keep an open mind while researching other religions. By all means, if you are comfortable with your identification and just want to see how your friends group together with different beliefs, stand strong in it, but be respectful.
Contrary to popular belief, you can be friends with people from different backgrounds and religious upbringings. My hometown is a Catholic-dominated community, but coming to Baylor pushed me to recognize other forms of Christianity. Other religions weren’t uncommon for me to see, but it’s not every day I would meet someone who is Lutheran or Baptist.
In some ways, befriending someone of a different religion can be liberating. It can be difficult at times to keep a civil conversation, depending on the topic at hand, yet in the end, those conversations can be rewarding.
One example I can think of is with my parents. My father was raised Greek Orthodox, and my mother was raised Catholic. One core difference between the two is the ruling of the Pope in the Catholic Church. My father eventually converted to Catholicism, but they were still able to live life before that in a respectful manner.
Being in relationships with people can help you grow. It is essential to see the change in our country’s morals and respect it. Although people may never fully agree on everything, there is no harm in keeping one’s mouth shut. Baylor students tend to do a good job when it comes to respecting others’ values. Despite the miscommunication regarding the religious exemptions from Title IX, Baylor students continued to show support for the communities they thought were at risk.
Overall, seeing people eye-to-eye can help you appreciate the value of their lives. No more excuses of, “Oh, they don’t believe this or that.” Life is short, and we need more people who can see someone for who they are and not what they believe in.
