"I have 4 moms but mine is my favorite"
This is the token line that would make the h8rz start laughing and then they would leave me alone. Go ahead, I'll let you young-ins use it too.
Let's just get this out in the open: I've never drank before. Never smoked. I am still a virgin (a real life one can you believe it?) I go to church because I like it. My parents never forced me. Yes I can wear jewelry. Crap is not a swear word. Yes, I am allowed to kiss boiz. I don't drink coffee. No, I do not know how to make homemade bread just because I am Mormon. Andddddd no I don't yell chants around a fire.
You'd think I was kidding but at some point, each one of those lines has been a full conversation. I'll keep this short because no one likes a testimony that goes into a therapy session:
I love the church. I think it is rad. I'm so grateful to have a spiritually grounding energy in my life. I think there is truth everywhere. I have stayed in ashrams, gone to mass, repeated chants to Hindu prayer flags, meditated with gurus, walked 300 miles for a Catholic pilgrimage, been to fire ceremonies, I've even bathed in the Ganges (against my gma's request)... I think you get it, I've explored a lot of belief systems. I love to learn and I love people that think differently than me. I think there is one God and we all do what is comfortable for us. I believe there is truth in a lot of the principles in other religions, I just don't prefer to do a Puja ceremony every morning. I would rather go to the temple, church for 3 hours on Sunday and have a community of people that I can love and serve. I see spirituality and religion as separate. Religion is just a way for me to exercise my spirituality and to strengthen my relationship with the big man upstairs.
Most importantly, I think God is love. Everything needs to come from love. If anyone out there is struggling or just wondering, trying walking into your closest religious institution and just start asking questions. If you care enough, you will stumble upon the truth you are looking for wherever that may be.