I am a Catholic. Yes, amongst the black teas, coffee cups, and square rim glasses I lurk, a medallion wearing, rosary praying, saint loving, Virgin Mary home-girl. Where I’m from, the last name Rivera, this fact of my religious identity would hold no shock; yet, it is always a surprise here at Sarah Lawrence. When I first arrived at the college I was a little hesitant to reveal my faith (despite always having on my wrist a cross) for fear of being judged. I soon learned that this fear was useless due to the fact that no matter what you say, do, or wear here, you will be judged. Note to First-Years: it sucks at first but you’ll embrace it after a while.
Eventually, however, I was the one experiencing the shock. I came to this college because it was known for its liberal open-minded students, supposedly looking to expand their knowledge of academia and the world. And I don’t know the last time you checked, but there are a whole lot of Christians in this world. It seemed every time Catholic, Christian, or Jesus was mentioned, other students were quick to mention hate, pro-life, and gay bashing. My faith was now synonymous with conservative politics. Yet, here I am, at what is hailed as one of the most liberal schools in the nation. Could it be? A follower of Christ who is actually not a conservative? I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten disgusted looks and angry questioning about my beliefs and principles.
I’m finally going to make it official: I not only go to mass and confession but I’m also pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, a feminist, and a registered Democrat. That’s right, I am a liberal Christian, and I am not alone. There are more of us right here on campus. More importantly, I feel that the need for this confession is rather sad. In its attempts at political correctness, this school tends to overlook the stereotyping of Eurocentric religious beliefs. The campus would be in an uproar if someone were to declare that all Muslims are terrorists. We know this is not true, even though there are, in fact, followers who practice terrorism in the name of Islam. And yes, there is a good portion of Christians who fully support bigoted and hateful legislation, but they do not represent all of us.
Every person has the right to believe in whatever they choose. Yet I feel a majority of students here would be quick to fight for a Buddhist’s right to faith while stepping to the sidelines as I stammer to defend myself. No one should have to defend his or her faith, not in this country, not anywhere, not anymore. So I am asking my fellow students to reexamine their prejudice against Christians, and maybe even against other categories that we humans like to box ourselves into as well. I also want to invite the community to come discuss any concerns that they have about Christians, the Sarah Lawrence Christian Union, or Christianity in general at the Campus Dialogue being held on Monday, November 10th at 8 pm in Titsworth Lecture Hall. Thank you, and God Bless.