Religion in a Modern Context

Sometimes, when I am ten minutes early to work on a Sunday, I sneak into the Anglican church that squats almost next door to my tutoring college. I say ‘sneak’ because I am not actually Anglican, but Catholic. But as I stand in the foyer, (which is very convenient, as it is often cold outside) I realise that it wouldn't matter what church I stood in, I would still feel calm.

Directly after my UMAT exam, I was numb. It was such a unique feeling. The first cat off the rank in terms of UMAT, HSC and interviews for med, I think that it was a very emotional experience. SItuated in the biggest room of my life so far in the wild west of Sydney (homebush), I decided to take a detour on my way home, to destress.

And so I stopped at the Auburn Mosque. I have a tendency to spontaneously enter religious hubs and blend in. Almost instantly, as I sunk my socked feet into the plush carpet of the women and children’s section, I felt calm. It was hard to describe, but there was a strong sensation of peace and tranquility as I turned to face the window that looked out onto the tiled rooftops of Auburn. One of the beautiful things about the women and children’s section in a Mosque is that we get the best view. As I looked around, I noticed that there were many book cases filled with Arabic text. At that point, I was again reminded of my need to expand on my language capabilities. I need to become at least bilingual.  

So I sat in the Mosque and contemplated a lot. If what I felt here was as beautiful and worthwhile as what I felt in my little Catholic Church on the top of a hill, then it was worth it. I suppose that if you wanted to be technical, I am a Catholic. But as a student, I am pressed for time, and am not always able to make it to a Catholic place of worship. Do I really exhibit divided loyalties if I pray somewhere else? I don’t think so. I want to live a life without constantly worrying about what other people think. If I am not hurting anyone, and I am not taking away anyone’s right to anything, then I believe that practice is alright. The human being comes first, not the tradition.