Kassandra Darnell

G4

9/1/18

Religion

WC: 823

Religious Revelation

Students consider impact of religion on themselves, their lives, whether they believe or

not

When junior Neharika Palivela first started attending public school, she quickly learned

she was different from her peers. Palivela was raised Hindu, causing her to not share the same

Christian beliefs that many other students around her had been taught. During her childhood,

Palivela said she strongly believed in the teachings of Hinduism, but as she has gotten older she

said she has stopped believing.

“I think part of it is just feeling guilty because I know that because I don’t believe in this

stuff a lot of the traditions are going to end up being lost—and some of those traditions and

festivals and holidays I actually do enjoy—but they’re all going to get lost because I don’t

actually believe in the practice of the religion,” Palivela said.

Palivela isn’t alone. A recent survey, published last month, conducted by the Pew

Research Center found that the number of U.S. adults regularly attending religious services has

been declining in recent years, with 30 percent of adults stating they rarely or never attend.
Thirty-seven percent stated they practice their religion in other ways, while 28 percent said they

are non believers and 23 percent stating they have not found a church or worship they like.

Still, while this survey shows fewer adults attend religious services, Rev. Jenni Crowley

Cartee, a youth minister at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church (OPPC), said her church has

experienced higher numbers of youth attending services and participating in the community than

in the past. Crowley Cartee said one reason this may be occurring is that teens in the church

invite friends to join them and encourage others to participate.

“We work really hard to keep youth connected through meaningful experiences, both in

the summer and throughout the year, and I think keeping a mission focus for our youth ministry

helps youth want to be here and want to be engaged,” Crowley Cartee said. “And also being a

safe place where youth are actually encouraged to ask difficult questions and to really think

through their own beliefs rather than just being spoon-fed easy answers.”

Junior Aadam Merzoug said he is proud to be Muslim despite negativity toward Islam in

recent years. Merzoug said that when he was younger, he didn’t really believe in all of the

teachings, but as he’s matured he has found that routines like praying five times a day have

benefited him mentally and spiritually.

“I’m thankful for everyone in this school who has not said anything negative about the

Muslims, and there’s a handful of Muslims in the school, and it’s just helped the Muslim

community grow and all of my peers are now more self-aware of the culture itself,” Merzoug

said.

While Palivela now identifies as Agnostic, meaning she believes that nothing is known

about God or any higher power or may never know, she said she still carries many Hindu
teachings with her. Palivela said it’s like having her own religion in her head, and she pulls

certain beliefs from other religions and cultures.

“There are parts of Hinduism I really like, like the whole idea of karma, doing good so

that good comes back to you. That has definitely impacted the way that I act with other people,

and in the long run I would say that the entire principle has made me want to be a better person.

It’s little things like that that stay with you,” she said.

Crowley Cartee said she thinks believing in a higher power can impact youth throughout

their day-to-day lives and change their perspective of the world around them. She said it helps

youth to seek out meaning and understanding. Crowley Cartee also said having an outlook on the

world that’s based on religious beliefs encourages teens to reach out and care for their peers.

“We all have days when we struggle, we slip backward and we are not the people that we

are called to be or the people we want to be, but in general I see our youth try really hard to reach

out to one another, to find ways to support each other even when things aren’t good, and I also

think that I see them reach out to others in their community, in their schools, and want to find a

way to make a difference,” Crowley Cartee said.

Palivela said although she doesn’t believe in all of the Hindu teachings and certain

rituals, she still sees and understands the appeal of following religious teachings and how it has

impacted humanity throughout history.

“It makes sense and I do think it has had some really good impacts in the sense that like it

brought people together, it gives you a sense of community, and in times where people were so

lost, it was that faith that kept them going,” Palivela said. “In that sense, I think it’s kind of a
beautiful thing to have that kind of blind faith in something. I think it speaks monumentally

about humanity.” By Kassandra Darnell