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JeanClaudeMendez
ProfessorCampbell
Writing1101
9/28/14

DiscoveringReligion
ItwasataboutfiveoclockonachillyAprilmorningjust3hoursbeforemypaperwas
due.Thispaperthathauntedmeforfiveweekswasfinallycompleted.ThesighofreliefasItook
thewarmfreshlyprintedfifteenpagesfrommyHPprinterwassomethingIllprobably
rememberfortherestofmylife.Thispaperwasnotonlythelongestwritingassignmentbutalso
themostimportantonethatIwouldeverwrite.Duringthelastquarterofmyfreshmanyearof
highschoolbothmyEnglishteacher,Mr.DanielMiller,andmyWorldHistoryteacher,Mr.
ChadAharon,cametogetheranddecidedtogiveourclassesajointassignment.Thispaper
wouldhavetobea

Mr.Aharon

Mr.Miller

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minimumoffourteenpagesandcountasourfinalforbothclasses.Thetopicwouldbeon
religion,morespecificallyaresearchpaperonallofthemajorreligionsintheworld.Wehadto
researcheverythingaboutreligionsincludingorigins,creationstories,beliefs,moralsorcodesof
conduct,importantfiguresandtexts,andanythingelsewefoundinterestingorintriguingabout
thereligions.FromahistoricalstandpointitwouldbegradedbyMr.Aharonbasedonhistorical
accuracyandoverallcontent,foranybigdiscrepancieswewouldhavetwopointsdeductedfrom
thefinalgrade.FromagrammaticalstandpointitwouldwouldbegradedbyMr.Miller,for
everymisspelledword,punctuationmistake,orsyntaxerrorwewouldbedeductedahalfofa
pointoffofthefinalgrade.

IspentweeksinthelibraryreadingeverythingIcouldpossiblyfindonreligion.Passages
fromaBibleandatranslatedTorahandQuran.BooksontheoriginsofHinduism,Taoism,and
Shinto.NameslikeJesus,Abraham,Moses,andMohammedpoppedupleftandrightwhileI
researchedthe3majorwesternreligionsJudaism,Christianity,andIslam.Whilestudying
easternreligionsIlearnedmoreaboutreincarnation,karma,andenlightenment.Irememberone
afternoonspecifically.AsschoolletoutIfeltavibrationinmypocket.Acallfrommymother
tellingmethatshewouldbeverylatetopickmeup.Iwasabouttobegintomoanandcomplain
whenIsuddenlyrememberedmypaper.Ibeganwalkingdownthedesertedhallwaysofmy
schooltothelibrary.Iopenedthedoortothefamiliarwrinkledfaceofthelibrarian,Susan.Isat
inmyusualcornerofthelibrary,pulledoutmylaptop,notebook,andpencil,andbegan
researchingandwritingdownnotes.Ikeptreadingandwritingforwhatseemedlikedays.I
filledpagesuponpagesofpaperwithnotes,myfingersbecamesosorethatIwouldhavetotake

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breakseveryfewminutestoalleviatethepainuntilfinallyIreceivedatextfrommymomtelling
methatshewasoutside.Althoughthiswasbyfarthemostintenseandlongeststudysession,It
wasonlyoneofmany.Finally,afterIdecidedthatIhadsufficientinformation,Iactuallybegan
writingthepaperaboutaweekbeforeitwasdue.Idgethomefromschoolandsitdownonthe
familycomputerandknockoutoneoftherequiredreligionseveryday.Idsitthere,writea
sentence,readoverit,andrewriteit.IfitwasanythinglessthanperfectionIdscrapit.Idobsess
overmydiction,spelling,andpunctuation.DoIneedacommathere?Isthisarunonsentence?
ShouldItrytouseabetterwordhere?Idthinktomyself.Over.andOver.andOveragain.
FinallythenightbeforeitwasdueIfeltsatisfiedwithwhatIhadwritten,Ihadworkedmyass
offforweeksresearchingandwritingthatpaperandIcouldntfindanythingIdislikedaboutit.I
readthroughitabout7or8timesindisbelief.NeverinmylifehadIwrittenapapersoperfectly,
obviouslyneverhadapapercountedasmuchasthatonedid,butneitherhadapaperstopicever
captivatedmelikethisonedid.Ifeltapersonalconnectiontothatassignmentanditdefinitely
helpedmegrowsomuchasaperson.

YoucouldsaythatwhileresearchingforthispaperandwritingitIbecameenlightened
inasense.ReligionandfaithwasonethingthatIalwaysstruggledwithasakid.Mymombeing
adevoutCatholicobviouslypushedmeinthatdirection,butwhilereadingaboutgreatfloods,
giants,andplaguesatchurchIbecameconfused.InchurchwelearnedaboutgenesisInthe
beginningGodcreatedtheHeavenandtheEarth..whileinscienceclassweweretaught
aboutplatetectonics,volcanoes,andevolution.Ishyedawayfromreligionmostofmylife,Ifelt
chastisedfrommymomfornotsharingthesamebeliefsshehadonceattemptedtoinstillinme.

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ItwasntuntilIworkedonandcompletedthispaperthatIfullycametotermswithmybeliefs,
orratherdisbeliefs.ItsnotthatIhatedreligionorfounditevil,butIrealiseditwassupposedto
besomethingentirelydifferentthanwhatushumanshavetwisteditinto.Fightsandevenwars
overwhichreligioniscorrectremindedmeoflittlechildrenbickeringbackandforth.The
saddestpartofallwasrealizingthatmanyreligionsinfactwerefundamentallyidenticalwith
onlysmalldifferencesseparatingeachotherandthatthosesubtledifferenceshavecausedso
manydeathsthroughouthistory.Irefusedtoblindlybelievebuttobecomemoreawareofmyself
andmyactionsasawhole.

ThispaperandthejourneyalongwithitultimatelyformedtheopinionthatIhavehad
aboutreligionthatstillstandstothisdayIdobelievethattheoverallpurposeofreligionis
good,togivepeopleasenseofhope,asenseofdirection,howeverovertimepeoplehave
convolutedtheoriginalmessagesgiventothembytheirgodordeities.ItsnotthatIdontbelieve
inagod,orfrownuponpeoplethatdo,Ijustfeellikethatmybeliefsshouldbebetweenmeand
whatevergodIbelievein.Idonotneedanotherpersontotellmewhatisrightandwhatis
wrong.HowIwillbepenalizedforcommittingsinAorsinB.Iknowthateveryactionhasa
consequenceandIknowthatIammatureenoughtodecideonmyownhowIshalllivemylife
out.IreallywishIcouldgobackandthankmyteachers,andmaybeonedayIwill.Iknewatthe
timethatwhathadwrittenwouldimpactmylife,butIdidntknowthatitwouldgetasfarasto
shapemylifeandevenbethesubjectofanotherimportantpaperlateroninmylearning.