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JeanClaudeMendez
ProfessorCampbell
Writing1101
9/28/14

DiscoveringReligion
Itwasataboutfiveoclockonachillyaprilmorningjust3hoursbeforemypaperwas
due.Thispaperthathauntedmeforfiveweekswasfinallycompleted.ThesighofreliefasItook
thewarmfreshlyprintedfifteenpagesfrommyHPprinterwassomethingIllprobably
rememberfortherestofmylife.Thispaperwasnotonlythelongestwritingassignmentbutalso
themostimportantonethatIwouldeverwrite.Duringthelastquarterofmyfreshmanyearboth
myEnglishteacher,Mr.DanielMiller,andmyWorldHistoryteacher,Mr.ChadAharon,came
togetheranddecidedtogiveourclassesajointassignment.Thispaperwouldhavetobea

Mr.Aharon

Mr.Miller

minimumoffourteenpagesandcountasourfinalforbothclasses.Thetopicwouldbeon
religion,morespecificallyaresearchpaperonallofthemajorreligionsintheworld.Wehadto

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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.Iwouldbecome
engulfedbyknowledgeandcoverpagesandpagesofpaperinnotesuntilmyfingertipsweretoo
soretocontinuewriting.Finally,afterIdecidedthatIhadsufficientinformation,Iactually
beganwritingthepaperaboutaweekbeforeitwasdue.Idgethomefromschoolandsitdown
onthefamilycomputerandknockoutoneoftherequiredreligionseveryday.Idsitthere,write
asentence,readoverit,andrewriteit.ifitwasanythinglessthanperfectionIdscrapit.Id
obsessovermydiction,spelling,andpunctuation.DoIneedacommathere?Isthisarunon
sentence?ShouldItrytouseabetterwordhere?Idthinktomyself.over.andover.andover
again.FinallythenightbeforeitwasdueIfeltsatisfiedwithwhatIhadwritten,Ihadworked
myassoffforweeksresearchingandwritingthatpaperandIcouldntfindanythingIdisliked

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aboutit.Ireadthroughitabout7or8timesindisbelief.NeverinmylifehadIwrittenapaperso
perfectly,obviouslyneverhadapapercountedasmuchasthatonedid,butneitherhadapapers
topicevercaptivatedmelikethisonedid.Ifeltapersonalconnectiontothatassignmentandit
definitelyhelpedmegrowsomuchasaperson.

YoucouldsaythatwhileresearchingforthispaperandwritingitIbecameenlightened
inasense.ReligionandfaithwasonethingthatIalwaysstruggledwithasakid.Mymombeing
adevoutcatholicobviouslypushedmeinthatdirection,butwhilereadingaboutgreatfloods,
giants,andplaguesatchurchIbecameconfused.InchurchwelearnedaboutgenesisInthe
beginningGodcreatedtheHeavenandtheEarth..whileinscienceclassweweretaught
aboutplatetectonics,volcanoes,andevolution.Ishyedawayfromreligionmostofmylife,Ifelt
chastisedfrommymomfornotsharingthesamebeliefsshehadonceattemptedtoinstillinme.
ItwasntuntilIworkedonandcompletedthispaperthatIfullycametotermswithmybeliefs,
orratherdisbeliefs.ItsnotthatIhatedreligionorfounditevil,butIrealiseditwassupposedto
besomethingentirelydifferentthanwhatushumanshavetwisteditinto.Fightsandevenwars
overwhichreligioniscorrectremindedmeoflittlechildrenbickeringbackandforth.The
saddestpartofallwasrealizingthatmanyreligionsinfactwerefundamentallyidenticalwith
onlysmalldifferencesseparatingeachotherandthatthosesubtledifferenceshavecausedso
manydeathsthroughouthistory.Irefusedtoblindlybelievebuttobecomemoreawareofmyself
andmyactionsasawhole.

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