Paschall 1

Jackson Paschall What do I Believe

I have been a catholic my whole life and I truly believe that God is real, and that Jesus

was once on the earth and that his death saved us from sin. I believe I feel this way because I

have attended a catholic school my whole life and it is the only thing that I know to believe in. I

think that things would maybe be different if I didn’t attend a catholic school my entire life. My

parents are both catholic so I believe I would still believe in everything, just not as strongly as I

do now. I am not the best catholic, but I know God still loves me no matter what and I can

always come back to him no matter how far I stray away.

I believe in everything that I have been taught about the catholic faith. This is because I

have not studied any other religion and don’t really know the specifics of what they believe. I

was baptized two months after I was born and have been brought up catholic my whole life by

my parents and family. As a kid I though being catholic was going to mass every week,

following the ten commandments, and always following the golden rule. This was all true but as

I have grown older, I see how being catholic is much deeper than that. I also had to advantage of

going to a catholic school my whole life and learning about the faith almost every day. Public

school kids don’t have this advantage to learn about the faith in school and have to do it on their

own time where it is totally different than learning about it in school. I know that catholic public-

school kids attend CCD classes after school but that is totally different than learning about the

faith in school on a regular day and being able to talk about God in any of your classes and to be

able to pray throughout the day. I have learned to really believe that god is real, and he had a

plan for everyone of us even if we think he does not. I also really believe in everything that is

said in the Nicene Creed. I believe in everything that is said in that because of the way I have

been brought up and learned about each belief that is said. I am not a very religious person, but I
 Paschall 2

still do believe in everything I have learned in my life. I pray but not every day and I don’t have

a strong relationship with God, but I still have one. When I pray, I pray for others, people who

are struggling or in need and for myself. I am proud to say I believe in God and everything about

the catholic faith.

In regard to heaven, hell, and purgatory, I believe that all three do exist. I believe that

heaven is the perfect place where you are in full communion with God and nothing bad can ever

happen there. There is no sin only pure happiness from everyone and everything. I believe that

heaven is whatever you picture it to be because that is what you believe perfection is. Many

people go here but not directly because we must be completely sin free to enter into heaven and

spend eternity with God. I believe only Saints, martyrs, and people who strive to live everyday

like Christ like Mr. Summers are the only ones who go directly to heaven. Most people are good

people but do not go directly to heaven. These people enter purgatory. Purgatory is where you

become sinless and then can enter into heaven and spend eternity living with God in heaven. It is

not bad to go to purgatory because everybody sins, and nobody has ever been perfect on earth

besides Jesus. Once you enter purgatory you can only go to heaven. You are not able to go to

hell if you enter purgatory. The last place a person can go when they die is Hell. This is the place

where you go when you don’t believe in the faith and don’t try at all to be a good person in life

on earth. This place is completely away from God and once you enter you can never leave. It is

basically the exact opposite of heaven and it is also whatever u picture the worst thing in your

life to be and that is Hell. You really have to not care at all about anything or anyone on earth to

go here because God still loves us and wants every person to spend eternity with him. Many

people aren’t catholic but that is ok because they may not have to resources to learn about the

faith and God will see this, understand it, and not punish them for not being active followers of
 Paschall 3

the faith when they didn’t know about it. God only punishes those who turn away from him and

don’t want any part of him in their lives. I believe most people spend their lives living good lives

on earth, end up in purgatory, and then spend eternity with God.

It is hard to always do the right thing on earth. Every decision has consequences whether

they are good or bad. I usually look to my parents in deciding whether or not a decision is a good

decision or not. I would think about if they would be mad or not if they found out what I was

doing and usually make my decision based off that judgement. Sometimes I don’t even think at

all and just act by myself without thinking of the consequences or outcomes of the decision.

These decisions haven’t affected me that much, but I know that some of them are not good

decisions and should not be made even though I still do them. I never really think about what the

church would want me to do when I make my decisions even though I should. I also never think

about if my decision is right or wrong, I only think about what my parents would say if I think

about it at all. I mostly act on instinct and don’t really think about the outcome even thought I

should. I know my actions have consequences and should really begin to think that before every

decision I make. It is not hard to know right from wrong, but it is hard to do the right thing all the

time because of rules, what your friends are doing, and whose parents let them do what. Right

now, in High School most people think that is better to do what everyone else does because you

will be cooler and have a better life. That maybe somewhat true but you should still be doing the

right thing because you are at the age where you know right from wrong. In the future I have to

continue to make sure I make good decisions because if I mess up big when I am older, I will be

in a mess for the rest of my life.

Overall, I can my attribute my strong Catholicism to my parents and attending a catholic

school my whole life. I don’t think I would believe as much as I do now if I didn’t go to a
 Paschall 4

catholic school my whole life. I am very happy about how far my faith has come in my life and I

have to thank my parents for sending me to a catholic school. I think it is hard to do the right

thing all the time but, in the end, it will pay off to spend eternity with God.