SPC - {Political} week 3

I don't think I realized how important it is to have 'Faith', until I was in my mid-twenties. I'm not sure if it was a reaction to life experience and growing as a person - evolving as a person if you will, but I feel that "it is better to believe in something, rather than nothing!"
Religions are many, and not necessarily all organized or in need of being defined. Whatever it is you believe, and have faith in, is yours, and it is your decision based on your needs, beliefs and values. It is important to you and to your family, and this is what matters.
I can remember as a young child being forced to attend Church - I hated it, and I think I hated it more because I was forced. We also didn't have just one church where we belonged over the years. We attended a couple, trying to find that one that we liked best, and there was one that I liked more than the others. And sometimes think I could attend today. But, each Sunday we were expected to get dressed up, stop 'playing' with our toys or watching our cartoons and march off to church. My sisters and I hoped...and waited each Sunday to see if Mom would decide, inh, let's skip Church this week. Those occassions were rare, but so great when they happened because we got to relax at home and enjoy our Sunday mornings.
I am the baby of the family, and can remember everytime Mom 'tried' to get me to go to Sunday School before Church I would cry, fold my arms and whine that I was not leaving the car and going into Sunday School, I hated it so much, and each time she gave in. My sisters got out of the car and had to go to their classes, but I got to go to Tim Horton's for juice and a donut. (yes, I realize maybe I didn't hate it as much as I liked my donut and juice...)
Now that I'm older though, I don't attend Church, I do however, look back on the time that I did attend Church and I am grateful for that foundation. That my parents exposed me to what it was like and to different Churches. I do think it is important for children to be exposed to religion, to faith - in one form or another. I think it is important that they have something to base their decisions on when they are old enough to decide for themselves what they will have faith in or how they want to celebrate or spiritualize their faith. I will expose my children to the same, not necessarily every Sunday, or in an organized fashion - but, I want them to have that foundation. I want them to have faith in something.
I feel like in today's society organized religion is fading, it isn't being instilled in children like it was when we were young, and definitely not like it was when our parents and grandparents were young. Perhaps this isn't a bad thing, perhaps we are evolving and with that our faith's definition is changing, i'm not sure...? I just hope that faith isn't being lost - the World is just as complicated as ever and - "it is better to believe in something, rather than nothing!"

Please check out some other self portrait entries over at SPC.