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Two gods
Being bi-religious has made me more open-minded

By Christine Zahra Beyzaei
April 30, 2001
The Iranian

Before I begin, let me tell you a little about myself. I am a 13 year old female living in America and I practice two religions.

Some people may think "Wow, big deal" or "So what?" but unless you have two religions, it's hard to know the feeling.

I am Muslim after my dad and Catholic after my mother. People are always constantly asking me which one I'll pick when I grow up or what religion I will raise my children as. I simply say "both". Why should I have to choose one?

This response usually gets me stares and looks of amazement. People in this country wonder how is it possible to follow two Gods and to follow to different books.

Actually, it's very simple. I celebrate both holidays and pray in both languages at night. This sometimes requires sacrifices such as when Ramadan and Christmas could run together. Then I just simply choose one.

some fanatics would look on me as a sadist, but I am one of the most religious people I know. I've even had someone in a chatroom tell me that I'm going to go straight to hell for this. That person was a Catholic.

By talking to others, I've come to learn that Muslims are more accepting of religious differences. Even in school someone I've known since first grade came up with the idea that I was Buddhist. That just baffled me.

I have written this article in hopes you will expand your tolerance. Being bi-religious has made me a more open-minded person and more accepting and cool minded. I would just like to say that it is a good thing, and while some children may grow up being confused by it, most will appreciate it when they're older.

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