This article is the winning entry in the Georgetown University Summer Journalism Institute Op-ed Contest.
Memphis is known for Elvis, barbecue and being part of the Bible Belt. What it is not known for is Catholicism; Memphis is ruled by Southern Baptists. Having only lived here a short while, I lack a Southern accent, I don’t root for SEC schools and I prefer the Northern climate to the sweltering Southern humidity. In addition, I am a devout Roman Catholic. Surprisingly, living in a city dominated by Southern Baptists has strengthened my Catholic faith by forcing me to defend it.
Being a devout Catholic at a private Southern Baptist school has enabled me to group my classmates into three types: those accepting of others, those who are hypocritical (I call them “Bible Beaters”) and those who know little about other religions or denominations.
The first day I walked into the crowded halls of my high school, I became friends with the Bible Beaters. They seemed rather friendly, until they decided that I couldn’t be their friend anymore. The Bible Beaters have been friends with each other since kindergarten, and when it comes to new people, their mannerisms are similar to those of young children. A new person is the shiny new toy; once they get bored of the toy, they deem it old and dull and toss it aside. Once they realized I was not a candidate for their religious youth groups and didn’t see things their way on everything or shop at the same stores, I, being the “new toy,” lost my novelty. There was one particular event that made me realize that our friendships had turned into mere acquaintances.
My school’s vocal jazz ensemble, which I belong to, was given the rare opportunity of performing with the Grammy Award-winning group New York Voices. During lunch one day, I invited my “friends” to the concert, which was free to students. However, their weekly Bible Study conflicted with the concert, and they just could not miss the Bible Study — not even to support the school, the choir or me. I offered alternatives, such as moving the date of the Bible Study or having the entire Bible Study go to the concert — it was glorifying God, after all. Nothing I suggested could get them to come. I kept receiving excuse after excuse about how they simply could not miss the Bible Study, not even for one evening.
When I failed to see religion through their myopic lens, I was tossed aside, finding myself observing their circle of friends, rather than being a part of it. The duplicitous nature engulfing their lives discouraged me from joining the Southern Baptist army. In fact, it made me more proud of my faith because I know that, unlike the Bible Beaters, I truly attempt to exemplify Jesus Christ by being accepting and practicing true Christian behavior.
While the Bible Beaters helped strengthen my Catholic faith in a reverse-psychology sort of way, the Baptists most responsible for my faith’s newfound strength are those who know slim to nothing about other denominations. One time, a friend asked me whether Catholics are Christian — apparently my unmistakable belief in Christ wasn’t proof enough. On a different occasion, a friend asked me if Catholics went to Hell. Yes, as a Christian, I’m going to believe in a form of Christianity that, based on Christian standards, dooms me to Hell. Please note the emphasis on Christian.
My Bible history class also strengthened my Catholic faith. In it, we reviewed the history of the entire Bible, from the days of creation to the days of the Rapture in the Book of Revelation. The class wasn’t structured to offend anyone. However, I was blessed with a teacher who clearly knew little about other denominations. Having to confront my teacher about his misunderstandings in front of my peers, while remaining respectful and subtle in explaining that all Christian denominations branched off the Catholic Church, required all my tact.
One particular day in class stands out. It began with a discussion of purgatory, which eventually turned into a debate about the Catholic Church’s corruption during the times of Martin Luther. Defending the Church’s past corruption was difficult. I argued that given that the Catholic Church is the oldest Christian church, it is bound to have had some corrupt leaders. Corruption affects all denominations, including the Southern Baptists. In 2007, two executives of the Arizona Baptist Foundation (a Southern Baptist charity) were convicted of fraud and racketeering. Eleven thousand investors lost more than $550 million — likely the largest case of Christian fraud in American history.
Despite being the only Catholic in my class, I was able to muster the courage to defend my faith alone — or so I think. I may have offended some people along the way, but when it comes to religion, offense is inevitable. I’ve been offended; they’ve been offended; we’ve all been offended.
Either way, defending Catholicism in the midst of my Southern Baptist surroundings has made me more confident in my Catholic faith. Besides, I now know that no matter what, I can always defend myself, even if I’m the odd Catholic trapped in a forest of Southern Baptists.
Shelby Mann, a senior in high school, is the editor of her school’s newspaper and the founder of her school’s mock trial team. She’s interested in politics, world travel and journalism.