Religion was never a big issue in my house growing up. Both of my adoptive moms had at one point been religious I suppose. Vicki was Jewish and went to Hebrew school and BJ went to Church regularly on Sundays but as time went by they found themselves drifting farther away and not needing to rely on religion as much.
We celebrated Hanukah and Christmas, on Vicki's side of the family they would send me Hanukah gifts for each of the 8 nights. The gifts were hidden until it was time to light the candles and say the prayers. Christmas gifts were hidden away in the attic until that fateful morning when I let out every kid's Christmas Morning battle cry "SANTA WAS HERE! WAKE UP!" And rushed down stairs to open the gifts.
Once during our trips to California, where I was born and Vicki grew up, I went to synagogue with my mom and her relatives. My mom laments that she wished she had raised me Jewish and in the Bay Area near all of my cousins. At times I wish I had grown up near my cousins and had a tighter bond with them but I'm happy where I am and with the bonds I have with my friends.
I tried going to Church with one of my friends during Elementary school but it was a very scary and frightening experience. The Preacher would stand behind this podium and yell at us about how we were all going to Hell if we didn't accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and obey the Bible. After the kids were put in a room where we coloured Biblical pictures and discussed what the Preacher had told us. Everyone was so happy after being yelled at, it disturbed me. I stopped going after that, it was enough for me.
Faith is a very tricky and personal matter. A lot of times people forget that and want you to believe the exact same thing that they do. It doesn't work that way, faith is a journey to understanding yourself and the world around you.
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