Talking Politics and Religion

When I was in eighth grade I went on an overnight school trip. One night, my roommates and I somehow started talking about politics and religion. Though we were all Christian, two of the girls had more conservative political views, while mine were definitely more liberal. As the conversation progressed, I became more and more silent. The girls  talked about how all good Christians were Republicans and discussed the things wrong with people who were pro-choice and supported gay marriage. I went to the bathroom to hide and cry. All of sudden, my liberal political views became my big dark secret. I realized that I couldn’t share my political thoughts with people, especially those who were Catholic.

I spent the rest of high school keeping my political beliefs and my Catholic faith separate. I’d go to youth group and nod along with conversations I didn’t always believe in. I’d listen to my political friends rant about the church. Entering college, I felt so torn between a faith that I loved and believed in, and the way I saw the world politically. I struggled to figure out exactly where I belonged. I felt like every friendship I formed was only formed with half of me. When conversations turned political or religious, I’d often grow silent, just as I had as an eighth grader, thinking that as long as no one knew my opinions, everyone would be happy and like me.

I’ve recently decided to try to give this up and strive to be a more authentic version of myself. After all, God is never calling us to be anyone other than ourselves. In opening up about my own opinions, I’ve been surprised to learn a lot more about others. Most Notre Dame students, and most Catholics in general, don’t always fall into clean-cut political and theological ideologies. Many of my friends who stayed up late watching the election and rooting for Obama with me last year are the same friends who went to the Right for Life Rally. Some friends, who have been mentors for ND Vision, have also been advocates for LGBT rights on campus. You’ll find many people at Notre Dame who are by-the-book Catholics, but many more who have diverse and unique political and religious ways to look at the world.

The church itself is not a partisan organization. So many of the teachings of the church pull from both the left and the right. While the churches teachings on life and LGBT issues align with the Republican party, there are other church issues such as immigration and poverty that align themselves with the Democrats. While church teachings and positions on issues can give people a “nudge” in a certain direction, the church isn’t a political institution. In the US, Catholics are actually split 50/50 between both parties and in the last election, both Vice Presidential candidates were Catholic. Notre Dame is also split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats.

The most important thing I’ve discovered is that a person’s political views on the world are only a small part of who they are. While being at Notre Dame, I’ve made wonderful friends, some of whom have very different opinions than me- in politics, in religion, in literature, in anything! Our difference in opinions doesn’t make our friendships less important, but often call me to challenge my own beliefs and reaffirm why I believe what I do. The thing that eighth grade Megan didn’t understand was that people aren’t going to stop liking you because you disagree them. Politics and religion are tricky issues and ones that should always be approached with respect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t discuss them. In the end, we are part of a faith that calls us to love each other and our God. If a person is really living their faith, they will love you regardless of where your politics fall.