Catholic and Protestant debates among students are commonplace at Hillsdale. Between designated Protestant vs. Catholic soccer games, or debates in the union, convicted students openly and confidently share their thoughts on campus. As someone who went to a Catholic high school but is a non-denominational Christian, my fellow students are often surprised that I didn’t convert to Catholicism during high school. Rather than feeling at odds with my peers holding different beliefs than myself, my eyes were opened to the common values that unite members of divergent Christian denominations.
I transferred to Catholic school my junior year of high school. Having never attended a Catholic Mass until my junior year, I had many questions about the rules, formalities, and what was permissible for me to do in Mass as a non-denominational Christian. With practice and through my exposure to Catholicism, I grew to have an appreciation for much of the tradition and beautiful ceremonial practices within the Catholic church. Aware that a portion of our student body was not Catholic, my school definitely took a more open, welcoming approach to education, being sure to include everyone in mandatory religion classes irrespective of where each one of us was in our spiritual journeys. My senior religion class centered on discussions about moral issues, the way scripture intersects with 21st-century politics on topics such as abortion, or simply reflected on our religiosity as young adults heading off to college.
Despite the enforcement of a list of, often trivial, Catholic school dress code rules and restrictions — yes, girls had to wear plaid skirts in both freezing winters and hot spring weather — my school welcomed the whole student body to religious retreats, Masses, and even celebrations for holy days of obligation. I started to see those who had never been exposed to religion before, or even those who were vehemently opposed to the existence of God, become more open-minded, even if they didn’t become part of the Church by the end of their four years. The heart behind such initiatives was truly Christian, hoping to expose others to the Lord through love, not focus on increasing church membership or attendance. I saw what effective discipleship was even if I wasn’t of the exact same denomination as my peers or teachers. At our core, we were all united by similar values and convictions.
Rather than debating our denominations — when, in fact, all Christians agree that God is our Heavenly Father — we should focus on the question of intention behind our practice. Do we go to church to foster a relationship with the Lord, or are we using religion as a means of habit, checking off church attendance as if it is a chore on a to-do list? The conviction behind our practice is what makes all the difference.
What critics of religion and religious education systems get wrong is their assumption that students of a specific denomination use God as a moral “safety net,” or use the Lord’s forgiveness as a means to justify self-destructive behavior that doesn’t align with Christian values. This is, in fact, a human problem; not one of denomination, or one of correct Christian practices. Stereotypes of Catholic high school culture, pointing to the lack of conviction behind spiritual practices for all students, couldn’t be further from the truth. We can’t fault sinners for sinning, especially teenagers who are learning how to be independent adults. Despite not being a Catholic myself, I learned so much about my own relationship with God while familiarizing myself with new Christian practices, and I have amazing Catholic mentors and teachers to thank for that.
The next time you sit down to debate the differences between Protestant and Catholic beliefs in Saga, or overhear quarrels over which denomination is most aligned with the Lord’s vision for mankind, I urge you to make a list of similarities instead. If we united over what we have in common, we could focus on the bigger picture for the better: sharing the Gospel with those who don’t know the Lord.
