I was raised Catholic, but time and political awareness raised me to be a passionate feminist, social justice advocate, and progressive Democrat. While the Catholic church and its followers have historically aligned with conservative political stances, I have continued to remain Catholic despite my own liberal opinions. And I'm sick of people telling me I can't be both.

I am pro-choice and pro-same-sex marriage, and yes, I know this flagrantly violates the Church's teachings. But I believe Catholicism is about faith and not politics. I believe God would want me to live my life, in memory of Him and the sacrifice He made so that I could sin and be forgiven. I believe that if I were to get pregnant through rape or an irresponsible mistake, God would not want me to sit around, telling myself this was His plan for me, but to take control of my life so that His son's crucifixion was not in vain.

I believe God loves all His children, no matter their gender, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation. And above all, I know that there is not a sin in the world for which God would not have mercy and grant forgiveness and understanding. I believe in the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. I believe God's son, Jesus Christ, is our savior. I believe in Heaven, Hell, and the Holy Spirit. And I believe God's teachings can be interpreted in more ways than one. The Bible contains arcane stories with lessons and guidelines to live a Catholic life, but the "rules" of the Church are created by the believer, Democratic or Republican.

My parents were married in a Catholic church by a Catholic priest. I was baptized in the Catholic church. I attended a Catholic school of religion once a week for eight years. I received my First Communion, and five years later I was confirmed and became a full member of the Catholic church. I have always bubbled in "Roman Catholic" as my religion on standardized tests. I know all the Ten Commandments. I attend Mass as often as I can. I pray in times of gratitude and hardship. And I attempt to follow God and his teachings every day.

Identifying as Catholic is ingrained in my person, and it is as second nature to me as identifying as Asian. And although I believe Catholicism has become stuck in a regressive past which prohibits change, the old opinions of the Catholic church do not change my faith. I have had friends, with the same political and social views as I, denounce their Catholic upbringing or convert to more progressive branches of Christianity, but I could not imagine ignoring the religion I was raised with.

Catholicism has history, holidays, traditions, and stories and lessons that are perceived by every follower differently. But that does not overshadow the brother and sisterhood we are bound together by. My liberal Democratic beliefs do not make me any less of a Catholic, and it's time we recognize that, with the right attitude, harmony can be found between religion and politics.