I grew up in a Christian household. We went to church every Sunday and were taught to live our lives according to God. We were born sinners, born imperfect, and born knowing we needed to serve God. Christianity was a big part of our lives and it still is today.

What I want to highlight is that just because we're Christian, doesn't mean that we're perfect. It also doesn't mean that we're evil. Because of my faith, I've been verbally attacked in the past. I've been told that because I was Christian, I was automatically hypocritical, a horrible human being, and told that I wasn't capable of accepting things, people or ideas outside of my faith. And to be completely fair and honest, I would say that that is completely far from the truth. As a Christian, I've learned how to accept people for who they are, no matter their differing beliefs or practices.

I think that others believe that because Christians are told, for example, that homosexuality is wrong, that abortion is wrong, people automatically think we hate the people who are involved in these categories or fit these categories. I understand their reasoning behind this, but I think what they forget is that we're also taught to love our neighbor as ourselves and we're also taught to not be judgmental because we too are imperfect.

Don't get me wrong, there are different types of Christians and this is because we're all different people with different upbringings who go to different churches and live in different geographic areas. Thus, every Christian is DIFFERENT believe it or not. Some Christians are intolerant of those who do not practice the Christian faith, and other Christians are welcoming and accepting of everyone. I can tell you that I fall on the spectrum of accepting anyone and everyone no matter their background. Just because some Christians ruin the image for all of us as a group, doesn't mean we're all the same. In comparing this to something easier to explain, it's the same type of idea for Americans in the United States. We may all live in the U.S., but we're all different because we live in different parts of the U.S., lead different lives, and do different things. Even people in the Southern part of your state are different than those in the Northern part. It's the same for Christians. We may have the same faith, but we all are different and see Christianity in completely different lenses.

So, to get to my point, as a Christian, I think diversity is beautiful. I think that racial diversity, religious diversity, cultural diversity and anything else of the sort are to be celebrated. I believe that we were all created in the image of God and that our differences are beautiful. Not one person is the same. We all leave our own mark on this world. God designed us completely and uniquely different, in that, our genes and DNA are different and our fingerprints are different. Just because we don't believe the same things, just because we live our lives differently, doesn't mean we can't live harmoniously and be accepting of one another. It also means that because we're different, we can help one another see from our perspective and learn things about each other that we wouldn't have known before.

I don't care what race you are, what your religion is, what you practice in your own life, as long as you're nice to me and are accepting of me, I'll do the same for you. That's just a basic principle of humanity.

I can say that my Christian faith has helped me decide how to live my own life, but it has also helped me love my neighbor as myself, it has helped me be conscious of not judging others, and it has allowed me to be open and loving. Christianity isn't synonymous with evil. It doesn't mean that I can't love those who don't share the same beliefs. It doesn't mean that I hate you for the choices you make. My job as a Christian is to love everyone, to serve God, and to be a good person. It has nothing to do with judging, hating, or being unaccepting of others. It is something that I've decided fits best with MY life and how I should carry out my life. You are free to do what you wish with your life because that's what YOU chose. We have different beliefs and roles in the world because we feel that's where we best fit, and for me, that's being a Christian. So don't jump to conclusions about someone who doesn't necessarily share the same views as you, because you'd be surprised how much you actually have in common with them.